Several photos from page 14-21 of the PDF are quite interesting to me. I like them. A few towards the top are nice too.
I think if something is interesting enough to be hung on a wall and engage the viewer for more than just a glance, it can of course be called 'art'.... I completely disagree that a photo must somehow be 'manipulated' to be called art.
Perhaps one single photo may seem like just a snapshot, but it is the way a collection of photos come together, which then show the viewer the style or vision of the artist/photographer.
The 'snapshot' style is very big in Japan. This is where I live and perhaps that makes me more biased toward this type of photography. I find it very interesting. It is about capturing or creating a mood/atmosphere, making the viewer feel a certain way, or just trying to get a reaction out of a viewer.
I think the views of members on this forum (which is largely 'gear' focused) compared to those on other more 'art' based forums, may differ greatly, also.