The Anthropocene Reviewed (Signed Edition): Essays on a Human-Centered Planet

John Green is an answer I use in somewhat overused the "If you could have lunch with a famous person" ice breaker, and to me, this book felt like that lunch. Each chapter felt like sitting down with a friend, skipping past the somewhat mundane "catching up" and jumping right to the weird observations of the universe that the best conversations turn into. I was not introduced to John Green through his work as an author, but rather the picking of his own brain he shares with the world on YouTube. For years I've followed him and his brother Hank on Vlogbrothers, and their shared experience with the world has shaped my own, making me a more thoughtful citizen, requiring me to think about my own existence and about whether or not butt is legs, the nature of my own self talk and who the Craigs of my life are, healthcare access in non-western countries, and of course the importance of vending machines YouTube videos in our society. This book felt like a beautiful and intimate continuation of that experience, and much like a conversation with a friend, felt very two sided. As an example of this, on page 231, John states that our calculator apps are calculator shaped, to which I mentally retorted that most of our technology today is still calculator shaped because most of what we consider technology today is, at it's core, a calculator of something. I think to truly enjoy this book, you have to sit down with it ready to engage, be okay with the idea that you and John will not share every single opinion, and be willing to change your mind sometimes when you encounter an experience that is not your own. All of these requirements are also generally the requirements for sitting down and having a conversation with friends. I give deep conversations with friends about stuff out of left field 5 out of 5 stars, and I can give this book no less. Thank you for sharing this with us, John.

Underrated signature. Written in green sharpie, the name John stands out in it’s simplicity and implication of the last name through color.

Anyone that has read this book, or is familiar with the podcast, will see the humor in having to give the book a rating on a five-star scale!This is an insightful, thought-provoking, funny, and sometimes emotional collection of short essays about various random topics that John Green has decided to write about over the past couple years. There are about 45 individual essays, and in each one Green briefly discusses an idea or topic and how it has affected him. Each essay then ends with a “review” rating of that subject on a five-star scale. For example, Sunsets received 5 stars, while Canada Geese only received 2 stars. The format makes it feel somewhat like a witty but thoughtful series of blog posts, and it is easy to read a few essays and then pause and come back later. The topics are pretty random and varied, they do not flow naturally into each other.Green makes some great points, and the format of the book with the star ratings really adds to the humor of this collection. As someone who has written many reviews, I appreciated the absurdity of having to assign a star rating to “Whispering” or “Sycamore Trees.” Overall this was very easy to read, but not something that you need to finish in one sitting.The signed edition has Green's signature on the first page in green marker, with a little explanation about why he wanted to include his signature. (see picture)I give Green's Anthropocene Reviewed..... Five Stars!

I just received this book yesterday and I’m having trouble getting much else done. Such an enjoyable read so far, and I can’t seem to set it down. I want to read the rest of it, but I also have to work. Decisions, decisions.I saw another reviewer say it was like going to lunch with an old friend, and that seems the most apt description. I will no doubt read it more than once, and share it with the people I love.

I'm not sure if I should care about giving stars, but I do. I do it with enthusiasm and vigor, and it's one of the things that I feel happy about doing.First thing, this book is a chore. Seriously, I have to devote my full attention to it. I can't listen to kids or casually watch people get on the train. I, unfortunately, have to pay attention.Second, I don't like crying. There are so few times when I have felt like I understood the author. Here, I felt like the author understood me. My neuroticism, curiosity, and angst felt laid bare.Finally, it's what I needed. This past two years have been weird and unwieldy, but like every one else, I pushed on. This book is continuity. It links this crazy, wild present to our past. It's a little bit us because we all got to have this moment and share it.

I have loved The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, and the book has a similar delightfully engaging, emotional, funny, and thoughtful take on the human experience.

This book is as good, if not better, than the podcast of the same name. The way John reviews the anthropocene makes me laugh and cry every single time. It never gets old, I know I will read and reread this book for years to come.

As has become my habit with Mr. Green’s last several books, I devoured this one in its entirety on the evening of its release. This one is, of course, different, being his first foray into nonfiction—a mode that suits him well. This work is at once educational and entertaining. Quite educational and entertaining, in fact, even though I had already imbibed most of its content via podcast form. Still, there is freshness in Green’s voice; his perspective is both raw and refreshing, harsh at times but ever hopeful. Last night, as I drifted satisfied into sleep, I lamented only the fact that I have no more new Green to read (a condition that grieves me anew this morning); I also remember wishing, and continue to wish, that I could read something novel by him every day. I give The Anthropocene Reviewed four and nineteen-twentieths stars.

The Anthropocene Reviewed is an odd book to define, but very easy to recommend. It’s a collection of essays delving not merely into the things John has seen through his life, but spending copious amounts of time on all the thoughts that those experiences birthed. It’s random. It’s inspirational. But most importantly, it is incredibly thought provoking, heart warming and calming. It reminds us to see what’s in front of us, and what’s in front of us is beautiful. It’s a review and a unique insight of modern civilisation. And bring short 5-10min essays, it makes for easy reading.Green artfully spends time in the origins of things, because it really does add perspective. And these are things we take for granted, never wondering about the unique circumstances that birthed them. From the invention of air conditioning (did you know it’s first use was for a printing press?) to the first grocery store to have aisles and self service, Green is masterful in how he makes it a story.He effortlessly switches between essays on uncommon- but general- topics like Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating competition and daily topics we just don’t think about, like sunsets. But then he also writes about topics very specific to his life experience, like the movie Penguins of Madagascar. But what truly sets all of these apart is unlike a newscaster, he does more than merely narrate facts. He adds non-general insight and inference of a deeply personal nature; of how he sees it, and the value it has added to him and his thoughts, and this is where the book truly shines, because John effortlessly walks the fine line between being an individual and being a member of a collective species.While the insights are personal opinions, none of them are myopic or only relevant to his life’s experiences. They zoom out all the way, to view it as a human experience, what it means for us as a culture and what it could mean for the future.The underlying tone throughout is one of immense gratitude and appreciation for life (human and otherwise) and the experiences that are a part of it, with a healthy dose of caution to avoid the mistakes of the past.Above all, though, I think John Green, through this book, exemplifies one core characteristic of humanity- curiosity. We are all born inherently curious, but then have it beaten out of us through our education systems, capitalism and the myth that careers are THE most important thing in life, and everything else must be rendered a lesser priority. In such a society, the importance of curiosity is greatly diminished, which is tragic. The essays in this book, though, cover such a myriad of topics, that one truly can’t help but marvel at not just the author’s breadth of interests, but how you, the reader are suddenly just as interested in all these random things. It’s also a testament to the fact that there remain sooo many intriguing and interesting things in the world. Some are admittedly very obscure but most are littered in the things we see and do on a daily- if only we choose to look at them a little deeper.The Anthropocene Reviewed, then, is a hard book to define. It’s about the world. It’s about events. It’s about the past, and it informs about the future. And it’s been written in a style that has so far left me very intrigued, in a very good way. John’s mastery of narration is unlike any I’ve come across. His writing is the only one that consistently moves me to actual tears, through its propensity to connect on a deeply emotional and visual level. I still don’t understand how he does it. I dream of being able to write like him, and having the same emotional and mental connect he does with his readers.In conclusion, if there was ever a book that reminds us of what means to be alive- truly alive- then this is it. The book also feels like it’ll age very well. It will still be relevant years later, and it’s one of those that you can read repeatedly ever so often.So, as John Green would say, ‘I give the Anthropocene Reviewed a solid 5 stars’

I don’t often read non-fiction, this was a recommendation and something of an impulse buy. I’m so glad I did, this book resonates with me unlike anything I’ve read since The Alchemist. The author writes so engagingly and openly, bearing his often cracked or damaged soul, that it draws you in and you realise that much like old oil paintings, the cracks are part of what makes it beautiful. What makes us beautiful. I cannot recommend enough, read this book. I give it ten stars.

My favourite of John’s books so far, although I have loved them all. The Anthropocene Reviewed is a great book if you’ve only got a little bit of time as you can read a chapter here and there. It’s helped me actually get some sleep as I haven’t felt the need to read it all in one sitting, and therefore it has given me many more hours of entertainment than a novel. John makes all the topics interesting. I now know a fair bit of interesting info about Dr Pepper, despite having never tasted it.

I loved this. I haven’t listened to the podcast but I think I will start. I have some favourites in this collect of essays but I loved them all. Really interesting and insightful. I recommend this book to anyone.

It's a signed edition!! What more could a Nerdfighter ask for? John Green lucidly binds a few of the various snippets the constitute the anthropocene, that is, the current age that's affected by humans. It's almost similar to the audiobook and overall, it will be a healthy and wholesome read for anyone who's feeling apprehensive or lost or pensive. 😊