The Anthropocene Reviewed, by John Green
10/30 | Started 02.22.21 • Finished 03.04.22 | 4 stars
This book is a collection of essays by John Green (of The Fault in Our Stars fame) regarding the current geological age. Largely drawn from his podcast by the same name, Green has set about to give a critical review of various things from this time period via a star rating. He covers everything from the plague to Nathan's hot dog eating contest to the QWERTY keyboard.
Though our dreams be tossed and blown, still we sing ourselves and one another into courage.
A delight to read! Equally amusing and profound, I came away wishing there were more reviews to read. So I read through all the notes and acknowledgements and got to the very last page of the book where (surprise!) there was one final review.
...Crisis does not always bring out the cruelty within us. It can also push us toward sharing our pains and hopes and prayers, and treating each other as equally human. And when we respond that way, perhaps the affliction is lightened. While it is human nature to blame and demonize others in miserable times, it is also human nature to walk together, the leaders as barefoot as the followers.
Some of my favorite reviews: Canada geese; our capacity for wonder; Jerzy Dudek's Performance on May 25, 2005; Harvey; and whispering. However, all of the reviews are creative and meaningful and hilarious. Step outside your normal reading genres and give this one a go.
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