I was a big fan of the Anthropocene Reviewed in podcast form. I mean, I'm a big fan of just about everything John Green does, and have been watching his videos on YouTube for well over a decade, so a series of mini essays that interweave personal anecdotes and often-humorous examinations of everyday aspects of Western life, that's a pretty easy sell. Still, as with most podcasts, at some point I drifted away and stopped listening. So when a book was announced, I was ecstatic. I even pre-ordered the signed edition 😉
Several years later and it finally hit the top of my reading list. I guess my short review here is: if, like me, you enjoyed the podcast, or like John's more introspective video-essay style videos, then you'll enjoy this book. It shares a lot of the same DNA, particularly with the podcast, given that several of the included essays are just episodes rewritten nearly verbatim.
Being a collection of short essays makes it particularly good for dipping in and out of, too, which is nice. In fact, I'd probably say this is the best method of reading the book. It surprised me a little, but en masse, the essays do begin to feel a little samey. Not always (and there were inevitably going to be some essays that are better than others), but John has a bit of a formula, and if you read several of them back-to-back that can be a little too obvious. I laughed a little when I was reading the postscript and saw a comment about the book maybe containing "too many quotes", because that's the one criticism I think will hold the most. I've always been impressed with how well John can weave a good quote into a topic, but there are moments where you have 2-3 on a single page, and whilst they are all excellent choices, it does get a little strained.
But that makes it sound like I didn't enjoy the book, which is far from the truth. John's writing is careful, measured, and filled with compassion. His chosen subjects are varied and often fascinating. And as a fan, the anecdotes (even those I've heard in multiple prior contexts) are engaging and often wryly humorous. It's a fun book, filled with interesting trivia and heartfelt messages, and you can't really ask for much more than that.
I give The Anthropocene Reviewed four stars.