The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered PlanetThe Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet
What it's about
John Green rates pieces of the human-centered world on a five-star scale: Canada geese, the QWERTY keyboard, sunsets, Diet Dr Pepper, Halley's Comet, the song You'll Never Walk Alone. Each short essay starts with the thing itself and drifts into Green's own life, his anxiety and depression, his family, and the pandemic year in which he wrote most of it.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Goodreads Choice Award for nonfiction and hit #1 on the New York Times list. It's funny, curious and kind, and it adds up to a surprisingly moving case for paying attention to the world.
You'll love it if you liked
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail
When You Are Engulfed in Flames
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryGood to know
It grew out of Green's podcast of the same name. The essays stand alone, so it's easy to read a few at a time.
By the numbers
- Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz5 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #71 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #65 of the 481 new books we rank
- #354 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by John Green
Everything Is Tuberculosis
The Fault in Our Stars
Turtles All the Way Down
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Liliana's Invincible Summer: A Sister's Search for JusticeExplore the best-of lists
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Quick answers
Is The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet worth reading?
Yes. It won the Goodreads Choice Award for nonfiction and hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #354 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet about?
John Green rates pieces of the human-centered world on a five-star scale: Canada geese, the QWERTY keyboard, sunsets, Diet Dr Pepper, Halley's Comet, the song You'll Never Walk Alone. Each short essay starts with the thing itself and drifts into Green's own life, his anxiety and depression, his family, and the pandemic year in which he wrote most of it.
How long does it take to read The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet?
About 8 hours (337 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet won?
Goodreads Choice (nonfiction) winner (2021).
What should I read after The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet?
If you liked it, try A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson, When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris or The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert.