About Looking

As a novelist, essayist, and cultural historian, John Berger is a writer of radiant eloquence and captivating insight, whose work presents a subtle yet powerful critique of the canons of our civilization. In "Ways of Seeing," he examines our role as observers to reveal new layers of meaning in what we see. How do the animals we observe in zoos remind us of a relationship between humans and animals that has nearly been lost in the twentieth century? What is it about viewing war photographs that amplifies their inherent violence? How do Rodin's nude figures betray the threats to his authority and potency that arise from clay and flesh? And how does solitude influence Giacometti's art? By posing these and other questions, Berger transforms the perspective of all who engage with his work.