Photography books are expensive enough as it is, and the hardback makes 'Signs & Relics' an over-priced waste of money. It is grossly misleading for amazon, as well as the official Wenders website, to advertise this book as a Plachy and Wenders production. Wenders' only contribution is the foreword which consists about 200 words, a foreword in which he even admits that he only bought the book because he liked the title.

A friend sent me this book as soon as it was published, so impressed was she by the honesty of its photographic vocabulary. She was right. I am now buying more copies as gifts to spread the word. As a writer and photographer interested in the philosophy of photography, I have been aware of Planchy's work for some time but nothing of hers I had seen before quite prepared me for this. There is really nothing to compare it with. It is what everyone interested in photography needs to know. Gone is any traditional hankering after "good" photography. I have often thought that photography has more in common with theatre than painting and Planchy shows it. In place of the artistic image is a celebration of people and things. She loves her subjects and she loves photography and this comes through in every image. She teaches us, in a joyous voice tinged with sadness and relieved by humour, that there are different ways of perceiving things. After this, a road will never seem the same again, nor something as simple as a chair. In sharing her vision Planchy takes us unwittingly back to the ancients and their first tentative attempts to answer questions about being and knowing. Photography has a pertinent role here which Planchy's work illustrates and, in doing so, provides proof that photography - drawing or dancing with light? - indeed has a place in the fast-forward future.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book for it's insightful look at a fascinating filmmaker. It not only gives a history of the artist, it goes through his major works to date giving clear-thinking and well-researched ideas for the reader to consider. I am particularly interested in the sections on Wings of Desire because it provides a viewpoint I haven't found in any other sources on this subject -- referring to the many Biblical and Biblical contrasts in the film. Overall, I would highly recommend the book to anyone who desires a more in depth analysis of his works and not simply a film review.

Peter Lindbergh's earlier books are far superior to this. Maybe I am missing something here but this book isn't really "Stories" at all. I thought the stories would be mysterious, enchanting, romantic, sensual or at least interesting photographs. Nothing here is. Everything is overly contrived including a ridiculous invasion by midgets in flying saucers. Really!? ...

True there are a few, very few in my opinion, gorgeous pictures of beautiful models. Most of the models have disgusting cigarettes hanging from their lips or dangling from their fingers -- not very sexy. In fact this book seems more a tribute to the Marlboro man than to the beauty of his models.

Wim Wenders wrote the introduction and I admire and respect his work very much. He apparently sees things in this book that I am clearly missing. I have paged through this book three times now to see if I could "get it". I don't. Wenders introduction drones on with the continuing question "How does Peter Lindbergh do it?" I don't know what Lindbergh has done except contrive and exaggerate to absurdity. I am disappointed.

The fashion industry is largely based on hype. Evidently, those working in that industry begin to believe all this hype themselves. Perhaps that is what has happened to Lindbergh, he believes everything he puts out is a masterpiece -- it isn't.

I was a bit disappointed by this book. I am a huge fan of Lindbergh and have followed his work for years in various magazines. I have all books; I can say that I am VERY familiar with his work. I thought this book was going to be a more of "behind the scenes". It's not. It does have out takes, Polaroid's, and a collage of written letters that are mostly eligible. I had hope there word be some views by Lindbergh on his "little films". There were none. There is a long-winded intro by Wim Wenders. I'm not sure why they picked him. I guess simply cause they're German. The work that is shown in this book really isn't his strongest. Images of Women, another Lindbergh book, can clearly demonstrate this. For all the people interested in Models, Milla Jovovich is the star of the book. There must be at least 50 pages of her. All in all this book really is beautiful but in comparison to Images of Women, it simple lacks.