A poetic, insightful examination of human connections and unexpected intimacy.
According to this engaging book, building personal connections takes courage, but it’s worth the effort.
In the 21st century, many of us have forgotten how to forge meaningful relationships with those outside our inner circles. However, while we might be out of practice, we can rediscover how to do it. This is the underlying message of this book, a textured exploration of the myriad forms of human contact. Field, a performance artist based in London, has participated in events that have been surprising, comedic, and poignant, and he has drawn crucial lessons from his experiences. The author’s essays cover a wide range of topics, from the intimacy of a haircut to the collective joy of a dance party to the importance of holding hands. Field believes that humans have a basic need for contact, and the isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic was psychologically damaging at both the social and personal levels. With the pandemic waning, it’s the perfect time to reconsider our interactions, renew our relationships, and be open to the wider world. Field also shows how the move away from face-to-face interaction was underway before the pandemic. Though he appreciates the utility of smartphones and Zoom, he is clear that we should not let them take over our lives or replace the nuanced warmth of conversation. Deepening a friendship is something that enriches life, but the other ingredient is being willing to venture into the unknown by connecting with strangers. Field discusses how temporary communities suddenly form, such as when sheltering from a rainstorm or with a spontaneous snowball fight. He also looks at cinema audiences at a horror movie, showing how catharsis, like many things, is better when it’s shared. In fact, the author recommends you give this book to a stranger after reading it—an appropriate conclusion for a quietly inspiring book.
A poetic, insightful examination of human connections and unexpected intimacy.Pub Date: July 18, 2023
ISBN: 9781324036586
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.
Words that made a nation.
Isaacson is known for expansive biographies of great thinkers (and Elon Musk), but here he pens a succinct, stimulating commentary on the Founding Fathers’ ode to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” His close reading of the Declaration of Independence’s second sentence, published to mark the 250th anniversary of the document’s adoption, doesn’t downplay its “moral contradiction.” Thomas Jefferson enslaved hundreds of people yet called slavery “a cruel war against human nature” in his first draft of the Declaration. All but 15 of the document’s 56 signers owned enslaved people. While the sentence in question asserted “all men are created equal” and possess “unalienable rights,” the Founders “consciously and intentionally” excluded women, Native Americans, and enslaved people. And yet the sentence is powerful, Isaacson writes, because it names a young nation’s “aspirations.” He mounts a solid defense of what ought to be shared goals, among them economic fairness, “moral compassion,” and a willingness to compromise. “Democracy depends on this,” he writes. Isaacson is excellent when explaining how Enlightenment intellectuals abroad influenced the founders. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Declaration’s “five-person drafting committee,” stayed in David Hume’s home for a month in the early 1770s, “discussing ideas of natural rights” with the Scottish philosopher. Also strong is Isaacson’s discussion of the “edits and tweaks” made to Jefferson’s draft. As recommended by Franklin and others, the changes were substantial, leaving Jefferson “distraught.” Franklin, who emerges as the book’s hero, helped establish municipal services, founded a library, and encouraged religious diversity—the kind of civic-mindedness that we could use more of today, Isaacson reminds us.
A short, smart analysis of perhaps the most famous passage in American history reveals its potency and unfulfilled promise.Pub Date: Nov. 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781982181314
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Aug. 29, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
SEEN & HEARD
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections include Humans of New York (2013), Humans of New York: Stories (2015), and Humans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781250277589
Page Count: 480
Publisher: St. Martin's
Review Posted Online: Aug. 1, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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