Some of the works included are from emerging and unknown artists, while most are full-fledged art stars. Sam Taylor-Wood's panoramic views of contemporary domestic life; Jessica Craig-Martin's cropped close-ups of high-society social life revealing nameless wrinkles and age spots on the rich and famous; Andreas Gursky's exaggerated images of urban existence, a sterile display of Nike sneakers or the endless grid of a hotel's balconies, show modern life with barely a trace of human existence. The works vary greatly, but each offers a compelling interpretation of how we live. The book includes an essay by Martin Maloney tying the artists' work together. --J.P. Cohen