"The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his groundbreaking podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Staphylococcus aureus to the Taco Bell breakfast menu - on a five-star scale. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection that includes both beloved essays and all-new pieces exclusive to the book."--

Introduction --

"You'll never walk alone" -- Humanity's temporal range -- Halley's comet -- Our capacity for wonder -- Lascaux cave paintings -- Scratch 'n' sniff stickers -- Diet Dr Pepper -- Velociraptors -- Canada geese -- Teddy bears -- The Hall of Presidents -- Air-conditioning -- Staphylococcus aureus -- The internet -- Academic Decathlon -- Sunsets -- Jerzy Dudek's performance on May 25, 2005 -- 'Penguins of Madagascar' -- Piggly Wiggly -- The Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest -- CNN -- 'Harvey' -- The yips -- Auld Lang Syne -- Googling strangers -- Indianapolis -- Kentucky bluegrass -- The Indianapolis 500 -- Monopoly -- 'Super Mario Kart' -- Bonneville Salt Flats -- Hiroyuki Doi's circle drawings -- Whispering -- Viral meningitis -- Plague -- Wintry mix -- The hot dogs of Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur -- The Notes app -- The mountain goats -- The QWERTY keyboard -- The world's largest ball of paint -- Sycamore trees -- "New Partner" -- 'Three Farmers on Their Way to a Dance' --

Postscript --

Notes