Sell Us Your Item
For a $1.20 Gift Card
Trade in
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Color:
Image not available

To view this video download Flash Player

 

Burning Book: A Visual History of Burning Man [Hardcover]

Jessica Bruder , Various
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Image
Save on Popular Books This Summer
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more.


Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is pretty much like the best Burning Man scrapbook, ever – you know, the one you always wanted to make, but you just couldn’t get your shit together enough to do it...But more than just the imagery, it’s the writing I especially love – Jess has a way with words that vividly captures the experience of what it’s like to be out here on the playa and spotlights some of the people and projects unique to Burning Man culture. Highly-recommended." --review

"Burning Book: A Visual History of Burning Man by Jessica Bruder breaks free of its print shackles: It's great fun, and great fodder for daydreaming." --The San Diego Union-Tribune (added by author)

“Now at last comes a book that manages to capture the magic and craziness of Burning Man in well-told words and dazzling color photography...Bruder, 29, is a veteran of five Burning Mans and brings a savvy eye to its eye-popping proceedings, its reason-defying rituals, its key players and characters, as well as its intense and uninhibited atmosphere.”  --review

"This is pretty much like the best Burning Man scrapbook, ever - you know, the one you always wanted to make, but you just couldn't get your shit together enough to do it...But more than just the imagery, it's the writing I especially love - Jess has a way with words that vividly captures the experience of what it's like to be out here on the playa and spotlights some of the people and projects unique to Burning Man culture. Highly-recommended." --Piss Clear (added by author)

"Burning Book: A Visual History of Burning Man by Jessica Bruder breaks free of its print shackles: It's great fun, and great fodder for daydreaming." --The San Diego Union-Tribune (added by author)

"Now at last comes a book that manages to capture the magic and craziness of Burning Man in well-told words and dazzling color photography...Bruder, 29, is a veteran of five Burning Mans and brings a savvy eye to its eye-popping proceedings, its reason-defying rituals, its key players and characters, as well as its intense and uninhibited atmosphere." --The Seattle Post-Intelligencer (added by author)

From the Inside Flap

It all began 1986 when a pair of friends burned an eight-foot-tall effigy on Baker Beach in San Francisco in front of an impromptu audience of twenty. Two decades later Burning Man has evolved into a dazzling annual extravaganza dedicated to radical self-reliance and self-expression, attracting nearly forty thousand people. These revelers -- an eclectic mix of punks, geeks, families, ravers, grad students, gearheads, hippies, and tourists -- turn the ancient lakebed of Nevada's Black Rock Desert into a bustling city that exists for one glorious week before disappearing in a cloud of ashes and dust.

Burning Book is both a loving commemoration of the event's storied history and an enlightening companion for festivalgoers. Bruder explores the unique ethos and breathtaking art installations that have shaped the event, along with Black Rock City's distinctive landmarks, pranks, lore, and gift-based economy. Illustrated with hundreds of stunning photographs, Burning Book is a striking tribute to an extraordinary cultural phenomenon for the legions who participate in Burning Man every year, and for those who haven't become part of this unforgettable celebration -- yet.(added by author)

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition edition (August 7, 2007)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416928243
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416928249
  • Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 8.1 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
(13)
4.8 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars best Burning Man book yet! August 5, 2007
By Amani
Format:Hardcover
I have spent all of today reading Burning Book. A seven-year veteran of Burning Man, I feel like I know a lot about the event, culture and art. HA!
I have learned a lot reading Burning Book, including more information about installations I've interacted with, and even about some I've worked on!
Our project from 2006 gets a page in the book and I am eternally grateful and honored to have placement in this fantastic book. Thank you to Jessica Bruder! This book is a wonderful gift to your community. Kudos to you! You inspire me.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars accurate descriptions October 13, 2007
Format:Hardcover
I went to several Burning Mans, since 1992, and once met Michael Michael, from San Francisco Cacophony, when he visited the Los Angeles chapter. So Bruder's account brought back much nostalgia. As she relates, the growth of Burning Man has also led to ever more intricate theme camps and art installations. Several depicted in the photos, I saw. Including the huge ball of ice, containing scores of clocks, that fell off as the ball melted. Or the archway of cattle bones. Along with sundry corporate parodies.

Her accounts of summer desert rainstorms is also quite accurate. Especially for 1995. When the ground turned to a thick mud, and walking was labourious. She shows a nice photo of a rainbox over the campsite. Those of us who were there in 95 remember the winds and rain quite well. Along with the sandstorms that caused visibility to fall to a meter or less.

Art cars are shown in several photos. Fantastically decorated. Surprisingly, Bruder doesn't seem to mention that the art car "movement" was centred around Portland Cacophony. She is from Portland and undoubtedly knows many in that chapter. Granted, art cars now come from all over, and perhaps Portland no longer dominates that scene.

In 1996, the book describes how there were 2 tragic events, that caused later Burning Mans to have tighter safety rules. One event was a motorcycle rider who died on the playa. Another was a vehicle colliding deliberately into a tent and hitting 3 sleeping people, crippling one of them. Unfortunately, there is little elaboration about the events. A reader new to Burning Man might be interested in more information.

One strength of the narrative is the extensive coverage of the first Burning Mans held on a San Francisco beach. Photos of those events are also nice. If you've never heard of Burning Man, you might not notice anything unusual about this. But other histories of Burning Man typically give cursory mention of the SF events, and usually have few or no photos.

The book also covers some other different ground from others on Burning Man. For example, it explains the assorted group of workers who spend several weeks there, doing prep and cleanup. A thankless task, for which they get very little money. Their experience is quite different from the few days that most revelers spend there. Bruder alludes to an esprit de corps amongst the cleanup crew. But that's scarcely universal. Some arrive and are simply overwhelmed by the stark conditions. And it is possible to be cynical about this espirit. Seeing it as a means of garnering cheap labour by the Burning Man organisation.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
8 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Burning Man book yet.... August 21, 2007
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
There is nothing out there that captures the experience of Burning Man better
than this book. With its inventive graphics and many pictures, and a very well written account by the author, it seems this book was created for both veterans and the merely curious.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A book by an insider
Jessica Bruder has been a partipant not only in the event experience, but has worked with crews like Flaming Lotus Girls and the Temple Crü (yes, spelled with an oomlat). Read more
Published 23 months ago by M. Connor
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Graphics. One of the best histories of the event.
Very detailed overview of Burning Man and its history. The graphic content is fantastic and the layout of the book is fun to work through. Read more
Published on September 20, 2010 by J. Acosta
5.0 out of 5 stars A Book in Keeping with the Topic
The foreword in Jessica Bruder's outstanding documentary book about the transient annual work of art in the desert reads as follows: 'It all began in 1986, when a pair of friends... Read more
Published on April 14, 2010 by Grady Harp
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book of Burning Man
Obviously there's no comparison to being there, Burning Man is a participatory event, something very different from a book or a DVD. Read more
Published on February 5, 2010 by Michael A. Duvernois
5.0 out of 5 stars Kuddos to Jessica Bruder
Kuddos to Jessica Bruder. She has brought to life the amazing phenomenon of the annual Burning Man festival. Read more
Published on April 24, 2009 by S. Lisansky
5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Magic
Pure magic. That is how I would describe this wonderful book about Burning Man. I'd highly recommend it for those who long to relive the experience as well as for those who are... Read more
Published on April 24, 2009 by Spirit
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
The product arrived promptly, carefully packaged, and was as described by the seller. I'm very pleased.
Published on January 6, 2009 by Sophy
5.0 out of 5 stars Proud to own this book.
I am proud to have this among my collection of books and Burning Man memorabilia. Jessica has done a beautiful job of capturing the spirit of the playa. Read more
Published on January 19, 2008 by C. D. Wheeler
3.0 out of 5 stars Burning Man Rocks!
Any book about Burning Man is fun, but I would enjoy more pictures less jabber.Anyone who has been there doesn't need the talk to describe it. It's a sensory event. Read more
Published on January 7, 2008 by A. Kimball
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful peek at the indescribable
It is an experience that cannot be described. But this book does an excellent job of trying. By including people like the Tuna Guys (and not just the craziness), you get a glimpse... Read more
Published on September 22, 2007 by John H. Styn
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Forums

There are no discussions about this product yet.
Be the first to discuss this product with the community.
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category