We all love coffee table books. They entertain guests and inspire conversation. One of the best to come out of Vietnam last year was by French photographer Rehahn, whose collection of images of his adopted home — Vietnam, Mosaic of Contrasts — features some of the more intriguing people and places he’s encountered since moving there in 2007.

The cover is especially compelling and beautiful. It’s of Mrs. Bui Thi Xong, a 78-year-old woman who lives in Hoi An and has been working on the Thu Bon River for more than 30 years — first as a brick transporter, then as a fish runner, and now as a river guide. To see more of Rehahn’s photos, or order a copy of the book, visit www.rehahnphotographer.com or his studio in Hoi An (Couleurs D’Asie, 7 Nguyen Hue Street).