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Available
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Genres
Collection
Publication
Penguin (2021), Edition: Signed, 304 pages
Description
"The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet-from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu-on a five-star scale. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection that includes both beloved essays and all-new pieces exclusive to the book"--
Media reviews
Taking on the style of a Yelp review, Green assigns a five-star rating to each topic he covers. “Our Capacity for Wonder,” for example, gets three and a half stars (due to humans’ general lack of attentiveness), while Diet Dr. Pepper gets four—Green loves the drink, but finds consuming it
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feels like “committing a sin.” ...Each short review is rich with meaning and filled with surprises—”Sunsets,” for example, draws on several poems to ask “what should we do about the clichéd beauty” of a setting sun— and together, they amount to a resonant paean to hard-won hope. Show Less
For most of human existence, things didn't change much within a single lifetime... Now we live in the Great Acceleration, also known as the Anthropocene, where even the Earth gets updates to its apps. Change (like global warming and pandemics) is the hallmark of this new era. How to live in the
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midst its uncertainty without falling into despair is the open question. In his new book, The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green uses humor, wisdom and a keen sense of connections to offer us something like an answer... What Green is really telling us with these unexpected stories about Sycamore Trees, Canada Geese and Dr. Pepper is how much there is to love in the world and why that love is worth the effort. Show Less
The bestselling author offers a miscellany of essays on life and letters in an environmentally fraught time.... A grab bag, but one that repays reading and reflection and a pleasure throughout despite occasionally dark moments.
The book makes the wondrous small — see his essay on Halley’s Comet — and the small wondrous — like his ode to Scratch n’ Sniff Stickers. The breadth of Green’s musings at times feels like a late-night dorm-room conversation, like his attempt to contextualize just how brief of a period
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we have been fumbling about the planet. But those conversations were fun, weren’t they? “The Anthropocene Reviewed” is the perfect book to read over lunch or to keep on your nightstand, whenever you need a reminder of what it is to feel small and human, in the best possible way. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member bell7
In this essay collection, YA novelist John Green explores human life in all its richness, mundaneness, absurdity, and joy.
These essays originally began as a podcast, but you don't have to have listened to the podcast to enjoy the Green's personal explorations of what he likes - and doesn't - about
These essays originally began as a podcast, but you don't have to have listened to the podcast to enjoy the Green's personal explorations of what he likes - and doesn't - about
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our modern American life. Their format of five-star reviews of daily human experience in all its ups and downs came at least in part from a trip author John Green took with his brother, Hank, in which they tried to find the most absurd Google reviews possible. Though many have been written over the last four years or so, a few were very clearly from 2020 and briefly mention or specifically address the pandemic. I found myself relating to his comments about missing sports and hating to mow, intrigued by the history of the Piggly Wiggly, and enjoying the profound thoughts mixed with humor and wry observation. I started out reading just an essay or two a day, but found myself not able to stop after just a few and finished the collection quickly. Whether you've read any of John Green's fiction or not, I highly recommend this collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member alanna1122
It's been a long time since I have read a collection of essays (or short stories for that matter) that has felt strong all the way through like this did.
John Green is so relatable. His voice, his tone, his humor make his musings so interesting to read and they all felt relevant to me. He deals
I really liked this, even though it was heavy I was always glad I was reading it.
John Green is so relatable. His voice, his tone, his humor make his musings so interesting to read and they all felt relevant to me. He deals
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with some heavy things but the way he does it , keeps it from feeling overwhelming. I really liked this, even though it was heavy I was always glad I was reading it.
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LibraryThing member readaholic12
I've listened to all the podcasts and loved them. I have been a John Green fan since 2007. I have all John Green's books and love them all. I love this one the most. Reading and listening to the podcasts are both interesting, thought provoking experiences. I give this book and this author five
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stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookworm12
“You can't see the future coming--not the terrors, for sure, but you also can't see the wonders that are coming, the moments of light-soaked joy that await each of us.”
“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what
“One of the strange things about adulthood is that you are your current self, but you are also all the selves you used to be, the ones you grew out of but can't ever quite get rid of.”
“... I called my brother, Hank, and told him I was feeling frightened. Hank is the levelheaded one, the sane one, the calm one. He always has been. We have never let the fact of my being older get in the way of Hank being the wise older brother.”
“Rosenthal, who’d died a few months earlier. She’d once written, “For anyone trying to discern what to do w/ their life: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO. That’s pretty much all the info u need.” My attention had become so fractured, and my world had become so loud, that I wasn’t paying attention to what I was paying attention to.”
“We all know how loving ends. But I want to fall in love with the world anyway, to let it crack me open. I want to feel what
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there is to feel while I am here.”“One of the strange things about adulthood is that you are your current self, but you are also all the selves you used to be, the ones you grew out of but can't ever quite get rid of.”
“... I called my brother, Hank, and told him I was feeling frightened. Hank is the levelheaded one, the sane one, the calm one. He always has been. We have never let the fact of my being older get in the way of Hank being the wise older brother.”
“Rosenthal, who’d died a few months earlier. She’d once written, “For anyone trying to discern what to do w/ their life: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO. That’s pretty much all the info u need.” My attention had become so fractured, and my world had become so loud, that I wasn’t paying attention to what I was paying attention to.”
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LibraryThing member FormerEnglishTeacher
John Green’s first nonfiction book is essentially a book of ratings. The introduction explains that we seem to rate everything from movies to restaurants, so he decided to rate humanity in this current geological age: the Anthropocene Age. Much of what he writes is humorous, some is self
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evaluation, and some is serious reflection about mankind in general. The writing is sensitive and the topics are many and varied. Many won’t care for the tone of some of the pieces, but most will take something away from this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member NielsenGW
Green, John. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet. New York: Dutton, 2021. 274 pp.
On the surface, John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed goes through 40 to 50 items or concepts from the human world, gives them a decent Yelp-style review, and rates them on a five-star scale.
Green’s reviews go deeper, however. We get his pain from his days as a chaplain, his joy in finding family in fellow football fans, his serenity when talking to his children, his fear when admitting that he Googles people before going to their house.
This book is great but suffers from the bite-size/binging problem. Each little review is great for quick dips when you have a few minutes, but I found myself flying through them, about ten at a time. I give John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
On the surface, John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed goes through 40 to 50 items or concepts from the human world, gives them a decent Yelp-style review, and rates them on a five-star scale.
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Almost everything is up for grabs, from the movie Harvey to Diet Dr. Pepper to the Lascaux cave paintings and so on. Seems simple, but the part that grabs you is that interlaced in every review a bit of biography and reflection. It seems self-evident that in order to review something, you have to interact with it, and it becomes a part of your life, so all reviews are in some ways autobiographical. Green’s reviews go deeper, however. We get his pain from his days as a chaplain, his joy in finding family in fellow football fans, his serenity when talking to his children, his fear when admitting that he Googles people before going to their house.
This book is great but suffers from the bite-size/binging problem. Each little review is great for quick dips when you have a few minutes, but I found myself flying through them, about ten at a time. I give John Green’s Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
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LibraryThing member DarthDeverell
The essays in John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed comment on the nature of our times, particularly during a global pandemic that has disrupted life and given people cause to re-evaluate their world and societies. At times funny, always poignant, Green’s work looks for the personal meaning as
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well as historic context in topics as varied as Kentucky bluegrass, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur’s Icelandic hotdogs, the internet, and more. His honest discussion of his own anxiety helps put into words what so many people are feeling right now while also encouraging them to look for meaning in the places and things that have intersected their own lives. The Anthropocene Reviewed is the right book in the right moment. Show Less
LibraryThing member Paul_S
When self-pity meets with narcissism.
Yeah, it's heartfelt but also pretentious and trite wisdom trying to both move you and amuse you but only really managed to creep me out with its level of exhibitionism.
Yeah, it's heartfelt but also pretentious and trite wisdom trying to both move you and amuse you but only really managed to creep me out with its level of exhibitionism.
LibraryThing member Charon07
Thoughtful, heartfelt observations of humanity and its effects on the planet and the other beings that live on it, and of one specific human’s interactions with the world. Valuable insights for becoming the kind of human being I want to be: kind, decent, thoughtful, engaged, and nevertheless
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hopeful in the face of humanity’s frequent cruelty, cynicism, and despair. Show Less
LibraryThing member streamsong
The anthropocene is defined as the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. John Green focuses on the foibles and challenges of the dominant species - humans.
This is a series of very clever essays on the
I found these highly entertaining – a great distraction from everyday events and some of the heavier books that I have been reading.
I’ll definitely check out his podcast, which is the basis for many of these essays.
5 stars for sheer entertainment in an extremely stressful time.
This is a series of very clever essays on the
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oddities of the human race – ranging through such diverse topics as scratch and sniff stickers, why the velociraptors in Jurassic Park don’t look anything like their namesake, and of course the challenges of Corona virus.I found these highly entertaining – a great distraction from everyday events and some of the heavier books that I have been reading.
I’ll definitely check out his podcast, which is the basis for many of these essays.
5 stars for sheer entertainment in an extremely stressful time.
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LibraryThing member villemezbrown
I rate therefore I am.
John Green fuses Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader with a Roger Ebert movie guide to create a delightful indirect autobiography. I’ve only seen a handful of Green’s YouTube vlogs, but the short essays here seem to follow the same format, tackling a bit of historical trivia
The current pandemic is mentioned multiple times, as are heavy topics like depression and various serious illnesses, but the tone is generally light, positive and hopeful. My only reservations are the many mentions of soccer and what the author recognizes in the Postscript as an excessive number of quotations (Save me from the Bartlett's barrage!).
Overall, a great book to have on hand to fill ten-minute holes in your days. (Just remember to flush!)
John Green fuses Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader with a Roger Ebert movie guide to create a delightful indirect autobiography. I’ve only seen a handful of Green’s YouTube vlogs, but the short essays here seem to follow the same format, tackling a bit of historical trivia
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then turning it into a contemporary issue or personal experience. Indeed, some of these essays originally appeared as vlogs or entries on a podcast that shares the book's title.The current pandemic is mentioned multiple times, as are heavy topics like depression and various serious illnesses, but the tone is generally light, positive and hopeful. My only reservations are the many mentions of soccer and what the author recognizes in the Postscript as an excessive number of quotations (Save me from the Bartlett's barrage!).
Overall, a great book to have on hand to fill ten-minute holes in your days. (Just remember to flush!)
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LibraryThing member Lisa2013
I do love John Green. I have enjoyed his young adult novels and this book is wonderful. His thoughts are smart and profound and so relatable. He is kind and bright and authentic. His writing always draws me in and emotionally moves me.
For this book of nonfiction essays book I read a Kindle e-book
I love these short essays.
Almost everything in these essays is quotable so I wasn’t going to any quotes but there are two I want to remember:
“For me, reading and rereading are an everlasting apprenticeship.”
“For humans, there is ultimately no way out of the obligations and limitations of nature. We are nature. And so, like history, the climate is both something that happens to us and something we make.”
Musings and this book is good for that sort of thing: Even though I love the audio and the e-book too, I’d love to own a paper copy of this book. Unfortunately, not am I not buying books but I’m culling and in a major way. My 15,000 books are now fewer than 2,000, I think that number must go lower. Honestly this is one I probably wouldn’t keep indefinitely. I’ve been ruthless about letting go of many favorite and sentimental books.
My place looks better and I feel some load off of me but I feel the loss too.
I had multiple major traumatic incidents of the loss of books when I was young. Ages 12 and 13, age 15, and a couple of times in young adulthood, and I was afraid that this letting go process would compound the trauma. It is hard but not as difficult as I’d been expecting. Having it be my decision (given my circumstances) and having some measure of control does help.
But there wasn’t enough rhyme nor reason to my cull since the collection left does not exactly feel like me anymore – some books I gave up I should have kept and I see books still on shelves (at least all the books now do fit on bookshelves and are no longer on the floor, on the extra desk, doubled or tripled up!) that could probably go and be easier to relinquish than some of the books that are now gone. This is the hardest part about this process.
I was able to give 2 family members’ prayer books that I’ve never and would never use to newly found long distance cousins, and that feels gratifying.
But I am missing a vegan cookbook and it’s driving me crazy and if it’s not found I might have to buy it again
And library books I wish I owned (like this one, as a paper book) I want to buy. There are many I’d like to buy. I have not bought many books for many years and I shouldn’t be buying any books at all, not even friends’ books.
The other thing driving me crazy is that my books have always been in excellent to good order and now they’re all over the place. The only exceptions are my large bookcase that has all my vegan and animal rights and some related books on it and my small bookcase that is being populated with books I’ll keep no matter what, if at all possible.
I think of people who lost all their books (and all their possessions! – I also gave up all my record albums, some games, and many other items including decorative and sentimental including photographs, my mother’s paintings, and other such thing, and collectables) due to fire and other natural disasters, the Holocaust, a downsizing move, etc. etc. etc. One of those could still happen to me. I’m grateful for the books that I still have. I’m incredibly grateful for having access for fairly good libraries and going forward having use of a good library will be one of my top priorities.
I’m taking photos of many of the books that I’m giving up in the hopes that I will eventually get them all on my Goodreads shelves and at least rated if not reviewed. Early in the process I got rid of many books without doing that, including an entire bookcase filled with dog books, and I do regret not making some sort of record of what I’ve given up. I had no good ways of doing that with my earlier losses of books.
All this said, I wish I was wealthy and that I owned a house and that I could keep a magnificent and very large library of owned books.)
I was thinking that if anything would give me useful perspective and keep debilitating grief & depression away it would something like reading this book but the fact is if anything it worked as a trigger and I felt more depressed although interestingly not more anxious, at least not in general.
Included in the audio but not the e-edition were the essays titled: Mortification, The Kaua’I o-o, The Smallpox Vaccine. I hope that all the essays are included in the paper edition but I got the most out of both a print and an audio edition.
In summary, this author and these essays are brilliant and relatable, and I can recommend them to just about every reader. I’m happy that this book won “best nonfiction” in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards. And yes after giving up all but maybe 1,500-2,000 of my 15,000 books and not having bought many books for many years, and trying hard to buy no more I would love to own a paper copy of this book. *sigh* Thank goodness for libraries!
Highly, highly recommended to all readers no matter what their typical reading taste.
For this book of nonfiction essays book I read a Kindle e-book
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edition and simultaneously listened to the Overdrive audio edition, both borrowed from my public library. The narration by the author was first-rate. I can’t see anyone else doing the narration. I would have had zero interest in the audio edition if it had been another narrator. One thing I appreciated about the audio edition is where there is an asterisk in the e-book, maybe pointing to notes in the back of the paper edition?, John Green expounds on the topics. The extra words are right there and every time I thought they deserved to be read and read in those exact places in the book. I also appreciated that for one essay a tape of bird sounds played. I love his narration! I love these short essays.
Almost everything in these essays is quotable so I wasn’t going to any quotes but there are two I want to remember:
“For me, reading and rereading are an everlasting apprenticeship.”
“For humans, there is ultimately no way out of the obligations and limitations of nature. We are nature. And so, like history, the climate is both something that happens to us and something we make.”
Musings and this book is good for that sort of thing:
My place looks better and I feel some load off of me but I feel the loss too.
I had multiple major traumatic incidents of the loss of books when I was young. Ages 12 and 13, age 15, and a couple of times in young adulthood, and I was afraid that this letting go process would compound the trauma. It is hard but not as difficult as I’d been expecting. Having it be my decision (given my circumstances) and having some measure of control does help.
But there wasn’t enough rhyme nor reason to my cull since the collection left does not exactly feel like me anymore – some books I gave up I should have kept and I see books still on shelves (at least all the books now do fit on bookshelves and are no longer on the floor, on the extra desk, doubled or tripled up!) that could probably go and be easier to relinquish than some of the books that are now gone. This is the hardest part about this process.
I was able to give 2 family members’ prayer books that I’ve never and would never use to newly found long distance cousins, and that feels gratifying.
But I am missing a vegan cookbook and it’s driving me crazy and if it’s not found I might have to buy it again
And library books I wish I owned (like this one, as a paper book) I want to buy. There are many I’d like to buy. I have not bought many books for many years and I shouldn’t be buying any books at all, not even friends’ books.
The other thing driving me crazy is that my books have always been in excellent to good order and now they’re all over the place. The only exceptions are my large bookcase that has all my vegan and animal rights and some related books on it and my small bookcase that is being populated with books I’ll keep no matter what, if at all possible.
I think of people who lost all their books (and all their possessions! – I also gave up all my record albums, some games, and many other items including decorative and sentimental including photographs, my mother’s paintings, and other such thing, and collectables) due to fire and other natural disasters, the Holocaust, a downsizing move, etc. etc. etc. One of those could still happen to me. I’m grateful for the books that I still have. I’m incredibly grateful for having access for fairly good libraries and going forward having use of a good library will be one of my top priorities.
I’m taking photos of many of the books that I’m giving up in the hopes that I will eventually get them all on my Goodreads shelves and at least rated if not reviewed. Early in the process I got rid of many books without doing that, including an entire bookcase filled with dog books, and I do regret not making some sort of record of what I’ve given up. I had no good ways of doing that with my earlier losses of books.
All this said, I wish I was wealthy and that I owned a house and that I could keep a magnificent and very large library of owned books.)
I was thinking that if anything would give me useful perspective and keep debilitating grief & depression away it would something like reading this book but the fact is if anything it worked as a trigger and I felt more depressed although interestingly not more anxious, at least not in general.
Included in the audio but not the e-edition were the essays titled: Mortification, The Kaua’I o-o, The Smallpox Vaccine. I hope that all the essays are included in the paper edition but I got the most out of both a print and an audio edition.
In summary, this author and these essays are brilliant and relatable, and I can recommend them to just about every reader. I’m happy that this book won “best nonfiction” in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards.
Highly, highly recommended to all readers no matter what their typical reading taste.
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LibraryThing member bragan
I'd already encountered most of the material in this book previously, if sometimes in slightly different form, on John Green's Anthropocene Reviewed podcast. But it was absolutely worth revisiting in book form, even if I did kind of miss Green's voice and the way he always sounds both deeply
The conceit here is that Green reviews "facets of the human-centered planet" on a five-star scale, with full recognition of exactly how meaningless and absurd that it. The topics vary widely: plants and animals, works of art, diseases, inventions, natural phenomena... Everything from the Lascaux cave paintings to the World's Largest Ball of Paint. But each essay, in reality, is a surprisingly profound meditation on life, full of interesting tidbits of information and thoughtful reflections on both a personal and a global level. It's intimate and smart, fascinating and well-written, slyly funny and frequently moving.
I heartily recommend this either in book or in podcast form. Or, for that matter, both.
To borrow Green's rating format: I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
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bemused and sort of dolefully amused by absolutely everything. The conceit here is that Green reviews "facets of the human-centered planet" on a five-star scale, with full recognition of exactly how meaningless and absurd that it. The topics vary widely: plants and animals, works of art, diseases, inventions, natural phenomena... Everything from the Lascaux cave paintings to the World's Largest Ball of Paint. But each essay, in reality, is a surprisingly profound meditation on life, full of interesting tidbits of information and thoughtful reflections on both a personal and a global level. It's intimate and smart, fascinating and well-written, slyly funny and frequently moving.
I heartily recommend this either in book or in podcast form. Or, for that matter, both.
To borrow Green's rating format: I give The Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.
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LibraryThing member nmarun
Reading this book felt like reading the author's personal diary - it's filled with his opinion regarding just about anything. Repetitions about climate change, COVID and others led to like only a handful of things about the book. Most essays have a pessimistic outlook to them - another reason why I
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found the book a bit boring. Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
In an era where the earth is ultimately shaped by human beings, John Green takes this idea further and rates various things from life on this planet. In essays that review everything from Canada geese, Auld Lang Syne, and sycamore trees, Green reflects on his own experiences, the realities of
I've been a fan of John Green for a long time and while I've never listened to the podcast version of The Anthropocene Reviewed I have watched Vlogbrothers videos off and on for pretty close to a decade now. From those sometimes silly but more often brilliant four minute videos, I knew that John Green had the potential to be a brilliant essayist and I was not disappointed. The essays included here are erudite, funny, beautiful, and occasionally heartbreaking. I laughed and ugly cried and after closing the copy I borrowed from the library, I immediately made plans to buy my own. So highly recommended.
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living through the pandemic, and the things that make life terrible and beautiful.I've been a fan of John Green for a long time and while I've never listened to the podcast version of The Anthropocene Reviewed I have watched Vlogbrothers videos off and on for pretty close to a decade now. From those sometimes silly but more often brilliant four minute videos, I knew that John Green had the potential to be a brilliant essayist and I was not disappointed. The essays included here are erudite, funny, beautiful, and occasionally heartbreaking. I laughed and ugly cried and after closing the copy I borrowed from the library, I immediately made plans to buy my own. So highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member shazjhb
Lovely book. So interesting. Nice that someone who is depressed and filled with anxiety can produce a very readable book.
LibraryThing member Castlelass
This book is a compilation of John Green’s series of essays completed during the pandemic shutdown. It is a mix of memoir, history, science, and reflections about various aspects of today’s world. Some are very pointed and specific (e.g., Jerzy Dudek’s performance on May 25, 2005, Hiroyuki
“The Anthropocene” is probably too broad a subject area to attempt to cover in one book. I would have preferred a bit tighter focus, but the widely differing topics make it easy to read a chapter, set it aside, and come back to it later. Each essay is well constructed and features a number of memories, facts, opinions, and emotions. My takeaway is that it provides a sense for what a person may contemplate as he faces a period of worry and isolation.
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Doi’s Circle Drawings, or The Penguins of Madagascar), and some are very broad and general (e.g., Humanity’s Temporal Range, Sunsets, or Our Capacity for Wonder). He assigns star-ratings to each of these topics. For example, Viral Meningitis gets 1 star and Sycamore Trees get 5 stars. “The Anthropocene” is probably too broad a subject area to attempt to cover in one book. I would have preferred a bit tighter focus, but the widely differing topics make it easy to read a chapter, set it aside, and come back to it later. Each essay is well constructed and features a number of memories, facts, opinions, and emotions. My takeaway is that it provides a sense for what a person may contemplate as he faces a period of worry and isolation.
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LibraryThing member lycomayflower
CA: references to child death and SIDS, the Covid-19 pandemic, depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation
A collection of essays in which Green reviews various aspects of the anthropocene (that's the time period in which humans have been the dominant influence on Earth). Sometimes the topic is
A collection of essays in which Green reviews various aspects of the anthropocene (that's the time period in which humans have been the dominant influence on Earth). Sometimes the topic is
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lighthearted (or seems so), like the essay on Dr. Pepper, and sometimes you know from the get-go you're in for something a bit weighty, like the essay about our capacity for wonder. Whatever the topic, the essay will have Green's signature ability to bring poignancy, humor, and a lot of facts into the mix. I enjoyed this thoroughly, and I recommend the audiobook, especially if you are accustomed to hearing Green speak (through his podcasts or online videos). If you know Green's cadences, you're gonna hear him in your head anyway, so you might as well let him read the essays to you. I think there's probably more nuance that way, though I'm sure reading the book yourself is a just fine experience as well. Show Less
LibraryThing member bookczuk
The mind of John Green, when not immersed in fiction, is a weird, interesting, and definitely quirky place. Essays. 2022 read.
LibraryThing member adzebill
Some good essays, all a bit "podcasty" (best listened to a week apart, as Green's anecdotes repeat a bit).
LibraryThing member carolfoisset
I give John Greens "The Anthropocene Reviewed" 5 stars! (loved that part of the book)
Great essays to listen to as I was out walking the dog.
Great essays to listen to as I was out walking the dog.
LibraryThing member curioussquared
In essays on topics ranging from the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" to Staph infections to wintry mix, John Green shares his unique way of looking at the world and rates each strange aspect of humanity on a five star scale.
What a lovely book! I've loved John Green ever since I first read Looking
What a lovely book! I've loved John Green ever since I first read Looking
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for Alaska in high school, and this book only reinforced that love. I think John is a person who thinks WAY more philosophically than I do, and takes life a lot more seriously, so I was a teeny bit worried I would be bogged down by some of his musings in this book. Luckily, that was not the case at all -- the short chapters kept things from getting too dark, and I couldn't help sharing bits and pieces of what I was reading with my friends and family I was hanging out with this weekend. 5 stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member mktoronto
I read this the first time but I love John Green's voice so much I went for the audiobook option. I needed to lie down a lot and being soothed by these deep thoughts in such a lovely voice. A bonus on the audiobook -we get to hear the call of the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō. Lots to think on and learn. Highly
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recommend reading or listening. Show Less
LibraryThing member foggidawn
John Green offers his thoughts on various aspects of the human experience, from sunsets and humanity's capacity for wonder, to scratch-n-sniff stickers and Diet Dr. Pepper. Readers familiar with Green's writing style will know what to expect as he expands on these topics with erudition and heart,
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and those unfamiliar with Green are in for a treat. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, on a long drive with my husband, who had no previous experience with Green's work. We both particularly enjoyed the Academic Decathlon essay. I'm looking forward to delving into the podcast from which the book was drawn, for any extra bits that didn't make it into the book. I give The Anthropocene Reviewed four and a half stars. Show Less
LibraryThing member Othemts
The "Anthropocene" is a term used to describe the geologic epoch we currently live in where human activity has significantly affected the course of the Earth's ecosystems. John Green, author of popular young adult novels such as Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and The Fault in Our
And so he reviews various aspects of our time in this collection essays that are whimsical, thoughtful, and historically-informed. Essays focus on serious topics ranging from mass extinction to diseases to climate events, but also on popular culture relics such as Diet Dr. Pepper, Scratch & Sniff Stickers, Monopoly, and the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Since many details of Green's personal life leak into the essays - such as his mental health issues and the time he worked as a hospital chaplain - this book also works as a backdoor memoir.
Most of these essays originated in the podcast, also called The Anthropocene Reviewed, that I listened to avidly although I didn't remember many of the details. Green revised and updated the essays during the peak period of the Covid pandemic and the experiences of that crisis offer another lens through which to view the Anthropocene.
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Stars, observes that a trend of recent human activity is to rank things on a five star scale (as someone who reviews a lot of books, movies, and music this observation hit hard).And so he reviews various aspects of our time in this collection essays that are whimsical, thoughtful, and historically-informed. Essays focus on serious topics ranging from mass extinction to diseases to climate events, but also on popular culture relics such as Diet Dr. Pepper, Scratch & Sniff Stickers, Monopoly, and the Hot Dog Eating Contest. Since many details of Green's personal life leak into the essays - such as his mental health issues and the time he worked as a hospital chaplain - this book also works as a backdoor memoir.
Most of these essays originated in the podcast, also called The Anthropocene Reviewed, that I listened to avidly although I didn't remember many of the details. Green revised and updated the essays during the peak period of the Covid pandemic and the experiences of that crisis offer another lens through which to view the Anthropocene.
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Awards
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Longlist — Nonfiction — 2022)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2021)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2021-05-18
Physical description
8.55 inches
ISBN
0525555218 / 9780525555216
Local notes
Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale--from the QWERTY keyboard and sunsets to Canada geese and Penguins of Madagascar.