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Horn Please: The Decorated Trucks of India Hardcover – December 2, 2014

by Dan Eckstein (Author)

14 ratings

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“Horn Please” could be considered the mantra of the Indian highway, and some version of the phrase is written on the back of practically every truck on the road in India today.

One unmistakable feature of the Indian highway is the presence of these brightly decorated trucks that ply the country’s roads. The men who drive these trucks spend long hours on the road and can be away from their families for weeks at a time, so their trucks act as a second home and they take great pride in them. The interior and exterior of the trucks are colorfully decorated with paintings, stickers, garlands, tassels, and shrines, which are not only a unique form of folk art but also an expression of individualism.

Photographer Dan Eckstein traveled over 10,000 km across India's byzantine and burgeoning road network documenting these elaborately decorated trucks festooned with lights, brightly colored text, paintings of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christian deities, pop cultural fixtures, and geometric patterns—symbols representing a blinding mashup of new and old India. What Eckstein produced is a singular portrait of the subcontinent: distinctly Indian, and a vividly colored reflection of this country in flux between tradition and modernity. Horn Please serves as a psychedelic guide to design in India, from the hand-painted lettering covering the trucks, to the mindboggling use of color, to the specifically Indian patterns and motifs, and a showcase of the visual vernacular of the subcontinent.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

powerHouse Books
Publication date

December 2, 2014
Dimensions

9.88 x 0.93 x 12.04 inches
ISBN-10

157687706X
ISBN-13

978-1576877067
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Dan Eckstein’s photos of color-bombed trucks in India just might inspire your next vacation to the subcontinent. Eckstein’s series for his forthcoming book “Horn Please” is equal parts about the camaraderie of different drivers from all regions of India as it is about the statements their brightly decorated trucks make."
-The Washington Post

"The trucks are bold expressions of individuality and repositories of masculine, laboring pride. Drivers treat their rigs as evolving works of art, periodically commissioning a new illustration from roadside artists like one might collect tattoos."
-Wired

"On a purely aesthetic level, the trucks intrigue the eye. But as Eckstein talked to more drivers, he learned that their ornamentations are not merely decorative—they’re a reflection of the drivers’ religious beliefs, caste, region, and personality. In his photographs, Eckstein aimed to portray the trucks as extensions of their drivers. Approached from the front, the vehicles almost look like faces."
-Slate

As Seen On:
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The New Republic

About the Author

Dan Eckstein (b. 1980) is a photographer based in Los Angeles, California and Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in Western Massachusetts, Eckstein spent four years studying photography at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. After graduation, he moved to New York City to assist renowned Magnum photographer Steve McCurry. Eckstein's work has been widely published and was included in The Collector's Guide to Emerging Art Photography. Recently he was awarded Best Photo Essay in PDN's World In Focus contest and included in American Photography 30.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ powerHouse Books (December 2, 2014)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 157687706X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1576877067
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.76 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.88 x 0.93 x 12.04 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,495,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #143 in Afghanistan Travel Guides
- #941 in Trucks & Vans (Books)
- #1,001 in General India Travel Guides

Customer Reviews:
14 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		54%
4 star		17%
3 star		10%
2 star		9%
1 star		10%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Nalini

Great photos, no captions

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 14, 2015

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This is a wonderful book with great photos. I have seen these wildly decorated trucks - "lorries" as they are called - in India and was delighted to discover this book. But I was quite disappointed that there is zero text or description of the photos. I would have liked to know where the photos were taken, and also some explanation of the colorful images that are painted on the trucks. So I am only giving it four stars. Obviously a lot of work into photographing the trucks, but not enough in producing a really interesting and informative book.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

I got some very good styling clues for home decorating ideas. Wish I could find a supplier for some of the things in this truck. Perfect book for Gypsies looking for decorating ideas.

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David W.

Well photographed, presented, and printed. These images ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 17, 2015

Verified Purchase

Well photographed, presented, and printed. These images are difficult to capture due to the complexity of the subject. Careful viewing, particularly of the truck interiors, reveals a wealth of detail regarding Indian culture and contemporary life. Even after my 8 weeks in India, it was always a thrill to see one of the trucks barrelling down the highway or around a mountain curve. This book shows well the Indian talent of making the plain extraordinary!

One person found this helpful

Helpful

jane asbury

I was disappointed that the photos of the trucks were only of ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 26, 2017

Verified Purchase

I was disappointed that the photos of the trucks were only of the front of the trucks rather than the sides which display the richest variety of folk art and individuality.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Marilyn

What a great book! The photos are amazing

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 29, 2015

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What a great book! The photos are amazing. If you've ever been to India, you'll truly enjoy this book.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Girleen

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 31, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great pictorial of India's colorful trucks.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 19, 2015

Verified Purchase

Loved it!!!!!!!!!!

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Lucy McKay

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on March 31, 2017

Verified Purchase

Excellent images, a lovely book

Amazon Customer

Beautiful book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 17, 2018

Verified Purchase

Beautiful book

H. Fry

Nice photos; squandered opportunity to tell a story

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on November 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

I backpacked through India earlier this year and marveled at the many decorated cabs, trucks, and auto rickshaws throughout the country. So naturally, I was delighted to discover a photo book on this subject existed.

Unfortunately, this book's a bit of a dud. Despite the rich artwork and the seemingly interesting people it showcases, this book makes no attempt to give context to its imagery or the drivers (apart from a brief one page foreword). There's also stunning lack of creativity in the staging of the photos—photographer Eckstein rarely strays from two compositions: straight-on shots of the front of a truck, and a passenger view of the driver looking towards the camera. It's really missing the unpredictable chaos that makes India so unique.

Technically, the images are lovely and the book is well constructed. But it's a bit disheartening that the author passed on the opportunity to really tell a story about these machines, their artists, and their drivers.

One person found this helpful

pi314

One Star

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on October 14, 2017

Verified Purchase

Pictures are not sharp. Little detail of the trucks/locations/drivers.

sherida

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 26, 2015

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