Peter Menzel

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Peter Menzel (left) at the opening of his exhibition Hungry Planet,

Photographymuseum The Hague
Peter J. Menzel (born February 7, 1948) is an American freelance photojournalist
and author, best known for his coverage of scientific and technological subjects.
His work has appeared in many national and international publications including
National Geographic, Forbes, Fortune, Wired, Geo, Stern, Paris Match, Life and Le
Figaro. In conjunction with his wife, writer/producer Faith D'Aluisio, Menzel has
also published six books including Material World: A Global Family Portrait (1994);
Women in the Material World (1996); Man Eating Bugs: The Art & Science of Eating
Insects (1998); Robo sapiens: Evolution of a New Species ; Hungry Planet: What The
World Eats (2005). He is the founder of Peter Menzel Photography and Material World
Books.

Contents
1 Biography
2 Books
2.1 Material World, A Global Family Portrait
2.2 Women in the Material World
2.3 Man Eating Bugs: The Art & Science of Eating Insects
2.4 Robo sapiens: Evolution of New Species
2.5 Hungry Planet: What the World Eats
2.6 What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets
3 Awards
4 References
5 External links
Biography
Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Menzel became a professional photographer in 1970
and soon began to focus on high-tech stories, including virtual reality, DNA
fingerprinting, micro-machines and solar cars. But he has also covered more
traditional photojournalistic subjects. His work on the Kuwait oil well fires of
1991 ran as a 26-page cover story for German Geo and won a Communication Arts
award.

His photographs have been exhibited at the Nobel Peace Center, Oslo, Norway; The
United Nations, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, the National Museum
of Natural History, the Museum of Science in Boston, and Visa Pour L'Image, the
annual international photojournalism congress in Perpignan, France.

Menzel and D'Aluisio live in Napa, California. They have four adult sons.

Books
Material World, A Global Family Portrait
This epic work of photojournalism centers around family portraits with material
possessions of statistically average families around the world and has been
excerpted worldwide. (Sierra Club Books, 1994).

Women in the Material World

The 1996 companion volume to Material World, this book focuses on women from 24
different countries, along with short essays on subjects such as marriage,
childcare, and work.[1]

Man Eating Bugs: The Art & Science of Eating Insects

A travelog through 13 countries includes photographs, interviews, cultural
inquiries, and recipes about the human consumption of insects. (Ten Speed Press,
1998).

Robo sapiens: Evolution of New Species

Sir Arthur C. Clarke wrote: “This is one of the most mind-stretching—and
frightening—books I’ve ever read. It’s also a tour de force of photography: the
images reveal a whole new order of creation about to come into existence.” (The MIT
Press, 2000.)

Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

Similar in style to Material World, Hungry Planet presents what 30 families eat in
a week through a combination of photographs and essays. Each family's profile
includes descriptions about their food purchases in USD and a portrait of the
family surrounded by a week's worth of groceries. The book shows families from 24
countries, offers essays from Michael Pollan, Charles C. Mann, and Marion Nestle,
among others. (Ten Speed Press/Material World Books, 2005).

What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets

Real Meals: a recent day’s food of 80 people in 30 countries. The centerpiece of
each photoessay is a portrait of the subject with that day’s worth of food and an
exhaustively researched list detailing every item consumed, along with the total
calorie count. Included are essays by seven authors that provide even more food for
thought. (Ten Speed Press/Material World Books, 2010)

Awards
2010 — Jane Grigson Award IACP (What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets)
2006 – Book of the Year, James Beard Foundation (Hungry Planet)
2006 – Best Writings on Food, James Beard Foundation (Hungry Planet)
2006 – Book of the Year, Harry Chapin World Hunger Media Foundation (Hungry Planet)
2005 – Award of Excellence, Picture of the Year Foundation (Hungry Planet)
2004 – Picture of the Year, National Press Photographers Association
2000 – First Place, Science Photography, World Press Photo Foundation (Robo
Sapiens)
1999 – Best Writings on Food, James Beard Foundation (Man Eating Bugs)
1998 – Audie Award for Abridged Nonfiction, Audio Publishing Association (Women in
the Material World)
1991 – World Press Photo Foundation, First Place Science (Biosphere Lightning)
1985 – Picture of the Year, National Press Photographers Association