Synopsis (From Goodreads)
A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green
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 ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet – from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley’s Comet to Penguins of Madagascar – on a five-star scale.
Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene’s reviews have been praised as ‘observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy’, with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green’s gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.
My Review
4 out of 5 stars
I first read John Green’s most popular work, Looking for Alaska as a high school student. As an undergraduate, I read two more of his books, but I haven’t picked up any of his other works in a long time. It felt like I knew what story I was going to get when I picked up a John Green book, and they were just kind of the coming of age sad contemporary that I haven’t been in the mood for in a very long time. I still watch him and his brother’s YouTube channel from time to time. Both he and his brother always seem insightful about the world and generally offer a wider perspective. When I found out that this was a nonfiction title written by the author that is a collection of essays that reviews all sorts of things relating to the human world, I thought it may be similar to his YouTube channel. And it is, I can vouch for that. I went into this book already familiar with his views in regards to front lawns, so I knew his review on Kentucky Bluegrass would not be very high. I also found out that this book is based off the Green brother’s podcast titled the same. I haven’t listened to the Podcast, so I can’t say how much of the information is new here. Even if this information is a little rehashed, John Green’s writing here is very polished and still offers a delightful yet philosophical read. It’s a personal experience tied into humanity as a whole. It’ll make you feel happy, sad, angry, and hopeful as life tends to do.
The book also starts with Mr. Green’s experience on his last book tour. His previous book, Turtles All the Way Down, was about a teenage girl’s experience with OCD. Mr. Green himself suffers with OCD, and he felt uncomfortable being asked questions relating to a fictional teen’s experiences. It led him wanting to write a nonfiction book despite primarily being a young adult fiction writer. I could feel for that, so I’m glad I was able to support a book that helped the author personally. I’m also glad it turned out good, and hope Mr. Green’s future work is still able to give him room to explore.
See this review on Goodreads and on Storygraph.
Mad Scibrarian 