The Anthropocene Reviewed

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The Anthropocene Reviewed
The Anthropocene Reviewed Podcast Logo.png
Presentation
Hosted byJohn Green
GenreCommentary
Created byJohn Green
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesMonthly
Production
ProductionRosianna Halse Rojas
Stan Muller
Composed byHannis Brown
Audio formatMP3
No. of episodes36
Publication
Original releaseJanuary 29, 2018 (2018-01-29) – August 26, 2021 (2021-08-26)[1]
ProviderComplexly
WNYC Studios (former)
Related showsDear Hank and John
99% Invisible

The Anthropocene Reviewed is the shared name for a podcast and nonfiction book by author and YouTube personality John Green. The podcast started in January 2018, with each episode featuring Green reviewing different facets of the Anthropocene, the epoch that includes significant human impact on the environment, on a five-star scale. This has included completely artificial products like Diet Dr. Pepper, natural species that have had their fates altered by human influence like the Canada goose, and phenomena that primarily influence humanity such as Halley's Comet. Episodes typically contain Green reviewing two topics, accompanied by stories on how they have impacted his life.[2][3][4] The podcast was released monthly until September 2020, when Green announced he was putting the podcast on hiatus as he adapted it into a book. The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet, was published by Dutton Penguin on May 18, 2021, featuring revised essays from the podcast and several new essays.[5][6]

Podcast[]

Subjects of reviews. Clockwise from upper left: The Indianapolis 500, Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, Lascaux paintings, Halley's Comet, Hawaiian pizza, Staphylococcus aureus.

The premise for the podcast was borne from a number of sources. Green worked for the book review journal Booklist in the early 2000s, where he reviewed hundreds of books over the course of five years, sparking his interest in reviews as a literary format.[7][8] In October 2017, after the release of Green's most recent novel, Turtles All the Way Down, he and his brother Hank Green went on a book tour. As they toured across the country, they passed the time by finding absurd Google user reviews for the places they were passing, reflecting on the increased prevalence that reviews and the five-star scale had taken in modern life. John told Hank he had once had an idea to write a review on Canada geese, to which Hank responded, "The Anthropocene... reviewed!"[8][9]

A few months later, John shared some reviews he had written in 2014 on Canada geese and Diet Dr Pepper with his wife, Sarah Urist Green. After noting that John wrote the reviews in a nonfiction form of third-person omniscient narration, Sarah pointed out that reviews often act as a form of memoir, saying that, "in the Anthropocene, there are no disinterested observers; there are only participants." John cited this as a major reason he chose to put more of himself into the reviews.[8] The podcast's first episode was released on January 29, 2018. Green reflected in a November 2018 interview with Vulture that, "The Anthropocene Reviewed is an opportunity for me to get back to my roots. With the podcast, I want to pay careful and sustained attention to the world around me, and that’s something I often feel like I don’t do, especially when I’m on the internet."[10]

In June 2019, Roman Mars interviewed Green about his show in an episode of 99% Invisible which also featured the reviews from episodes six and nine.[11] The Lascaux Paintings essay from episode six was also adapted into an animated visualization by the German YouTube channel Kurzgesagt in May 2020.[12]

On the episode titled "The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reviewed", Green announced he would be taking an indefinite hiatus from the podcast after the episode set to be released on September 24, 2020, in part to work on a book adaptation of the podcast.[13] On November 12, 2020, the podcast, which was jointly produced by WNYC Studios and Complexly, ended its relationship with WNYC, along with all other Complexly podcasts.[14][15] On April 29, 2021, the podcast returned for a four-episode season coinciding with the release of the book, ending in August 2021. As part of the production change, new episodes were not released on the WNYC website.[16]

The podcast and subsequent book served as the first major nonfiction writing Green had undertaken, with his previous fiction works being critical and commercial successes. In an interview with The New York Times in June 2021, Green stated that “I didn’t want to write in code anymore. I wanted to try to write as myself because I’ve never done that in any formal way.”[7] The final episode of the podcast was released on August 26, 2021, with Green commenting the day before in a video posted to his Vlogbrothers YouTube channel that he believed the episode would be his last. He stated, "Working on The Anthropocene Reviewed has been an incredible experience, but I think I'm ready to go back to writing fiction... maybe?"[17]

Book[]

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
The Anthropocene Reviewed Book Cover.jpg
AuthorJohn Green
Cover artistGrace Han
LanguageEnglish
SubjectEssay, Memoir
PublisherDutton Penguin
Publication date
May 18, 2021
Media typePrint (hardcover), Audiobook
Pages304[18]
ISBN978-0525555216

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet was published by Dutton Penguin on May 18, 2021, Green's first nonfiction book and sixth solo publication.[5] The book features revised versions of many of the essays from the podcast, as well as new original essays, ordered chronologically through Green's life to give the book the approximate structure of a memoir.[6][9][19][20]

As he had done with many of his previous books, Green committed to signing every copy of the first printing for the United States and Canada.[21] Green finished signing all 250,000 tip-in sheets on March 30, 2021, and wrote a review of the experience on the final signed page.[22] This review was later revised and expanded on for an episode of the podcast released on the same day as the book. Green hosted a virtual book tour, with guests Clint Smith, Latif Nasser, Sarah Urist Green, Hank Green, and Ashley C. Ford making appearances at the various shows.[23]

Reception[]

The book received positive reviews and debuted as a #1 New York Times Best Seller in the Combined Print & E-books Nonfiction and Hardcover Nonfiction categories, staying on the latter list for nine consecutive weeks.[24][25] Elizabeth Greenwood from The San Francisco Chronicle wrote "The Anthropocene Reviewed is the perfect book to read over lunch or to keep on your nightstand, whenever you need a reminder of what it is to feel small and human, in the best possible way."[26] Scott Neumyer of Shondaland wrote that, "The Anthropocene Reviewed is the type of book that makes you pause briefly every few sentences not only to revel in the beauty of the words on the page, but also to reflect on just how relatable and poignant they are. Green may have made his name by writing fiction (and for good reason), but this first foray into nonfiction is his most mature, compelling, and beautifully written book yet."[27] Booklist, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Shelf Awareness all gave starred reviews, with the last stating that "each of the 44 entries [...] is a small gem, polished to near perfection."[28][29][30][31]

Reviews[]

Podcast episodes[]

Ratings are presented in the order that topics are listed in the title, regardless of order presented within the episode.

No.TitleFirst RatingSecond RatingDurationOriginal release date
1"Canada Geese and Diet Dr Pepper"3/5 stars4.5/5 stars16:44January 29, 2018 (2018-01-29)
2"Halley's Comet and Cholera"5/5 stars1/5 stars18:36February 21, 2018 (2018-02-21)
3"Googling Strangers and Kentucky Bluegrass"2.5/5 stars2/5 stars18:42March 28, 2018 (2018-03-28)
4"Super Mario Kart and Bonneville Salt Flats"4/5 stars3/5 stars17:46April 26, 2018 (2018-04-26)
5"Hawaiian Pizza and Viral Meningitis"2/5 stars1/5 stars20:34May 31, 2018 (2018-05-31)
6"Lascaux Paintings and Taco Bell Breakfast Menu"4.5/5 stars2/5 stars17:50July 18, 2018 (2018-07-18)
7"The Yips and CNN"1.5/5 stars2/5 stars20:12August 30, 2018 (2018-08-30)
8"Whispering and the Weather"3.5/5 stars4/5 stars19:16September 27, 2018 (2018-09-27)
9"Pennies and Piggly Wiggly"1.5/5 stars3/5 stars21:28October 25, 2018 (2018-10-25)
10"Tetris and the Seed Potatoes of Leningrad"4.5/5 stars4.5/5 stars22:46November 15, 2018 (2018-11-15)
11"Teddy Bears and Penalty Shootouts"2.5/5 stars4/5 stars24:47December 27, 2018 (2018-12-27)
12"Indianapolis and Love at First Sight"4/5 stars4/5 stars22:05January 31, 2019 (2019-01-31)
13"Velociraptors and Harvey"2.5/5 stars4.5/5 stars20:26February 28, 2019 (2019-02-28)
14"The Hall of Presidents and New Partner"3/5 stars4/5 stars21:22March 28, 2019 (2019-03-28)
15"Prom and Stanford Marshmallow Experiment"3/5 stars3/5 stars19:22April 25, 2019 (2019-04-25)
-"Jogging and Playing Bullshit with Nat Wolff"3.5/5 stars4/5 stars18:29May 17, 2019 (2019-05-17)[32]
(Project for Awesome exclusive)
16"Scratch 'n' Sniff Stickers and the Indianapolis 500"3.5/5 stars4/5 stars22:41May 30, 2019 (2019-05-30)
17"Gray Aliens and Rock Paper Scissors"2/5 stars4/5 stars22:16June 27, 2019 (2019-06-27)
18"Air Conditioning and Sycamore Trees"3.5/5 stars4.5/5 stars23:40July 25, 2019 (2019-07-25)
19"Hot Dog Eating Contest and Chemotherapy"3/5 stars4.5/5 stars25:09August 29, 2019 (2019-08-29)
20"QWERTY Keyboard and the Kauaʻi ʻōʻō"4/5 stars4.5/5 stars23:20September 26, 2019 (2019-09-26)
21"Capacity for Wonder and Sunsets"4/5 stars5/5 stars23:48October 31, 2019 (2019-10-31)
22"Notes App and Sports Rivalries"3.5/5 stars2/5 stars22:58November 27, 2019 (2019-11-27)
23"Auld Lang Syne"5/5 stars-24:07December 26, 2019 (2019-12-26)
24"Works of Art by Agnes Martin and Hiroyuki Doi"4.5/5 stars4/5 stars22:43January 30, 2020 (2020-01-30)
25"Staphylococcus Aureus and the Non-Denial Denial"1.5/5 stars2/5 stars23:48February 24, 2020 (2020-02-24)
26"Humanity's Temporal Range"5/5 stars-22:58March 26, 2020 (2020-03-26)
27"Monopoly and Academic Decathlon"2/5 stars4.5/5 stars24:14April 30, 2020 (2020-04-30)
28"You'll Never Walk Alone and Jerzy Dudek"4.5/5 stars5/5 stars27:29May 28, 2020 (2020-05-28)
29"Seventeen Listener Suggestions, Reviewed"
List
-22:43June 25, 2020 (2020-06-25)
30"Mortification and Civilization"1.5/5 stars2.5/5 stars27:35July 30, 2020 (2020-07-30)
31"The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reviewed"3/5 stars
(podcast)		5/5 stars
(experience)		24:42August 27, 2020 (2020-08-27)
32"Plague"1/5 stars-26:12September 24, 2020 (2020-09-24)
33"Penguins of Madagascar and the Smallpox Vaccine"4.5/5 stars5/5 stars28:05April 29, 2021 (2021-04-29)
34"Icelandic Hot Dog Stand and Signing Your Name 250,000 Times"5/5 stars4/5 stars25:39May 18, 2021 (2021-05-18)
35"Ginkgo Biloba"5/5 stars-28:21June 30, 2021 (2021-06-30)
36"Orbital Sunrise"5/5 stars-24:05August 26, 2021 (2021-08-26)

Text-based reviews[]

Reviews in The Anthropocene Reviewed book originally from the podcast are excluded from the table below.

Subject Rating Source Release date
Coffee mugs 4.5/5 stars Coffee mug sold as a DFTBA Records exclusive[33] February 27, 2020 (2020-02-27)[34]
Signing your name 250,000 times 4/5 stars Hand-written on the tip-in sheet of a single copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[22][35] March 30, 2021 (2021-03-30)
The Internet 3/5 stars First published in the main text of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[8] May 18, 2021 (2021-05-18)
Wintry mix 4/5 stars
The World's Largest Ball of Paint 4/5 stars
Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance[note 1] 4.5/5 stars
Autographs 3.5/5 stars Page opposite the autographed tip-in sheet of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[8]
Bembo MT Pro 4.5/5 stars Copyright page of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[8]
Half-title pages 2.5/5 stars Half-title page of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[8]
Back page book ads 3/5 stars Back page of The Anthropocene Reviewed book[8]

References[]

  1. ^ Green, John. "The Anthropocene Reviewed Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  2. ^ Quah, Nicholas (2019-03-19). "A 100-Podcast Syllabus". Vulture. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  3. ^ Locker, Melissa (2018-11-08). "Exclusive: John and Hank Green have a slate of podcasts coming to WNYC Studios". Fast Company. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  4. ^ Lindquist, David (2018-10-07). "John Green's 'Anthropocene Reviewed' podcast critiques the good, bad and fatal". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Lindquist, David. "John Green's next book will be nonfiction. Here's what it will be about". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Rebolini, Arianna. "Check Out The Cover Of John Green's Debut Essay Collection". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b Egan, Elisabeth (2021-06-10). "John Green is Not Writing in Code". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Green, John (2021). The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet. [New York, New York]: Dutton Penguin. ISBN 978-0525555216.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Puang, Serena (18 May 2021). "6 things to know about John Green's newest book". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  10. ^ Quah, Nicholas (2018-11-15). "John Green Loves Podcasting Because It Reminds Him of Early YouTube". Vulture. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  11. ^ "The Anthropocene Reviewed". WBEZ Chicago. 2019-06-18. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  12. ^ "The Past We Can Never Return To – The Anthropocene Reviewed". Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell. YouTube. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  13. ^ "The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reviewed - The Anthropocene Reviewed". Spotify. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
  14. ^ "The Anthropocene Reviewed: Episodes". WNYC Studios. Retrieved 2019-08-02.
  15. ^ "All Complexly Shows". Twitter. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  16. ^ Green, John. "Mini Season Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  17. ^ Green, John. "It's My Birthday. I Gave Myself This Video". YouTube. Vlogbrothers.
  18. ^ "The Anthropocene Reviewed (Signed Edition) by John Green: 9780525555216 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". PenguinRandomhouse.com. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  19. ^ Nelson, Samantha. "The Anthropocene Reviewed appraises everything from plagues to Dr Pepper". AV Club. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  20. ^ Tuttle, Kate. "Author John Green explores the human experience through five-star reviews - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  21. ^ Green, John. "get the show on". YouTube.com. Vlogbrothers. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  22. ^ Jump up to: a b Green, John. "I did it!". YouTube.com. Vlogbrothers. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  23. ^ "Announcing The Anthropocene Reviewed Tour". John Green. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  24. ^ "Hardcover Nonfiction Books - Best Sellers - Books - The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  25. ^ Frank, Adam. "Author John Green Explores How To Live In Uncertainty In 'The Anthropocene Reviewed'". NPR.org. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  26. ^ Greenwood, Elizabeth. "Review: A bright mind's musings make even the small things in life wondrous". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  27. ^ Neumyer, Scott (2021-05-18). "John Green Is Finally Writing for Himself". Shondaland. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
  28. ^ Smith, Candace. "Anthropocene Reviewed, by By John Green. | Booklist Online". Booklist Online. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  29. ^ Bratzler, Ahliah. "The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet". Library Journal. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  30. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green. Dutton, $28 (304p) ISBN 978-0-525-55521-6". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  31. ^ "Shelf Awareness for Readers for Friday, May 21, 2021". www.shelf-awareness.com. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  32. ^ "Project for Awesome 2018 Perk Fulfillment". Project for Awesome. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  33. ^ "The Anthropocene Mug Review Mug". DFTBA. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Mug Release". Twitter. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  35. ^ Green, John. "Tweet by John Green". Twitter. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  36. ^ Green, John. "What This Photo Doesn't Show". The Art Assignment. YouTube. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

Notes[]

  1. ^ This essay is adapted from an episode of The Art Assignment released on February 28, 2019, where no starred review was given.[36]

External links[]

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