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A review by jeremychiasson
The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green
4.0
"The Anthropocene Reviewed" is like someone pressed shuffle on the John Green playlist. The famed YA author and YouTuber covers a dizzying array of topics in this collection of "reviews": Canada Geese, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Mario Kart, Covid-19, Scratch and Sniff Stickers, and on and on it goes like that!
But these are just springboards, mental fidget toys that give John enough stimulation, so he can focus on the things that REALLY matter to him. Green has deeper, more personal things he wants to say in this collection:
MAJOR HEADING: Death, a lot of stuff about death.
-Reconciling the infinite nature of consciousness/love with the finite nature of the universe.
-How to acknowledge the misery of the world without giving into it
-Human impacts on the ecosystem/environment
-Privilege and Power (His own and others)
-Physical Illness--from both a personal lens and a global Covid-19 pandemic lens.
-Mental Illness: OCD, Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal thoughts, and more!
-The slippery perspective of history--living through it versus studying it afterwards.
-He writes BEAUTIFULLY about the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal, his dear friend and mentor.
-He writes BEAUTIFULLY about his relationship with his brother Hank.
-WHAT IS THE POINT OF LIVING!??? (don't worry, Hank offers some suggestions)
Favourite Quotes
"It occurs to me," John writes in the postscript, "that this book is filled with quotes--maybe overfilled with quotes."
And he's right, this book is STUFFED with quotes, so here are some of my personal favourite quotes of John Green quoting other people in this book:
"For anyone trying to discern what to do w/ their life: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO. That's pretty much all the info u need."
-Amy Krouse Rosenthal
"The snow doesn't give a soft white / damn Whom it touches."
-e.e. cummings
"What should young people do today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."
-Kurt Vonnegut
"Probably the worst thing that ever happened to malaria in poor nations was its eradication in rich ones."
-Tina Rosenberg, Journalist
"Death may be knocking on my door, but I'm not getting out of this glorious bath to answer it."
-Amy Krouse Rosental
"Never predict the end of the world. You're almost certain to be wrong, and if you're right, no one will be around to congratulate you."
-Donald Rogan, Professor of Divinity
"When we are young, we drink our coffee with milk and sugar. And as we age we drink it with milk only, then we drink it black, then we drink it decaf, then we die. Our next competitor is at decaf."
-George Shea, Competitive Hot Dog Eating Announcer
I give the Anthropocene Reviewed 4 and a half stars.
But these are just springboards, mental fidget toys that give John enough stimulation, so he can focus on the things that REALLY matter to him. Green has deeper, more personal things he wants to say in this collection:
MAJOR HEADING: Death, a lot of stuff about death.
-Reconciling the infinite nature of consciousness/love with the finite nature of the universe.
-How to acknowledge the misery of the world without giving into it
-Human impacts on the ecosystem/environment
-Privilege and Power (His own and others)
-Physical Illness--from both a personal lens and a global Covid-19 pandemic lens.
-Mental Illness: OCD, Depression, Anxiety, Suicidal thoughts, and more!
-The slippery perspective of history--living through it versus studying it afterwards.
-He writes BEAUTIFULLY about the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal, his dear friend and mentor.
-He writes BEAUTIFULLY about his relationship with his brother Hank.
-WHAT IS THE POINT OF LIVING!??? (don't worry, Hank offers some suggestions)
Favourite Quotes
"It occurs to me," John writes in the postscript, "that this book is filled with quotes--maybe overfilled with quotes."
And he's right, this book is STUFFED with quotes, so here are some of my personal favourite quotes of John Green quoting other people in this book:
"For anyone trying to discern what to do w/ their life: PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU PAY ATTENTION TO. That's pretty much all the info u need."
-Amy Krouse Rosenthal
"The snow doesn't give a soft white / damn Whom it touches."
-e.e. cummings
"What should young people do today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."
-Kurt Vonnegut
"Probably the worst thing that ever happened to malaria in poor nations was its eradication in rich ones."
-Tina Rosenberg, Journalist
"Death may be knocking on my door, but I'm not getting out of this glorious bath to answer it."
-Amy Krouse Rosental
"Never predict the end of the world. You're almost certain to be wrong, and if you're right, no one will be around to congratulate you."
-Donald Rogan, Professor of Divinity
"When we are young, we drink our coffee with milk and sugar. And as we age we drink it with milk only, then we drink it black, then we drink it decaf, then we die. Our next competitor is at decaf."
-George Shea, Competitive Hot Dog Eating Announcer
I give the Anthropocene Reviewed 4 and a half stars.