One sentence summary:
Brandon Stanton’s ‘Humans’ is an inspirational collection of photographs and stories of strangers around the world.
Book genre:
Humans is a photography book.
Main Topic of the Book:
Humans is a portrait of humanity in all its diverse forms. It is a celebration of stories, photographs, and experiences that demonstrate the power of connections within the human race.
Key ideas:
The key themes explored in Humans include:
- The exhilarating power of human connection: Stanton captures phenomenal stories of the ways we come together as a species, through his captivating pictures and interviews.
- The importance of empathy: By his presentation of stories and his own honest reflections, Stanton encourages readers to take perspective, be empathetic, and learn to truly understand and support one another.
- The potential of humanity: By exploring the unexpected and extraordinary tales of regular people, Stanton forces readers to take a positive look at humanity’s potential for greatness.
- Hope for the future:Humans is an exploration of the beloved bonds of family, friendship, partnership, and community that have the ability to carry us through both joy and despair.
Main Parts of the Book and a Short Summary:
Humans is divided into three parts.
- Part One: Stanton introduces his process of photographing and capturing stories of strangers, and the unique power of his work and the stories he documents.
- Part Two: Stanton presents his stunning photographs accompanied by interviews that portray the strength and resilience of humanity.
- Part Three: Stanton reflects on the people he has encountered, focusing on his admiration for their faith, courage, and spirit.
Key takeaways:
Humans will leave readers with a renewed appreciation for humanity, and an understanding of what it means to be kind, generous, resilient, and empathetic. Humanity is unstoppable when connected by feelings of love, friendship, and hope.
Author’s Background and Qualifications:
Brandon Stanton is the author of Humans, and the creator of the internationally-acclaimed blog Humans of New York. After working as a bond trader, Stanton quit his job to pursue photography and to document everyday stories. In the process, he has built one of the world’s most popular platforms for storytelling.
Target Audience:
Humans is suitable for all audiences. It is as inspiring for children as it is for adults.
Publisher and First Publication Date:
Humans was published by St. Martin’s Press in October 2016.