Saturday, February 5, 2022

Book Brief: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

 

by John Green, narrated by the author
Penguin Audio, 2021
10 hours and 3 minutes
source: borrowed from the library

Publisher's summary:

The Anthropocene is the current geologic age, in which humans have profoundly reshaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, best-selling author John 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.

Funny, complex, and rich with detail, the reviews chart the contradictions of contemporary humanity. As a species, we are both far too powerful and not nearly powerful enough, a paradox that came into sharp focus as we faced a global pandemic that both separated us and bound us together.

John Green’s gift for storytelling shines throughout this masterful collection. The Anthropocene Reviewed is a open-hearted exploration of the paths we forge and an unironic celebration of falling in love with the world.


My thoughts:

I had never read John Green, never seen the word "anthropocene," and would never  have considered reading this book without the recommendation of several book bloggers during Nonfiction November. 

Working with the premise "everyone is a critic these days" Green (who at one time was  a book reviewer at Bookmarks magazine) writes essays about all sorts of everyday objects, events and phenomenon. At the conclusion of each piece, he rates the subject using a 5-star scale. The essays are interesting, quirky, and cover a vast range of topics... like sunsets, Haley's comet, and even Diet Dr. Pepper. I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite. Getting to know John Green was an added bonus.

While I really loved listening to the author read his own words, these essays would be enjoyable in print, too. I highly recommend this eclectic collection to just about everyone.

My rating:




16 comments:

  1. I've seen John Green's name around for a long time, but I've yet to read anything of his, and would certainly never have picked this title up without having seen your great review. Now, I'm really, really curious...off to the library (electronically).

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    1. Sam - You are now in the exact same position I was in a couple of weeks ago! Hope you find it readily available.... the essays are sure to draw you in.

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  2. I hadn't heard of this before reading your thoughts - so intriguing. I've read a few books by this author: Fault of Our Stars (which I loved) and An Abundance of Katherines which was good as well. I may see if the library has this one and wishlist it for the future.

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    1. Diane - I checked my kindle content and found that I already own The Fault in Our Stars! Must have picked it up as a daily deal somewhere along the line and forgot about it. I seem to have that problem with digital content, lol. Hope you get a chance to try The Anthropocene Reviewed.

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  3. I have heard so many good things about this book of essays. I like Green's fiction work so will probably get to this one, too.

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    1. Helen - I just discovered that I have The Fault in Our Stars on my kindle, so am looking forward to giving Green's fiction a try soon, too.

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  4. I've seen this book reviewed on many other blogs too. I think I'll get a copy.

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    1. Vicki - I recommend the audio if you can get a copy. There's something for every body in the is collection!

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  5. I've never read Green, and only recently learned about the Anthropocene Epoch
    in books about climate change, but I like essays and am adding this to my list. Thanks!

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    1. Jenclair - Green's essays are so interesting and entertaining. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

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  6. I loved Green's YA novel, The Fault in Our Stars, and have intended to read more by him, so this is going on my library list for Nonfiction November. Thanks, JoAnn!

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    1. Les - I discovered that I have The Fault in Our Stars on my kindle... don't even remember buying it, but it must have been as a daily deal. Looking forward to Nonfiction November already!

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  7. So are the topics in the collection random or are many of them on scientific things? I have read just one of Green's YA novels ... the cancer one ... which was quite sad & dramatic.

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    1. Susan - It's a nice mix of topics with some purely fun, but many can be thought of in terms of how we humans have a disproportionate effect on the planet... various animals/species, climate change, etc.

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  8. I think John Green is a great writer--I can't recommend a book more highly than Looking for Alaska, which is YA. (I hesitate to restrict it to the YA genre because it is so much more.) My undergraduate students were so excited about this novel, which I taught as the YA portion of a Children's Literature class I taught for several years. So interesting to see that he's written the one you've read. Different perhaps when compared to the other novels he's published.

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    1. Anonymous - Thank you for that recommendation! It's been almost six month since I read these essays, but still haven gotten around to his fiction. Hopefully I will before the end of the year.

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