People, by Peter Spier, is a informational pictorial book that focuses on the vast varieties and aspects of people and cultures in the world. Each set of pages shows detailed illustrations with a common theme (such as food, art, religion, communication, etc.) revealing how the theme is manifested differently in various cultures. The representation of these differences sometimes borders on the stereotypical and might exoticize certain cultures but it goes far and wide in taking on the difficult task of showing diversity. Perhaps, this is one of the reasons it is important for parents or educators to read along to point out any error or biases and also to use a didactic approach while reading. This will help to avoid confusion and point out that cultures can be represented in many different ways. All and all, People is visually appealing and provides an almost encyclopedic look at cultural diversity despite some of the flaws.
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