I am excited to review Brandon Stanton’s wonderful new book “Humans of New York,” one of the best-selling books in America right now, a wonderful book inspired by an equally wonderful blog of the same name: “Humans Of New York.” I loved every single word and image of it. This is as enthralling, uplifting, stimulating and revealing book as I have read in many years, I recommend it enthusiastically. In 2010, Stanton, a former bond trader and a writer and blogger and photographer, set out to single-handedly create a kind of counter-cultural and unscientific photographic census of New Yorkers, their images and their stories. I’d love to know more about how he did it, I suspect he is a powerfully charismatic  and determined personality.

Stanton first published his efforts on his instantly and wildly popular blog,  on which his photos were featured alongside quotes and anecdotes. They became the basis for his book (published in hardcover by St. Martin’s Press). I admire Stanton and his work on many levels. He is the blogger I aspire to be, the writer I want to be, and the photographer I would love to be. In our time, the notion of the individual and the individual story has almost vanished from our corporatized media and popular culture. On cable news, we see angry androids locked in over-heated and perpetual argument, each one taking turns rushing to the top and going over it. Ordinary people have vanished from TV and the movies, even from ads and magazines. Journalists don’t go anywhere anymore by and large, they rush to studios to argue with one another and hurl fiery blogs across the ether.

Stanton chose the right city for his brilliant exploration of humans and their stories, New York is one of the most interesting and diverse places on the earth and all kinds of New Yorkers, reputed to be wary and suspicious,  revealed themselves to him. I have long argued that the blog is the best venue in a century for giving individuals their voices back and allowing  human beings to speak and be seen again, in all of their yearning and poignant wonder. Stanton has reaffirmed that theory gloriously, his blog and his book capture the very essence of being human, at all ages, of all races and colors. His photography is wonderful, but so is his ear and eye, he captures what it means to be a human being in our world and celebrates the long forgotten individual spirit, presence in almost every one of us.

Reading “Humans Of New York,” laughing, smiling, crying, calling to Maria to come look at almost every other page, I see once more than for all of it’s headaches and false promises and confusion, technology has given individuals the tools that have mostly fallen into the hands of greedy corporations. We can make what we wish of them, Stanton has shown us the way. On every other page, I said to myself, “I want to do that,” “I’m going to do that.” In fact, the spirit of his blog is the spirit of mine, it is about affirmation of individuality, the freedom to think and speak and search for a meaningful life.

Stanton is a sensation – both blog and book. He has touches one of the deepest nerves in the human experience. One of his subjects, pleased to be photographed by him – he is well known now in New York – says the best thing about “Humans of New York” is that it keeps people from falling into the Matrix. She was right, there is no higher compliment I can think of for a book or a blog. Our universal Matrix is the Corporate-Media-Banking-Political axis that presents us horrific and angry images of the world in exchange for ratings and money. Stanton put a dagger right into the heart of the Matrix with “Humans Of New York,” he reminds us what life is about.

“Humans of New York” has become a sensation in all of its forms, now the number one New York Times Bestseller. I just got it today and have already read and re-read it, I can’t wait to give it to my friends, get Maria to read it, and to read it again. His vignettes are powerful and precise, his photography never falters. This book will touch your heart and soul and remind you why human beings and their stories are the real news in our world, not their news, and that our stories are important.

(This review is written in conjunction with Battenkill Books, my local bookstore, if you are interested in the book, please consider purchasing it through Battenkill Books, you can contact them through their website or by calling the store at 518-677-2515. This is a good book to buy through Battenkill, you can buy local, support a great independent bookstore, score one for individuality and strike out at the Matrix.