1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects

<div>Things, objects, stuff, trinkets, tools, materials, gadgets, the things we use, abuse, throw away, cherish, depend on: these are the things we own, simple objects for our everyday lives. They may or may not hold special meaning to us, but their importance as objects of cultural identity is unmistakable.<p>Produced, under the direction of Olivieri Toscani, by the agency Colors (the same agency that produces Benetton's campaigns), Extra/Ordinary's subject matter may be already familiar to those who have seen recent features in the agency's magazine, Colors. Colors' motto, ""diversity is good"", translates perfectly into a book that celebrates the differences in our everyday objects. Continuing the theme introduced in Colors, this new book shows us the extraordinary in the ordinary. Jaunting off on a tour around the globe, you'll see that what is ordinary halfway across the world (or perhaps for your neighbors across the street) may be totally foreign to you.<p>Discover the wonderful absurdity of a priest's portable mass-in-a-briefcase kit, or the stunning difference between fly-swatters from Zimbabwe and South Korea. Ogle at the juxtaposition of neoprene surfing shoes and bullfighting slippers; have a gander at a package of emu cutlets and a can of blowfish soup. In case you see something that you absolutely must have, check out the yellow pages section at the end of the book; here you can find out where to get it and even how much it costs, as well as lots of little tidbits of interesting information to make your journey complete.<p>Maybe you've already come across some of these objects, or will seek them out on future voyages. Next time you pick up your toothbrush or comb your hair, youmay think twice about the things that you use every day- perhaps they're not so ordinary after all.</p></p></p></div>

Dirt cupcake mix, as American as apple pie. Nipple lightener from Japan. Tick juice, indispensable in Venezuela for black magic love rituals. Sunglasses from Zimbabwe with shades cut from plastic juice bottles and no lenses. Korean disposable straw sandals made especially for mourners and corpses. Is this stuff cool or what? But wait--there's more. Flip through this book in search of international weirdness, and it's a pretty sure bet you'll wind up absorbing some sobering information about sex, death, destruction, poverty, and the arrogant ways of multinationals. Under the guise of an ultrahip consumer's guide to the world's nifty stuff--divided into sections labeled "Food," "Fashion," "Animals," "Body," "Soul" and "Leisure"--1000 Extra/Ordinary Objects is a subversive crusader for human rights and ecological awareness.

Sure, you can find out how to buy your very own Dom Perignon-flavored sorbet or a CD of "Music for Healthy Pets." But you'll also stumble upon objects like the cute little bright green Russian-made PFM-1 antipersonnel mine, "a favorite toy of generations of Afghan children" punished for their curiosity by a double whammy of liquid explosive and tiny blades. On other pages, seemingly innocuous objects--like the sweetly lumpy doll couples made of tree bark by Elliot Chitungu of Zimbabwe--turn out to have a bitter subtext. (Chitungu, who is gay, makes all his couples heterosexual; in his country, homosexuality is a criminal offense.) Other objects are examples of savvy recycling, like the paper made in Malawi from elephant dung and recycled cardboard.

With straightforward descriptions in both English and French, unblinking photographs of young people modeling even the most outré objects, and a Yellow Pages that includes information about little-known charitable organizations worldwide, this is a fun book with a heart of gold. --Cathy Curtis