Eirik Johnson: Sawdust Mountain

The 70 color images here offer a glimpse of the culture that emanates from the fishing and lumber industries in Washington and Oregon. Johnson's (Borderlands; photography, Massachusetts Coll. of Art and Design) photographs of landscapes, people, buildings, vehicles, and animals are grainy, with muted colors, evoking a dreamlike feel. Johnson successfully illustrates two sides of the industries—the jobs that are created for thousands of families but that leave irreparable scars on the land and the industries attempting to renew the depleted resources. The body of the book consists of photographs with simple, nondescriptive titles. Johnson's notes on select photographs at the end of the book provide historical and important background information and a more complete understanding of the images. The two included essays don't appreciably increase the value of the photographs, yet Johnson's images and notes can stand alone. VERDICT Suitable for readers interested in photography, the Pacific Northwest, and the logging and fishing industries.—Valerie Nye, Coll. of Santa Fe, NM