Director of Philanthropy Carter Hedberg recommends HOPE by Cristina Mittermeier.
The old adage that a photograph is worth a thousand words feels especially apt when reading Cristina Mittermeier’s most recent book, HOPE. Having recently finished it, I found myself thinking not only about the extraordinary quality of the photography but also about the unique power of images to convey stories that words alone often cannot.
Mittermeier’s photographs are dramatic, luminous, and frequently breathtaking. After decades spent documenting the natural world and the communities whose lives are intertwined with it…
…she has developed an exceptional ability to capture both our planet’s vulnerability and its enduring resilience.
Each image tells a story in its own right, inviting the reader to consider not only what is being lost but also what remains worth protecting. Thoughtfully paired quotations throughout the book deepen these reflections, complementing the photographs.
What I appreciated the most about HOPE is its refusal to indulge in either sentimentality or despair.
Mittermeier does not minimize the environmental challenges she has witnessed firsthand; neither does she give in to fatalism. Instead, she presents hope not as passive optimism but as a deliberate act of engagement with the world. This theme is echoed in Robert Redford’s thoughtful preface, which argues that hope is most meaningful when it compels action rather than resignation.
In the end, HOPE offers neither easy answers nor false reassurance. Rather, it serves as a reminder that while no individual can solve every challenge, our choices still matter. Mittermeier writes, “Hope lives in the painted sunrise that glimmers with the promise of a new dawn.” For those of us who have watched the first light spread across Idaho’s mountains, the sentiment resonates.
The sunrise itself changes nothing. What matters is what we choose to do once the day begins.
