Through the Lens: National Geographic's Greatest Photographs

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Summary: This is a wonderful book that everyone will enjoy
Review: This is a great book - it is just so wonderful to see all one's favourite pictures over so many years in one wondrous book. No one takes pictures like the National Geographic - so what if the reproduction is occasionally slightly muddy? This is just the kind of book to give your favourite nephew and niece for Christmas (OK - I am that old and have been reading the National Geographic THAT long), because it will introduce them to the wonderful world that is out there for them to explore and enjoy. Christmas is coming, folks and this is just the kind of gift to give! Christopher Catherwood, long time National Geographic reader and author of CHRISTIANS, MUSLIMS AND ISLAMIC RAGE (Zondervan, 2003)

Rating:
Summary: Good collection, but a bit of a rehash
Review: This is a great collection of NG photos--a bit of a rehash of past books, and quality appears to have suffered in favor of quantity (it's huge!). I agree with the previous reviewer--images have been cropped at times and tend to lose something as a result. But you can't beat the value.

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Summary: These photographs deserve better printing
Review: This would be a wonderful book if National Geographic had spent a little bit more money on the color reproduction. If I was a photographer whose work was included here I'd be really disappointed at the muddy print job.

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Summary: Definitely worth the price, but...
Review: Through the Lens is an excellent collection of National Geographic photos, and for only $30, well worth the cost. The book has several well known photos, as well as other beautiful, but not as publicized, pictures. The book is divided into sections based on continents, which (usually) makes it easier to find a specific picture. This book does have its share of problems however. There's no index, so you can't look for pictures with a specific theme. The majority of the pictures are centered in the middle of the two pages, so the middle of the pictures disappear into the binding. The pages are another problem entirely. The book is printed on glossy paper that absorbs liquid (apparently). Oil from your fingers is left as prints or smudges, even if you only are touching the page for a few seconds. These marks DO NOT disappear over time, and you can espeacially see them on the black pages. Even with these problems, this book is worth getting for the spectacular pictures inside.