First published in 1987, Joel Sternfeld's American Prospects is a classic photographic record of 1980s America. This definitive edition, made with new printing plates and an additional photograph, presents a spectacular, funny, sad and soberly compelling portrait of the country's possibilities and prospects in the Reagan era. From Florida's Wet n' Wild water park to the space shuttle Columbia landing at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio; from melancholy images of stranded whales in Oregon to beautiful views of Yellowstone and Utah's Bear Lake; from Nebraska after a tornado to a previously unpublished image from Bikini Contest, Fort Lauderdale, FL, March 1983, its sublime contradictions and tragicomedy rank among colour photography's great achievements. This new edition brings them to life afresh. An essay by Kerry Brougher, chief curator of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, considers the book's historical context and its pivotal role in the development of contemporary film and art photography.