The Anthropocene Reviewed

I give The Anthropocene Reviewed 5 unironic stars.

This is a deeply moving set of essays. Well-written, but should be taken in small doses - some of the essays (i.e. Kauai ‘o ‘o) are incredibly sad. All are fascinating and attest to John Green's masterful ability to put words to the most intangible experiences of humans.

4.5 stars

Informative and love John's personal stories. Quick read but worth it for my first “Essay” book.

Audience:GASPS “This is the first Essay book you read?!”

Me: “yes...and I need to read more.”

My favorite parts or “chapters” were
-Scratch ‘n' sniff stickers
-Notes App
-Mountain Goats
-The world's largest ball of paint
-New Partner
-Three Farmers on their way to a Dance

*I do give back page book ads 3 stars as well. IYKYK

I read this book on the brink of the third wave of COVID-19, thoroughly exhausted and otherwise despondent about humanity as a whole.

I really couldn't have picked a better time to read it - these mini essays reminded me about the beauty and fear and anger and joy and inevitability that comes with being human and existing at this time, on this planet, in our tiny corner of the universe.

I leave these pages with a flicker of hope, and a lighter heart. Thank you, John Green, for reminding me to feel everything instead of numbing myself to it - to dwell in nature and appreciate the little moments and linger in the time I have with the people around me.

(I'm going to assume that you already know and love the podcast, because, well, that's a pretty safe assumption. If you don't, go listen to a few episodes right now. Thank me later).

So: why bother with the book? It's (mostly) just the same material, isn't it? Not quite.

I enjoyed the book because I loved revisiting some of those episodes, none of which I remembered well enough to recite start-to-finish. Because I learned from them, even the ones I did remember well. Because there is new and lovely material. Because I can skip back and reread; or pause to reflect on a sentiment; or skim. Because, after all, I love books; because I only listen to podcasts while driving, and I seldom drive. Because there are footnotes and end notes. Mostly, though, because I really love this series and love Green's gentle compassionate irony, his sense of wonder and delight despite the absurdities of the human experience.

4 and a half stars. Great concept, very well executed. I'll have more to say on my blog.

Good book to read in an airport at 4 a.m. Didn't find it particularly memorable, but I'm sure Green's fans will love it.

How ironic to reviewing a book about reviews. Never did I think I would read about Scratch and Sniff Stickers, Viral Meningitis, and a man's love for the opening of the Penguins of Madagascar all in one sitting. How am I enjoying the Anthropocene so far? The pandemic is a low but it's going back to high once this is all over. In John Green's words, I give this book five stars.

aaa I loved all of John Green's YA books (haters don't @ me) but I guess I didn't follow his career supes closely because I didn't know he had a podcast until this book came out? But I LOVED this book. Oh my god. One of the complaints I hear about JG's YA books is that the teens are too deep/articulate/pretentious and I'm like yeah that's why I love them? But what I loved even more about this is that JG didn't even have to pretend to channel a teen he could just be his full deep/articulate/pretentious self. Anyway I just love LOVED this book, and I'm aware that it's not for everyone but it's so extremely my jam. It was interesting reading it so immediately after Hanif Abdurraqib's [b:A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance 49247757 A Little Devil in America Notes in Praise of Black Performance Hanif Abdurraqib https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606110758l/49247757.SX50.jpg 62219511] bc in some ways they are similar–both personal essays that are also sort of reviews of/analyses of a big variety of things (Little Devil is focused on “Black performance” which is still a big range, and Anthropocene Reviewed is obv even more broad). Hanif's book is big picture looking at structural racism and the strength & beauty that Black artists show despite it. JG's book is big picture looking at...the world itself, but it's really using the big picture to focus on the small picture of JG's anxiety and depression and how he personally carries on in spite of it. When I consider the two of them together (which I'm only doing because they came out around the same time and I read them around the same time), it would seem like JG's book should seem diminished in comparison but actually I really appreciate that JG knows his boundaries, I guess? I guess lately I've been reading a lot of nonfiction that makes me Consider My White Privilege (which is not a new concept to me or anything but there have been a lot of great recent books that have had that effect) and this book isn't about that but instead it's making me Consider The Beauty Of Being Alive (Despite of Everything) which is also a valuable proposition imo.Five stars.