American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country |  | Author: Katrina Fried
Creator: Paul Mobley
Publisher: Welcome Books
Category: Book
List Price: $50.00
Buy Used: $14.44
as of 9/7/2010 08:38 CDT details
You Save: $35.56 (71%)
New (24) Used (19) from $14.44
Seller: rjbooksandmedia
Rating:  66 reviews
Sales Rank: 157,754
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 276
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 5.5
Dimensions (in): 13.2 x 10.6 x 1.3
ISBN: 1599620472
Dewey Decimal Number: 630.92273
EAN: 9781599620473
ASIN: 1599620472
Publication Date: October 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
| |
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
When photographer Paul Mobley set out to capture the soul of America's farming communities, he discovered a culture defined by tradition, integrity, and hard work, and comprised of the most authentic and generous individuals he's ever encountered. Traveling across the country from Tennessee to Montana, Mobley and his camera were welcomed into the homes of over one hundred farming families, who graciously shared their personal histories along with the fruits of their labor. To spend time with them was to turn back the clock--to an era when there were no locks on doors, no urban sprawl, and no virtue more prized than common decency. Children still move across the street and not across the state when they grow up, and parents move back in with their children whern they grow old. Story after story, visit after visit, Mobley slowly came to know the independent farmer's spirit both from behind the lens and over the dinner table.
The result is a stunning series of portraits and direct quotes that collectively chronicle the life of the American farmer. Each image offers an unvarnished and intimate look inside the hardships and joys of a quickly disappearing lifestyle--one that once defined our national identity and now struggles just to keep a foothold. And even as encroaching cities threaten their livelihoods, these men and women continue to find sustenance in the same basic human values they were raised with. American Farmer is an inspirational reminder of what it means to live with simplicity and contentment, in a world that is driven by excess. This vivid portfolio is accompanied by anecdotes and memories in the farmer's own words that are both a testament to their enduring hospitatlity and a moving glimpse into their daily routines and family histories. But what you will read first, and foremost, are their faces. From Bruce Crump, a citrus farmer in Florida; to Patsy Fribley, a stockyard dealer from Montana; to Thurston Wilber, a Maine lobsterman, Mobley's intense and beautiful portraits capture the furrows of fields lining their brows, the crevices of drought creasing the corners of their mouths, and the grains of truth in their squinted eyes.
35 states included: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wyoming
|
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 66
Unbelievably beautiful & moving! What a treasure! December 11, 2008
Jill A. (Colorado)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This is hands down the best Christmas gift I've ever given. I have 14 copies and have not been able to wait for Christmas to present them to the recipients. Most of my family received them on Thanksgiving day. I come from a farm family, most of my relatives have at one point been immersed in agriculture. This book brought many of them to tears. The joy on my grandmother's face as she flipped the pages one by one was priceless. Not only is the book itself a great conversation piece, it also helped recollect memories from the past. Many stories of farm life have been shared since the book made it's way into our lives. Our copy lives on the coffee table. No other book shall ever take it's place. Thank you Paul from the depths of my soul.
American Farmer November 16, 2008
Janet R. Blake (Sun City, California)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you have ever been a farmer, lived in a farming community or know farmers, the faces show the character, ethos, the hard-working dignity of farmers across our country.
The photography is sharp and the photographer captured the lives of American Farmers without needing much text to describe them.
An excellent snapshot of a way of life in our country.
American Farmer November 16, 2008
Linda S. Butler
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Memorable images. Beautiful prose from the mouths of the interviewed farmers. A testament to a difficult, but rewarding way of life. A warning that we should keep our farms viable so that our food comes from home.
Incredible! November 15, 2008
Leah J. Westphal (Iron Ridge, WI USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was watching 'This Week in Agribusiness' and they had a wonderful piece on this book. The images they showed were so full of emotive impact that I knew I would have to buy this book so I could know the stories behind them. As a poet and farmer, I found these photos especially moving. I want to thank all involved with this book for making it possible for the public to have some insight into a fading lifestyle that has long been the backbone of our nation. This book is a must see for ALL people!
Once again, Thank you.
Leah Westphal
Amazing photos and stories December 12, 2008
P. Hanson (Seattle, WA USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A friend has this book and I picked it up off their table expecting to just see great photos. But this book isn't just amazing photos, they are paired with great short biographies about many of the farmers. The writing is so good that I started reading it and couldn't put the book down!! Between the photos and the writing you really feel like you get to know these guys, and it makes you love farmers and the kind of "good people" they are even more. I grew up on a farming community and I think this book absolutely GETS real farmers. It's truly a better book that I thought it would be just picking it up! You won't be able to put it down! I already bought one as a Christmas gift and plan to get one for myself too.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 66
|
|
|
