Elliott Erwitt has made more enjoyable photographs than any other photographer, in my opinion. I have numerous books of his photos and I can't help but smile everytime I take one off the shelf and thumb through it. It really brightens up my day.

If you're not familiar with his work--hard to imagine that--this is a good book to get a selection. Also "Snaps" is highly recommended. I didn't buy "Personal Best" due to the price and now it's even more expensive as an out-of-print book. That one is probably a good choice too if it gets reprinted at a reasonable price.

This collection reminds us that photography can be not only a harrowing journalistic document, or some supreme aesthetic achievement, but can also be just plain fun. Erwitt seems like the kind of guy who always carries a camera wherever he goes and snaps uncounted numbers of pictures to get a few witty gems. This is THE Erwitt collection, and the lengthy introduction gives some biographical context to the photos. Of course, knowing something of the personal context of a photographer's work isn't absolutely necessary (the photos speak for themselves if they are any good) but these are styled "PERSONAL Exposures" after all, so it makes sense to know a little about the man. This is a big, generous book, and the photos were obviously selected and ordered with care. An excellent overview of an interesting career.