Guttman takes us on a journey through the United States to meet folks from unique communities or with unique jobs. I thought all the information included was interesting, but I do feel this was a bit more difficult to get through than most similar coffee table like books. I think the difficulty came in the fact that there wasn't any grouping to lead us through the journey. The book was not sectioned by geography or unique community vs. job vs. activity involvement/events. I think providing some categorization might have helped to allow for a flow while reading. Pictures were very "as they come" and didn't seem overly orchestrated.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was interesting book about the people and places in America. The book is a snapshot of life around the US.

American Character by Peter Guttman is an enlightening visual documentary on the spirit of America and all the people represented. Peter has been taking pictures for years and in this collection, brings together the pictures and stories of people from all over the country. Some are common roles while others are truly part of the unseen thread. I liked the that the focus was on celebrating and bringing awareness to people, the actual human being, and helping them be seen. There is also a blurb and description about the job or role they complete, which was very informative. All in all though, this is a celebration of life and the people who live it every day.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of this book.

I had an issue with how the photographs don't reflect the text that accompanies them. The text implies movement whereas the portraits don't have that. If the text had been written from the photographer's personal experience, then the given text would make sense. I know the book is about various people around the country so there was a disconnect that was never resolved.

While there were a variety of places I had never heard of, a lot of them were east of the Mississippi River. I wish there was an explanation for that. Perhaps it was the photographer's location of choice. If so, then keep it east of the Mississippi and remove the few western locations.

There were inaccurate details that could have been easily fact checked. The things I did know made me question what else was true. (Except for Louis Le Prince's story which is true.)

The layout of this book really messed with my understanding. It definitely wasn't grouped by location but I wish there was a distinguishable way to group the entries since it didn't allow for a pause in going through it.

The following doesn't have to do with the book itself and while I was annoyed by it, it didn't affect my rating of the book. I wish the Kindle ebook and the Shelf copies of this book actually allowed me to see the photographs. Otherwise, it looks weird as it is.

A unique collection of shots and stories by famed photog Peter Guttman, capturing lesser known, incredibly diverse communities and people across the US. Highly recommended!

Photographer Peter Guttmans portraits of Americans who are in a number of interesting professions or alignments including a prostitute impressionist, a Pueblo patriarch, an octogenarian ballerina, a ramp prospector, a pumpkin chunkier (shades of my youth…I miss you guys!) and a walrus hunter.

It’s funny how many of these colorful folk come from NYC, truly the most fascinating place. I found it interesting that the author chose to include the barbecue place in Texas that has racist stuff on the walls. I immediately thought, “I wouldn’t have put that in,” but then countered myself with, “no, best to put it in and explain exactly what is there. This is part of America too,” (the racist materials, a confederate flag and a noose were not shown.)

Each photo was accompanied by a short explanation, generally not of the person portrayed but of the industry, tradition, what have you, represented. Portraiture is not my favorite art form , since it’s posed, and I tend to like candid shots of people actually doing something, but I enjoyed this.

A strong addition to a library collection of Americana, especially for libraries where Peter Guttman's photographic style is popular and books like his Christmas in America or Extreme Adventure circulate well.

American Character blends information with images, creating a patchwork quilt of charismatic characters and American lore. Readers can start on any page, flipping through until an image or a place name catches their eye, and then take their time falling into the photographic intimacy Guttman is known for. While some of the narrative portions feel dismissive of heir subject and some of the images included feel out of place, every reader should be able to find images and elements that speak to them, making this an excellent volume to spark conversations and fuel a discussion of American diversity and strength. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this intriguing arc.