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Summary: Earth from Above by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Review: It is a book of breathtaking aerial views from all over the world. It is intended to be a photographic record of the globe's status in the millenium. This is a beautiful coffee table book (although it is pretty large and heavy). It includes map references for each of the photographs, as well as a textual account of the photograph, its location, the people in it, etc. If Photography is your passion, you will love this book!
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Summary: Soak in a Book Well Worth Every Cent (it sells itself)
Review: I saw this amazing exhibit, "La Terre Vue Du Ciel", of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's in the Jardin du Luxembourg Senat when I was in Paris a few weeks ago. The exhibit included much larger-than poster-sized photos that are some of the same photos contained in the book. They were spectacular and breath-taking. Stunning really. But if you can't afford to go to Paris, or if you can't get a hold of a poster of his work, this book is a fantastic collection of awesome, thoughtful, inspiring, thought-provoking, and humanistic usually unseen images taken from above Earth, that have an incredible aesthetic beauty. I can't recommend this book more highly. I was going to purchase 3-4 of them myself for me and my family and friends. However, I waited to get back to the US before doing so since they are large and very heavy due to the high-quality paper the photos are printed on. I was sorry they would not fit in my luggage as I had wished to stare at the photos for many hours on the plane trip home. Many kudos to Yann Arthus-Bertrand for an outstanding artistic work! Bravo! I hope to see another exhibit by this talented photographer in Paris or the U.S. in the near future.
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Summary: Exhibit is the only thing better!
Review: If you go to the exhibit-- you'll feel you MUST have this book. If you don't go-- this is second best!
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Summary: SPECTACULAR WAY TO BEAUTIFY YOUR COFFEE TABLE
Review: "Earth From Above" is without a doubt one of the most compelling and conversational coffee table books I've ever found. Really, everyone who visits my home loves to browse through this colorful and spectacularly photographed book and many of them have asked where they can buy themselves a copy.The photo commentaries are brief, informative and very interesting as well. It's a fascinating and highly unique tour of the world. The spectacular cover photo of Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is a great indicator of all the beautiful photography within. It is likewise interesting to experience some rarely seen and exotic countries of the world such as Namibia, for example. Highly recommended...you can't go wrong!
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Summary: good subject, great presentation, fair execution
Review: When I first saw this book, I figured it was exactly what I was looking for - striking perspectives and colors of the earth like the Orbit book, but from a lower altitude. The amazing images on the front and back cover make you belive this. Although there are a good bunch of these types of pictures, most photos are neither close and abstract enough to feel artsy, nor wide and far enough back to encompase an entire scene. It felt as though it wanted to be one way or the other - as though many shots were cropped arbitrarily from some greater image. The wide format of the book has potential for dramatic compositions, but few of the images seem to take strong advantage of this. However, the printing and binding of the book is so excellent, its worth the price of admission alone. The prints themselves could use a bit more saturation, but the 365 glossy photos, heavy duty spine, and massive color and subject variety make this a good find none the less.
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Summary: It will endlessly amaze you!
Review: I first saw the work of this super talented photographer in the wee hours of August 20th, 2000 outside Palais du Luxembourg in Paris. I was so fascinated by the colors, the angles, the beauty, and the emotions conveyed that I pledged to get a copy of the book as soon as I returned to the US. The pictures portray everyday places and people that seem out of this world when viewed through the lens of Arthus-Bertrand. The photographer and his staff really did their homework when putting together the captions that accompany the pictures. They have gathered information on geography, history, ecology, anthropology, economics, sociology, politics, and popular culture to describe the sites, hence increasing our awareness of our precious and wondrous yet fragile world. Earth from Above will never make it to my bookshelf because it's so fascinating that I keep it out on my living room table to share the wonder!
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Summary: A world above
Review: I seldom buy books on impulse. This volume? I saw it and bought it. Use all the superlatives here. Not that the photography is spectacular which it is, not that the subjects are perfectly framed which they are and not that the colors are strikingly vibrant which as you will see is true. But even if all these things were not true this book transports me to hundreds of places I want to go. They are pictures of places I dream of all over the world. And let me tell you a story. My dad is in the hospital with little chance of recovery [82 and has had a good life] I know he has always wanted to travel but because of life circumstances he has not. In this book there are 365 pictures of all the places he's always wanted to go. I held each one up to him as he lay in his hospital room and he wept with the dreams that never happened. I love this book and have bought two more since as gifts. Simply the best and I never buy picture books.
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Summary: Great joy and a few minor complaints
Review: This is a wonderful book, one that you can spread in front of yourself and a loved one (it is a big, heavy tome). The captions do tend at times to "leap" to moralizing remarks about matters ecological, but that's fine with me, especially given the depressing political attitudes toward conservation over the last few years. Anyone who can nudge public opinion back to concern for the environment is doing a real service. A few minor complaints about the book, though: 1. Those who have seen the outdoor exhibition of these images in London or Paris will find the versions here are not quite as tight or vibrant. 2. The spreading of the images across two pages breaks many of the powerful views down the middle. (I wonder if the 24-hour format is bound differently, as it appears on the Amazon site.) 3. Perhaps the most striking image, one of the great dromedary caravan photos (P. 173) appears only on the caption flap in miniature form. The large image to which it supposedly refers (pp. 178-79) has been replaced by a slightly different, and less powerful, image (cropped differently and with darker shadows obscuring the surreal Z-pattern of the dune-and-dromedary shadow). But these are petty objections. A wonderful book for fans of photography and nature, and a great gift.
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Summary: Beautifull pictures and a heavy weight !
Review: This is a very big book. This is very heavy. I like to watch this amazing pictures. I may offer you!
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Summary: Amazing and Wonderful
Review: I first came across the wonders of this work at an outdoor showing of HUGE pictures from this book in Chicago. The images were amazing and I found myself spending hours gazing at the images in front of me. This photographer has an eye for the wonders that are around us. Seeing the beauty and spendor of the Earth from Above is truly a remarkable journey.
I purchased this book for my father, an avid photographer- he loved it. You will too!
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