When the photo book "A Day in the Life of the American Woman" was released, the expectations were high. Several of the photographers are Pulitzer Prize winners and the photo editors work for magazines such as "Time," "Newsweek" and "Vanity Fair." According to the book’s introduction, its purpose is to celebrate the lives of American women, to explore their challenges as well as their sources of happiness, and to let their stories be an inspiration for other women. Despite this noble goal, the experience of the creators and the appeal of the idea itself, the book falls short of its promises.

As implied by its title, the book captures snapshots of one day, as the 50 photographers followed 70 women through an average day on April 8, 2005. The portrait photos of the women are accompanied by brief essays about their lives, some of which are expanded into longer features. The book covers a variety of women, including: Lupe Valdez, the first female elected sheriff in Dallas County; the Iraqi-American, Muslim hip-hop singer Haero Dizaye; 86-year-old artist Ruth Duckworth, who is preparing for her art exhibit while also planning a trip to Egypt; and family practitioner physicians and partners Michelle Drury and Marcie Lavigne, who just adopted their first child.

Some photos are exceptional, such as the moody photograph of nurse Renée Love and an unnamed patient, taken by photographer Alexandra Avakian. The photo is black and white, in contrast to most of the vibrantly colorful pictures in the book. Love bends over the patient, an older woman, and kisses her softly on the forehead while her hand carresses the other side of the woman’s face. Both of their eyes are closed, and the patient looks exhausted but has a gentle smile on her lips. The photo is tightly cut—the only focus is their facial expressions.

But the creators have taken on a task too large—176 pages cannot possibly bring an understanding to the lives of more than 70 women. The short production time is evident in the fact that some photos are repetitive, covering the same character in similar situations. Surprisingly, some images also lack in quality and several are out of focus. The written profiles often fail to bring the reader close to the character, partly because of their brief length, but also because they focus more on factual details than telling the womens' emotions and reactions. As a snapshot of different lifestyles, the book has value—the womens’ lives are enticing and very diverse. But in the end, the profiles raise more questions than they answer.