Viva Colores: A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala [Hardcover]

David Hill (Author), Paola Gianturco (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

The joyful cacophony of color that envelopes visitors to Guatemala may seem misplaced at first. After all, the nation has only recently emerged from a 36-year civil war that destroyed its infrastructure and claimed more than a million lives. But to the authors of ¡Viva Colores!: A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala, it is a vivid expression of a 1,500-year-old spirit that refuses to die. Photographer Paola Gianturco and writer David Hill offer inspirational profiles of a people who have endured and, indeed, gained strength, thanks to the bounty of their land, their beliefs, traditions, and kinship with one another. People like Luis.

Luis was orphaned as a small child. The aunt and uncle who took him in sent him into the streets to hawk trinkets and cadge pesos from tourists. He quickly figured out that he could do better if he learned the tourists’ language, so he taught himself English. At 18, he became a licensed tour guide. Five years later, he was begging again, a homeless panhandler, brought low by demon rum. Then he found AA, which helped him get sober and gave him a reason to live. He traveled his country, launching AA programs. Today, he’s a doting grandfather and popular tour guide. Luis’ story is but one of many Gianturco and Hill have discovered in their travels through Guatemala. Readers of their book will enjoy—and be inspired by—many more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paola Gianturco’s work has been exhibited by the United Nations; the US Senate; the Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival; Chicago’s Field Museum; San Francisco’s International Museum of Women; and Los Angeles’ Norton Simon Museum; and has been published by magazines and newspapers across the United States and abroad. Her first book, In Her Hands: Craftswomen Changing the World (powerHouse Books, 2000), showed how craftswomen in 13 countries were affecting their families and communities. In Celebrating Women (powerHouse Books, 2004) she introduced readers to festivals in a dozen countries that celebrate women’s qualities and achievements. For more information on Gianturco and her work, visit www.paolagianturco.com.

David Hill helps create communications strategies for heads of for- and non-profit organizations, then creates the communications these strategies call for—ads, annual reports, articles, billboards, brochures, speeches, and websites. He co-founded Saatchi Corporate Communications in 1978, and headed it until 1993. He is the author of Great Corporate Ads Are Made Not Born (Dancer Fitzgerald Sample, Inc., 1979); Getting Heard, The Science and Art of Effective Communications (Lakewood Publishing, 1997); many magazine and newspaper articles and op-eds; and several corporate films. He holds a degree in Latin American history and a lifelong fascination with Latin American affairs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: powerHouse Books; Bilingual edition (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1576873358
• ISBN-13: 978-1576873359
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 0.8 x 11.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #818,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #100 in Books > History > Americas > Central America > Guatemala

More About the Author

For the past thirteen years, Paola Gianturco has worked as a photojournalist, documenting women's lives in forty countries. She has published four acclaimed photo books in the last nine years which bring together inspiring stories with gorgeous photographs to motivate her readers to engage with, learn from and support women around the world.

All of Gianturco's books are philanthropic projects, for which she donates her royalties to carefully selected nonprofit organizations that relate to each book's content.

Paola's most recent book, Women Who Light the Dark, tells the story of local women around the world who are helping one another tackle the problems that darken their lives--including violence, poverty, illiteracy and disease. Gianturco is giving 100% of her author royalties for this book to The Global Fund for Women, which advocates for and defends women's human rights by making grants to support women-run groups around the world.

Paola's photographs have appeared in Marie Claire, Essence Magazine, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Tribune, Christian Science Monitor, and the Washington Post, among others.

Paola has been a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR and Voice of America programs as well as many other TV and radio programs around the world.

Her work has been exhibited by the UN-New York; UNESCO-Paris; the US Senate; The Field Museum, Chicago; The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Washington DC; the International Museum of Women and the Museum of the African Diaspora, San Francisco; the San Jose Museum of Art and the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena.

Paola has lectured all over the country, including The American Craft Museum, The Peabody Museum, The National Museum of Women in the Arts, and The Smithsonian Renwick Gallery.

Learn more about Paola at http://www.paolagianturco.com.

Find Paola on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/paolagianturco.

Find Paola on Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Gianturco.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Experience the Bounty of Guatemala through Vibrant Photos and Profiles, October 31, 2006

By 

Reader of arts and culture (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Colores: A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala (Hardcover)

I always keep an eye out for new books by photographer Paola Gianturco. When I opened VIVA COLORES, words like stunning, beautiful, gorgeous just rolled out! The photographs here are so vibrant, the book pulls you in to explore what else you'll find beyond its sheer beauty. And what you do find is a beauty of another kind in addition to its visual artistry. You'll find the strength, the soul of a people.

The text by David Hill succinctly and eloquently gives voice to the valor and courage of everyday Guatemalans who have flourished against all odds. The people profiled share dreams for themselves and their country, like 12-yr old Maria, one of nine children, who wants to be a doctor. Her family is so poor that they can't buy food, yet so resourceful since the father rents land to grow their own food. Lucky for Maria that her parents understand the value of education, so she goes to school and excels and now has a scholarship ensuring her continued learning.

The text is written in Spanish and English, enabling so many more people to journey to this dynamic country and experience its spirited people. Like eye candy these rich color photographs make this book a wonderful gift. And the benefits don't stop there. The authors have designated the proceeds to benefit the PAVA Foundation, which works with villagers in Guatemala's highlands building bridges, schools, water pipelines, providing teachers and scholarships, amongst its many services. Truly a great book and gift, for so many reasons.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book & Great Gift Idea, December 15, 2006

By 

Thoughtful Shopper (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Viva Colores: A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala (Hardcover)

I'm a traveler, but no matter how much time I can spend in a place, I inevitably feel like I'm just scratching the surface. Even when sitting in a cafe or small square away from the usual tourist destinations, I always feel like I'd like to learn more about the "ordinary" folks walking past; VivaColores does just that, and the book proves I am right in my belief that even the most average-seeming people can be extraordinary. The book is a journey into Guatamala, but more so, it's about discovering the the rich lives of the people there.

Like Gianturco's prior books, this one is filled with great photography, enlightening text, and serves well as a conversation-starter on your coffee table. But, reading VivaColores also makes you feel like a better person for the time spent.

I highly recommend this book as a gift to anyone, or to yourself. Enjoy!

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Capturing the Essence, November 11, 2006

By 

Robert P. Sangster - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Viva Colores: A Salute to the Indomitable People of Guatemala (Hardcover)

The images in Viva Colores expertly capture the essence of Guatamala. In addition to being fine art, the photographs tell stories that convey the hopes of hard working people in a country poor in almost everything but spirit.