‘Life’s a Beach’ Book Review

Editor's Picks, Featured Article
on May 19, 2013
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©Martin Parr/Magnum Photos
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Life’s a Beach
By Martin Parr
Hardcover, 80 pages ($25, Aperture Foundation)

Take a trip around the world with this handy little collection of full-color photographs of beaches—and beach-goers of all ages, shapes and sizes—on far-flung coastlines spread around the globe. “You can read a lot about a country by looking at its beaches,” writes Parr, a renowned U.K. photographer known for his satiric views through his camera. “Across all cultures, the beach is that rare public space in which all absurdities and quirky national behaviors can be found.” Save yourself a lot of travel, keep all that sand out of your shoes, and see all those absurdities and quirks on display in “Life’s a Beach.”