STEVEN ANDREW is moved beyond words by a historical account of mining in Britain made from the words of the miners themselves

SAYING anything meaningful about humanity is a daunting task, says Hoxton Mini Press’s Martin Usborne about Portrait of Humanity. But this collection of 200 photos that attempt to capture the changing face of the world in book form eloquently demonstrates that the effort has been worthwhile.
In collaboration with 1854 Media and Magnum Photos, the works are drawn from photographers from around the globe and the book has been partially inspired by the exhibition The Family of Man. An ambitious project curated by Edward Steichen, director of New York’s Museum of Modern Art in 1955, it toured the world for eight years and drew record-breaking crowds.

JOHN GREEN recommends a German comedy that celebrates the old GDR values of solidarity, community and a society not dominated by consumerism

JOHN GREEN welcomes an insider account of the achievements and failures of the transition to democracy in Portugal

Mountains of research show that hardcore material harms children, yet there are still no simple measures in place

Peter Mitchell's photography reveals a poetic relationship with Leeds