"A Portrait of Missouri, 1935-1943: Photographs from the Farm Security Administration" edited by Paul E. Parker

154 pages

Seeing photographs always makes things come alive for me. This collection from the Farm Security Administration does a great job of capturing different aspects of the Great Depression in Missouri. There is plenty of text in each section to explain what is in the photographs and why it matters, but the corresponding images make the people and places seem real. Real struggle, frustration, fear, and ultimately hope show through the photos. There are shots from several different photographers and each has his or her own unique style, resulting in an interesting, diverse book.On the downside, some individual photographers took photos of many similar things, which made certain sections seem redundant. Overall, though, I enjoyed this book and I recommend it for anyone who wants to learn a little more about this time period but gets bored reading a lot about it.