Pamela Dell

Through the iconic photo taken by Neil Armstrong of Buzz Aldrin, Man on the Moon: How a Photograph Made Anything Seem Possible examines the relationships among art, culture, society, policy, journalism, and more. The book's first chapter lays out the factual context for the photo. The second chapter steps back to relate the political context. The third zooms in to the creation of the photo itself, and deconstructs the elements that make it so full of meaning to so many people. It also explains how this photo was processed, retouched, and even doctored before release (for instance, in the original, the top of Aldrin's backpack is cut off at the top edge of the frame). The fourth chapter examines the impact of the photo on individuals and society, both at the time it was taken and in the present day. This chapter contains a nice subsection on the conspiracy theories about the Moon landings being faked, which is, I think, important to address in a book aimed at teenagers. It's an excellent resource to open a conversation with young people about how facts and photos can be interpreted in different ways by different people, how single photos can speak volumes, but also how they can be used and even manipulated by different groups to promote their own ends. It's also a great way to discuss photography as art. This book is part of a series of six, each of which focuses in the same way on one iconic photo.… (meer)