Burning Book - book review

In case you didn't know, Burning Man is a week-long celebration of nature, art, and mankind. It is held every year so as to end on Labor Day. And probably the most unusual thing about it is that it is held in the middle of the Nevada desert, Black Rock City desert to be more precise. Almost as unusual is that there is no exchange of money. The barter system is alive there but most items are given away, or in the case of large artwork, simply built to everyone to see. Upwards of 50,000 people attend this event.

Now in case you aren't up to trekking a hundred miles out into the dessert to live for a week with the barest of essentials to get a look at what it is like, the book Burning Book, a visual history of Burning Man by Jessica Bruder, may be just what you're looking for. It also costs 1/10th of what the real things costs.

Burning Book is primarily a photography book as Burning Man is primarily a visual experience. The Bruder gives you the feeling of being there, or having the burning sun always around you, the hoards of naked and near-naked bodies, the sand covering everything after jut a small breeze. Although it can't possible do justice to a week-lonjg event, the book should be mandatory reading for something even thinking of going. It is fair and balanced and the closest thing you'll ever get to a mans landing on the moon.