People Like Us, Hardcover

What goes through a man's head after sitting innocently on death row for twenty-three years, having been dubbed a monster for over half of his life? How does a woman cope with the trauma of miraculously surviving a major catastrophe? Isn't it possible that the man with the heavily tattooed face could be a dedicated kindergarten teacher? These are just some of the noteworthy inquiries probed by Swiss visual artists Sandra Buehler and Sandra Schmid in People Like Us.

In this stunning collection of one hundred black-and-white photographs, the artists posit that people are judged and categorized all too readily by their external characteristics. To counter this, Buehler and Schmid challenge us throughout their photographic narrative to listen more carefully and honestly to the stories of our fellow human beings. If we do, we may find that though our stories can feel very different, our emotions, fears, dreams, and wishes are strikingly similar.

People Like Us is a book about the lives of a few seemingly random people and the influential moments that grant them the chance to have their voices heard. It is meant not only to be a catalogue of others, but to reflect our commonalities.

Sandra Buehler is a film production manager in Zurich, Switzerland. Sandra Schmid is a video editor for Swiss radio and television.