Born On A Cusp

Doing the rounds of the e-mail circuit these days is a collection of eight photographs from the book, ‘Hungry Planet: What the World Eats’.

The 2005 book, by photographer Peter Menzel and author-journalist Faith D’Alusio, documents the weekly diets of different families across the globe.

The photograph above, for example, shows a family of nine in Ecuador, surrounded by mostly potatoes, their staple. There’s a snapshot of a family from North Carolina, whose dining table is awash with crisps and french fries. One of a family in Italy, with lots of fruits and vegetables. In all, the two journalists give us snapshots of 30 families in 24 countries.

‘Hungry Planet’ makes us reconsider our own fortunes, revisit our priorities. The photo chronicle makes us realise how culturally diverse the world is. It’s at once a feast for the eyes (if you love photography) and food for the mind. The best part about it is that it does so without patronising cultures whose diets may be different from ours. It does not make us feel superior, as in, ‘Oh, pity this family in Chad.’ It just makes us discover diversity.

‘Hungry Planet’ is brilliant. I first saw it a few years back when it was published, and I’m glad someone has now taken the time to scan their copy and e-mail. It’s certainly one of those forwarded messages I don’t think anyone would mind landing in their inbox.