The Anthropocene Reviewed, Reviewed
I first came across John Green through the popular film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars, so I decided to read something by him that was as little focused on romance as possible. The Anthropocene Reviewed immediately caught my attention, both because of its title and because of its concept: the author reviews things from everyday life and places them within the context of the Anthropocene, the current geological epoch shaped by human dominance and human impact. First of all, the writing is very engaging. It almost makes you feel that anyone could review the ordinary things around them and turn them into a book, although this certainly does not diminish Green’s contribution to contemporary literature. The text is also highly informative, which I personally loved. I always enjoy when an author presents reliable and interesting facts on a topic, because it leaves me feeling that I have learned something genuinely useful along the way. After all, who would think to look up the man who invented air conditioning, or to ask why the teddy bear became commercialized in the first place?
That is exactly the kind of thing I would give a full five stars to, and it is one of the main reasons why the book as a whole earns four stars from me. I also appreciated the more personal passages. They were warm and effective, and I enjoyed them, although I am not entirely sure how well they fit with the overall title and central idea of the book. Along the way, I also learned quite a bit about American tourist attractions and was reminded of that very recognizable American lifestyle.