The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Published by Dutton on May 18, 2021
ISBN: 0525555218
Pages: 304
Genres: Non-Fiction
Goodreads

Many John Green fans have been awaiting his next novel since the publication of Turtles All the Way Down in 2017. However, this is not a novel, instead, The Anthropocene Reviewed is more in the vein of his Crash Course work (in fact, I wondered while reading if some of these stories came from his research, but just didn’t make the final cut). As a collection, these essays explore our humanity and our connection to the Earth and some individual essays that could be great additions to classroom reading, such as “Our Capacity For Wonder” which explores the background of The Great Gatsby. The chapter titled, “Velociraptors” would is an excellent example of why we shouldn’t be fooled into thinking that Hollywood movies are teaching tools; this could be used in either a science or history class. And, “Canada Goose” would be an interesting conversation starter about our impact on the planet in an environmental science class. If fans had been listening to his podcast “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” they might find many of these chapters familiar; about half seem to be from the podcast, and readers can’t help but hear Green’s compelling, fast-paced voice in their head as they are reading. With a nod to the book, I give The Anthropocene Reviewed four stars. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School