Culled from National Geographic's photographic archive as well as other important collections, this wide-ranging volume presents a varied group portrait of people at work--in great cities and tiny villages; in 19th-century China and 21st-century New York; in fields, factories, food carts, four-star restaurants, and just about everywhere else we earn our keep. Here are cowboys and clowns, shepherds and shopkeepers, street musicians and artists' models all plying their assorted trades. Work is a subject that is both worldwide and personal. It is a shared endeavor at the very core of our identity. From the glamour of a Parisian fashion show to the grit of an African diamond mine, there are countless ways to make a living. With a mix of the utterly unexpected and the instantly familiar, this panorama takes an essential human activity and shows us myriad ways in which work is at once universal and delightfully, unforgettably unique.--From publisher description.