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The Anthropocene Reviewed (podcast)

podcast · in 60 videos (2017–2026)

John's podcast reviewing facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale; begun as a joke with Hank, it launched in January 2018 with Canada geese and Diet Dr Pepper. In 2026 a new episode was a Project for Awesome perk.

Videos by year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 7 · 2019: 13 · 2020: 17 · 2021: 12 · 2022: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2026: 8

Also known as: Anthropocene Reviewed

Threads

Also named in the threads: John's viral meningitis and hospitalisation (2014) · Dear Hank and John: the brothers' advice podcast (2015) · Turtles All the Way Down: announcement and publication of John's novel (2017) · John's burnout after taking on new projects (2018) · John asks viewers to come see the brothers' Minitour in Madison and Minneapolis (2019) · Hank and John's Minitour: live podcasts in Madison and Minneapolis for maternal health in Sierra Leone (2019) · Hank and John's January 2020 charity tour: St. Petersburg, Raleigh and Atlanta (2020) · John: narrate The Anthropocene Reviewed audiobook (2020) · John: sign about 150,000 sheets so every US and Canadian pre-order and first-printing copy of The Anthropocene Reviewed book is autographed (2020) · The Anthropocene Reviewed book: announcement and publication (2020) · John writes his first nonfiction book, The Anthropocene Reviewed (2020) · John's weekly 2021 vision board (2021) · John: The Anthropocene Reviewed will not be his last book (2021) · The Anthropocene Reviewed virtual book tour (2021) · John's inside joke of using the word 'deadpan' exactly once in every book since An Abundance of Katherines (2007) · P4A 2026 edition · John asks viewers to donate to P4A 2026 at projectforawesome.com/donate for perks (2026)

Same name, different thing

The Anthropocene Reviewed (book)

Often together

What comes up in the same parts of the videos; the number is how many parts.

The Anthropocene Reviewed (book) (23) · Dear Hank and John (6) · Delete This (2) · Indianapolis (8) · Sarah Urist Green (12) · Project for Awesome (13) · Turtles All the Way Down (6) · You Are an Artist (2) · Rosianna Halse Rojas (5) · A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor (4)

What the videos say

The most important statements of each year; all statements.

2017

  • 2017-11-02 · Hank Reviews Everything — John: Reminded of his idea for a channel reviewing not things but ideas of things, John says he was going to call it The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:00:08
    • Hank says he will do John's reviews idea in this video, a bunch of them. — 00:00:11

2018

  • 2018-01-02 · BRING IT IN 2018 — announcement: John wants to make at least ten episodes in 2018 of a new podcast, The Anthropocene Reviewed, reviewing different aspects of the human-centered planet. — 00:01:05
    • The Anthropocene Reviewed began as a joke between Hank and John, but John has decided to actually do it. — 00:01:14
    • The first episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed reviews Canada geese and Diet Dr Pepper. — 00:01:18
    • The first episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed should be up by the end of January. (hedged) — 00:02:29
  • 2018-01-30 · Hank, I Have Some Advice — announcement: John: The first episode of John's new podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed, reviewing facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale, is out now. — 00:02:41
  • 2018-04-24 · This Video is about Red Eyed Tree Frogs? — announcement: John's new podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed tries to look at the world this way; a new episode is out on Thursday, details in the doobly-doo. — 00:03:17
  • 2018-08-14 · Question Tuesday: Secrets & Primes — John, who wrote half an episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed about it, calls pineapple pizza peak Anthropocene, for better and for worse. — 00:02:27
    • John says he really loves making The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:02:33
  • 2018-11-06 · Taking a Year Off — John says he started his podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed in an attempt to pay more sustained and careful attention. — 00:02:26
  • 2018-11-13 · HAIRMERGENCY! — John says he has the same problem with burnout: he thinks he has time for another thing, such as a podcast reviewing facets of the human-centered planet, a book club or a new novel. — 00:01:05
    • John thinks it helps to acknowledge feeling overwhelmed, prioritize the most important relationships and remember what matters, which is not whether The Anthropocene Reviewed comes out on time. (hedged) — 00:03:08
  • 2018-12-07 · BABIES! The 2018 Project for Awesome is here… — announcement: John lists P4A perks, from the P4A commemorative coin and a poster to secret episodes of Dear Hank and John and The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:03:04
  • …and 2 statements more in 2018 — all statements of 2018

2019

  • 2019-01-01 · How to Make Goals, Not Resolutions — John met his 2018 goal of ten episodes of his new podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed, making eleven; it was more work than imagined but more fun. — 00:01:40
    • John wants to write another 11 episodes of The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:03:12
  • 2019-01-29 · Do You Believe in Miracles? — recommendation: John wrote a lot about Wimbledon and penalty shootouts in the latest episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed; a new episode comes out in two days. — 00:03:23
  • 2019-02-19 · Battling Apathy and Searching for Meaning on Question Tuesday — announcement: John says Harvey is one of the subjects of the next Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:01:27
  • 2019-05-07 · How I Read and Why — John's reviewing happened at the beginning of the age of everyone reviewing everything, a wave he has ridden profitably if at times uncomfortably his whole adult life; his fascination with reviews led to his podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:00:39
  • 2019-06-11 · Why I Haven't Written a New Book — John started writing in a quieter, safer place: The Anthropocene Reviewed podcast, reviewing facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale, from scratch-and-sniff stickers to Taco Bell breakfast. — 00:02:28
    • John says books are quiet, interior experiences in a very loud world, as are his favorite podcasts, and thanks viewers for listening regardless of medium. — 00:03:27
  • 2019-07-19 · In Which Hank Consumes the Juice of Over 400 Gushers — announcement: Hank: John will do The Anthropocene Reviewed and the brothers a live Dear Hank and John; Hank calls it a Minitour. — 00:03:01
  • 2019-10-30 · this is a video about pineapples. — John: Summarizing his Anthropocene Reviewed episode, John says pineapple pizza was invented in 1962 in Canada by a Greek immigrant inspired by Chinese cuisine to put a South American food on an Italian dish. — 00:00:29
  • 2019-12-03 · We Are Cats Now, I Guess? — announcement: John: A limited-edition signed vinyl of The Anthropocene Reviewed is also a P4A perk. — 00:01:26
  • 2019-12-20 · Reading the First Chapter of A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor — ask: Hank invites viewers to see live Dear Hank and John, live Anthropocene Reviewed and other weirdnesses with John in St. Petersburg, Raleigh and Atlanta in early January; tickets are in the description. — 00:03:43
  • 2019-12-27 · Why I'm Worried about 2020 — ask: Hank invites viewers in St. Petersburg, Atlanta or Raleigh to come to the brothers' little tour; more information is in the description. — 00:03:47
  • …and 8 statements more in 2019 — all statements of 2019

2020

  • 2020-01-03 (said on 2020-01-02, implied) · Re-Thinking our YouTube Channel — ask: Hank invites viewers to come see the brothers in Atlanta, Raleigh or St. Petersburg next week (week of 6 January 2020). — 00:03:50
  • 2020-02-14 · Ending The Great Airplane Seat Debate — ask: Hank invites viewers to come see Dear Hank and John live and The Anthropocene Reviewed live. — 00:03:33
  • 2020-03-03 · Consciously Experiencing Human Dignity — ask: John: In a pinned comment John says he and Hank will be on tour next week (week of 9 March 2020) in Columbus, Indianapolis and Ann Arbor and hopes to see viewers there. — creator comment
  • 2020-03-10 · A Strong but Fleeting Flavor: A Reunion Video — The description thanks everyone who has come out on this mini-tour. — video description
  • 2020-04-14 · books that help — recommendation: John loves Lulu Miller's Why Fish Don't Exist, also out today: what The Anthropocene Reviewed wants to be when it grows up, a personal search for meaning, history of taxonomy and life of David Starr Jordan. — 00:01:03
  • 2020-09-01 · get the show on — John: For two and a half years John has written the podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed, reviewing facets of the human-centered planet on a five-star scale, from a bacterium to Taco Bell breakfast. — 00:00:00
    • John says the podcast is really about hope and whether it is justified, people being wonderful and horrible, and humans being too powerful yet not powerful enough to reshape the climate beneficially. — 00:00:29
    • After a year of expanding and revising podcast reviews and writing new ones, John announces The Anthropocene Reviewed will be a book, his first nonfiction book. — 00:00:58
    • The Anthropocene Reviewed book will be published on May 18, 2021, is available for pre-order now, and will have an audiobook read by John. — 00:01:27
  • 2020-12-29 · Looking Back at My 2020 Goals — announcement: John: The Anthropocene Reviewed book comes out on May 18th, 2021, hopefully. (hedged) — 00:00:50
    • The book John wanted to finish in 2020 is The Anthropocene Reviewed; he has not exactly finished it but has made good progress. — 00:00:58
  • 2020-12-31 · Auld Lang Syne: The Anthropocene Reviewed — announcement: The description says The Anthropocene Reviewed will soon be a book and every copy of the first printing will be signed by John. — video description
  • …and 19 statements more in 2020 — all statements of 2020

Also named in: That's the way.

2021

  • 2021-01-12 · My 2021 Vision Board — John: This week's (week of 11 January 2021) board says to review lemmings, as John is a semi-professional reviewer of the Anthropocene interested in lemmings. — 00:01:17
    • To make sure every copy of the first US printing of The Anthropocene Reviewed book is signed, John must sign about 10,000 times a week; the stack he shows is about 600. — 00:02:16
  • 2021-02-16 · A Lovely Winter Walk — John says in an Anthropocene Reviewed episode that the light-soaked days are coming, and he really believes it. — 00:02:19
  • 2021-04-27 · What is my new book about? — John: The Anthropocene Reviewed book has arrived; John finds it beautiful and is grateful to the people who made it. — 00:00:00
    • The Anthropocene Reviewed is essays in the form of in-depth Yelp reviews, reviewing things like viral meningitis, a photograph and the first five minutes of Penguins of Madagascar. — 00:01:27
  • 2021-05-14 · This Vlogbrothers Stat Blew My Mind — announcement: Hank: The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green comes out May 18 and all copies will be signed; Hank's is. — 00:03:40
  • 2021-05-18 · Saying What I've Needed to Say to Hank for a While — John tells Hank the book started with him: in sprawling conversations about our human moment and belly laughs on a tour bus during a cross-country road trip; so much of John's work and life starts with Hank. — 00:02:50
  • 2021-05-25 · The Anthropocene Reviewed, Animated — John: Marveling at five-star reviews of everything, John told Hank he had once had an idea to review Canada geese; Hank said: The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:10:02
  • 2021-08-24 · It's My Birthday. I Gave Myself This Video. — announcement: John: The final episode, maybe, of John's podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed comes out on Thursday. (hedged) — 00:00:00
    • Three months after The Anthropocene Reviewed book came out, sharing something so personal has been strange, lovely and terrifying; unable to write about that directly, John wrote about space art. — 00:00:29
  • 2021-08-31 · The Woman Who Invented Stuffed Animals — John first learned about Steiff while researching the history of teddy bears for an Anthropocene Reviewed essay, which he links. — video description
  • 2021-11-16 · Orbital Sunrise: The First Art Made in Space — announcement: The description says the video is adapted from the podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed, also a book, available signed with a bonus zine. — video description
  • …and 25 statements more in 2021 — all statements of 2021

2022

2024

  • 2024-09-27 · Is It 2010? IT'S A PARTS VIDEO — John says they made a vinyl of The Anthropocene Reviewed, probably no longer available; he isn't selling it, it just makes him happy that it exists. (hedged) — 00:04:45

2026

  • 2026-02-10 · I Was a Teenage Dirtbag — announcement: John says the 19th Project for Awesome starts in three days, but its fundraiser is already live with P4A-only perks such as a new episode of his podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed. — 00:00:00
  • 2026-02-13 · Why Isn't Everybody a Nonprofit?! — announcement: Hank lists more perks: the Nerdfighter art perk and a bundle of digital downloads, including an exclusive Hank's channel video, an audio first chapter of his book, Zombicorns in PDF and audio, and podcast exclusives. — 00:00:40
  • 2026-02-13 · Project for Awesome 2026 Kickoff! — announcement: John brings back his podcast The Anthropocene Reviewed only for the P4A, with an episode reviewing the Galapagos Islands and Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galapagos, for a $10 donation. — 00:24:03
    • John says the Galapagos episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed explores his humanism: why he is broadly in favor of humans and life, and why we should celebrate what is good about our species. — 02:01:27
    • In his new Anthropocene Reviewed episode John explores his complicated relationship with Galapagos: though Vonnegut was a great humanist, it is a kind of anti-humane novel, and John fears turning anti-humanist as he ages. — 07:10:35
  • 2026-02-13 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 2! — announcement: Hank lists P4A perks including an exclusive Hank's channel video and an exclusive episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed, John's podcast that has not had an episode in years. — 01:02:29
  • 2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 3! — announcement: John: As a P4A perk, John is bringing back The Anthropocene Reviewed with reviews of the Galápagos Islands and of Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galápagos. — 00:46:40
  • 2026-02-14 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 4! — announcement: John says his exclusive new episode of The Anthropocene Reviewed is about the Galápagos Islands and Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galápagos. — 00:18:41
  • 2026-02-15 · Project for Awesome 2026 part 5! — announcement: John's digital perks include Like Letters, the podcast where he and Sarah read the letters they wrote before they started dating, and a new Anthropocene Reviewed episode on the Galápagos Islands and Kurt Vonnegut's novel Galápagos. — 02:47:51
    • John calls the $75 digital download bundle, with every digital perk including two chapters of Hank's new book, the steal of every Project for Awesome. — 02:57:19
  • 2026-10-13 · My Lungs Are on the Outside of the Body — John says many people on his tour asked why he hasn't written a sequel to The Anthropocene Reviewed; he wants to ask why they want a sequel to his least commercially successful project. (playful) — 00:01:09