Dorothea Lange - Photographs of a Lifetime, An Aperture Monograph, Aperture Foundation, Inc., 1982.

"The contemplation of things as they are, without substitution or imposture, without error or confusion, is in itself a nobler thing than a whole harvest of invention."  Francis Bacon.  This quote could be found on Dorothea Lange's studio door.  It helped me understand what Lange brought to her photographs and why they are such a monumental body of work describing the conditions of her time.  I found the book to be educational and inspiring, and recommend it highly.  My favorite image is Crossroads Store, Alabama, 1937 on page 87.