I loved How to Human by Carlos Whittaker! As we navigate a post-pandemic world that seems more polarized than ever, this book is a breath of fresh air to our weary hearts and minds. It’s a reminder to breathe, take a step back, and search for the humanity in each person and situation. It’s inclusive yet lovingly confident in the goodness of Jesus. Whether you profess to follow Christ or not, you will be encouraged, laugh, cry, and walk away with more hope than when you started this book. I highly recommend it!

How to Human gives you much food for thought. It is faith-based and Carlos shares his experience as a black man so if you’re comfortable with those two things, you’ll like this book. If you’re not comfortable with those two things, it’s still worth a read or listen. He encourages you to get near the people you are doubting or are doubting us. He embraces the position of “I don’t stand on issues. I walk with people.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions in this review are my own.

I have followed Carlos on social media for several years now. #instafamilia
When he mentioned that he had written a new book, I had to get my hands on it. I was not surprised at the amount of Jesus in this book. Carlos points out that the best way to human is to look at Jesus as the ultimate example of how to be human. And love like He does.

I really wanted to love this but thought it was just okay. Some parts were great and some just really didn't work. I appreciated the overall message though.

I’ve been following Carlos on social media outlets since social media became a thing. Being a part of his Instafamilia, I feel like I walked with him and his family through so much of the material in this book. Even still, reading this felt fresh because as Carlos reflected on his journey through the 20-21 season, we got see what lessons could be gleaned from these experiences. I’m so thankful for the message of hope and empathy that is this book.

I have followed Carlos Whittaker on social media, off and on, for a few years. After reading this inspiring book, I have a new sense of respect and admiration for him. Whittaker uses his signature, plain spoken style to remind us that “we are all in this together.” He provides tangible and actionable suggestions for ways that we can all encourage each other and tear down walls of misunderstanding and misconception. He does not shy away from tough issues, and uses many stories from his own life to drive home his beliefs. His honesty, candor and sincerity are refreshing.

“Don’t stand on issues; walk with people.” Truly inspiring words to remember. I’m looking forward to buying a copy of this book for my personal library.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A few years ago, writer and American civil rights activist, Shaun King, shared a story to his Instagram. That story led me to Carlos Whittaker and his fascinated face as it toured the Precious Moments Museum in Carthage, Missouri. I have followed Carlos ever since. Life is not always easy for Carlos and his family but they walk this earth with a grace that I believe we can all learn from.

Carlos is many things: a writer, a podcaster, a speaker, a husband and father, a community hero, a faithful Christian and the founder of a group of strangers who call themselves “Instafamilia”. The Instafamilia is a powerhouse of passion that has come together to donate over 2 million dollars to people in need - just because Carlos asked them to unite for a cause.

I jumped at the opportunity to get an advanced copy of “How to Human” and pre-ordered it through Amazon before I even finished the advanced copy. I have never pre-ordered a book before. Usually I buy used books. But I’m a big Carlos Whittaker fan - he's like a ray of sunshine on a dark day.

In “How to Human”, Carlos writes like he talks. While that may not be every reader’s cup of tea, I find his style easy to read and relatable. Even when I don’t agree with him. And that’s his whole point - you can relate to someone even when you don’t agree with their point of view. Carlos breaks it down into three sections to guide us away from the things that divide us and towards the things that connect us. He encourages us to be human, see humans and free humans. Through personal anecdotes, he shares his journey to accept his own identity and face his own biases. His point of view is refreshing and empowering. And he has some great stories.

Carlos does not shy away from his devotion to Jesus even though he knows that not all of his readers will believe in Jesus like he does. He encourages those who don’t believe in Jesus to at least try and learn from the story of him. I consider myself a Christian but I have issues with organized religion. The kind of churches Carlos preaches to FREAK me out. But it doesn't stop me from following and learning from Carlos. Don't let religion stop you from picking up this book! There's so much more to it than that!!

I feel it’s important to note, Carlos will bring you back to 2020 in this book. If it was a particularly traumatic year for you, proceed with caution. If you are not ready to reflect on the last few years yet, this book may not be for you right now as Carlos will take you back to push you forward. Definitely pick it up when you're ready!

Final Answer?

Sooner than later, get your hands on “How to Human” AND follow Carlos and/or his family (including his dogs) on Instagram. Humanity will be better off because of it.

Carlos Whittaker reveals here his own stories and advice on being human, seeing humans, and freeing humans. Although he writes from a Christian lens, his larger goal is to help all people everywhere become better at being a human.

"We are called as Christians and, dare I say, as humans to wake up every day with one goal: to love others ferociously. All others."

What you learn in this book is that when we learn to treat other humans better, we become better humans ourselves.

"Let’s remind the world exactly how to do this. How to help. How to hope. How to human."

Some favorites quotes from How to Human:

"If we want to get back to being human, we must recover our compassion."

"Being human means purposely bringing wonder into your God Speed life. . . . So, the task at hand is simple. Slow down. Wonder up. Be more like birds and you’ll be more human."

"To see another human is not only for your benefit but for theirs. Almost all the ugliness that we encounter online can be boiled down to people wanting to be seen."

"We’ve got to continue getting near to the people we are doubting or are doubting us. It’s the most human thing you can do."

"What really matters most is also what is most simple: showing up and loving."

My thanks to NetGalley + WaterBrook & Multnomah for the review copy of this book.

Well, this book was wonderful. Carlos Whittaker has the gift of bringing people together and helping us to slow down and really SEE each other....our similarities, our shared experiences, and most importantly our differences. How To Human is a perfect book to help each of us understand how 2020 tore at the fabric of our humanity, but Carlos gives us simple steps to mend that fabric and make it stronger and more beautiful than it ever was. I love that this book uses Jesus as it's archetype of how humans should act and treat one another, and whether you believe He was the Son of God, or not, there's no denying he existed and lived among us, and He humaned better than anyone the history of time. Christians and non-Christians alike will gain powerful insight into ways we can come together to encourage one another, repair broken relationships, and build strong bonds among communities that don't look like us, vote like us, or believe like us. I will have my young teens read this as part of their homeschool curriculum. Carlos is great about including actual events and stories from his own family's journey....they are both entertaining and educational. Overall this is a great read and quite possibly his best book yet!

I was first introduced to Carlos Whittaker through his book Kill the Spider. I don’t even remember how I found it, but it changed my life.

So when I saw this book was coming out, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Carlos has an uncanny ability to communicate as though you’re talking over coffee or talking over the dinner table. With each chapter, it just felt more and more like I was having a conversation with Carlos - that he was inviting me into conversation WITH him. It didn’t ever feel like he was talking AT me or hitting me over the head to agree with him with his own book. He doesn’t shy away from hard topics and he’s willing to roll up his sleeves and sit in the mess with people because he genuinely cares.

If you’re looking for a cultural exegesis or deep theological discussions on culture, you won’t find that here. And also, beware, it talks a lot about 2020 so if there are still triggers you have from that year, I would tread with caution.

How to Human by Carlos Whittaker is a guide for how to love those around us. Even if we disagree with them, we can still show love and respect. I really appreciate how Carlos explains this throughout the book with his own real-life examples. Also, I would be remiss if I didn't mention his Instagram account, where he lives out exactly what he wrote in this amazing book. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

What a timely book. I have followed Carlos on social media for a while and felt like this book was an extension of what I see online. It's encouraging to see a person online and read their words and see that they match up. Who Carlos is online is who he is in his podcast and in his book. This book was a simple format that was easy to read, follow along, and apply. Specifically his phrase "I don't stand on issues, I walk with people" was so encouraging to me. He takes his readers on a journey of how to process what's happening in your own life and then how to encourage and love on people around you.

I have followed Carlos on social media for a few years now and read How to Kill a Spider during the pandemic. Reading this book “How to Human” was like being reminded to not live life so selfishly. I went into expecting nothing and so glad so received what it was. In a world where people forget others exist it was inspiring to be reminded to just see others for who they are and not want they believe.

I’ll start my blurb by saying that I wasn’t sure this was my kind of book. I’m not really part of the Instafamilia and I’m “so over” the Jen Hatmaker-esque conversational style of writing. In spite of all that, this book got to me. The chapters about seeing people and having empathy for our fellow humans were nothing that I haven’t heard a hundred times from a hundred different pastors, but I needed to hear it again. I think we probably all need to hear it again. I’ll share a more in-depth review on Goodreads after I’ve had more time to process. In exchange for my honest review I received an ebook from the publisher, Waterbrook.

Having followed Carlos Whitaker on social media for years, I was excited to see that he has a new book out. "How to Human: Three Ways to Share Life Beyond what Distracts, Divides, and Disconnects Us" is a fantastic primer for living selflessly and thinking of others. Whitaker uses his trademark humor and transparency as he walks readers through how to love people, rather than allowing differences in beliefs and opinions to divide us. His book is broken into three sections: be, see, and free. I particularly liked how the author differentiated between empathy and sympathy, and will endeavor to do my best to exemplify both for those around me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I love the way Carlos writes and explains the points he wants to make. How to Human is about connecting face to face and having hard conversations without hating one another.
Loved this book so much and love my Instafamilia!
Thank-you netgalley for the advanced copy.

I have never known someone who knows how to carry hope into a room like Carlos Whittaker. This man is fully human and imperfect-- yet he shines a light on how we can come together to do better. In the current states of the world, we could all use a simple way to do better and be better. Carlos offers us that here.

If you follow him on Instagram, these stories will be familiar to you. Either way, you will be delighted in the joy his incredible community brings.

The publisher made a copy of this book available for review. This is my honest opinion.

I really like Carlos and I follow him on Instagram. In this book, he reviews what happened to us as a people and society in 2020 and 2021 and he looks at ways to bring us back together and be people of hope instead of being divided.

If you're a human who felt isolated during the pandemic (isn't that all of us?), this book is for you. It will step on your toes...and then help you fix the problems. Carlos likes to say, "Don't stand on issues; walk with people." "How to Human" teaches you exactly how to do that. It is written in such a way that you don't find yourself thinking (as we all do sometimes), "Oh, so-and-so sure needs to read this!" No, you will see yourself in it, and come up with actionable tasks to rest your own humanity. Social media, the pandemic, and world events have made us all lose just a little bit of our humanness. "How to Human" reminds you how to do it right, in the best possible ways.

This book gives us a glimpse into what Carlos was going through over the past few years as a black man during COVID. He shares what his life was like and isn’t afraid to admit when he was wrong. He truly cares about all people and shows us ways to connect with others even when you don’t agree on big issues. It was also nice to have reminders of some of the good things that happened during COVID. His writing style is conversational and allows you to easily connect with him. I also recommend following him on Instagram and listening to his Human Hope podcast. He truly practices what he preaches.