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Escape into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions
Producer, editor, and writer behind the highly addictive, informative, and popular YouTube channel The Nerdwriter , Evan Puschak presents “a brilliant, wide-ranging essay collection that explores meaning and how we make it with the thoughtfulness and open-hearted generosity that have long been hallmarks of Puschak’s writing” (John Green, New York Times bestselling author).
As YouTube’s The Nerdwriter , Evan Puschak plays the polymath, posing questions and providing answers across a wide range of fields—from the power of a split diopter shot in Toy Story 4 to the political dangers of schadenfreude. Now, he brings that same insatiable curiosity and striking wit to this engaging and unputdownable essay collection.
Perfect for fans of Trick Mirror and the writing of John Hodgman and Chuck Klosterman, Escape into Meaning is “a passionate, perceptive” (Hua Hsu, author of Stay True ) compendium of fascinating insights into obsession. Whether you’re interested in the philosophy of Jerry Seinfeld or how Clark Kent is the real hero, there’s something for everyone in this effervescent collection.
As YouTube’s The Nerdwriter , Evan Puschak plays the polymath, posing questions and providing answers across a wide range of fields—from the power of a split diopter shot in Toy Story 4 to the political dangers of schadenfreude. Now, he brings that same insatiable curiosity and striking wit to this engaging and unputdownable essay collection.
Perfect for fans of Trick Mirror and the writing of John Hodgman and Chuck Klosterman, Escape into Meaning is “a passionate, perceptive” (Hua Hsu, author of Stay True ) compendium of fascinating insights into obsession. Whether you’re interested in the philosophy of Jerry Seinfeld or how Clark Kent is the real hero, there’s something for everyone in this effervescent collection.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2022
282 people are currently reading
5762 people want to read
About the author
Evan Puschak
3 books140 followersEvan Puschak is an American video essayist, journalist and creator of the YouTube channel The NerdWriter. Previously he was a multimedia editor at MSNBC and hosted the Discovery Channel show Seeker Daily.
Photo Credit: Gray Hamner
Photo Credit: Gray Hamner
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
September 15, 2022
Quick preface: The NerdWriter is easily one of my favorite content creators on YouTube, and his videos have fed my curious love of all things art. As someone who often watches movies passively, it was a splash of cold water to watch Puschak deconstruct a good film and then build it up again to something truly meaningful. I was lucky to walk the Prado museum after watching the NerdWriter videos, because without his entertaining insight, I would have passed by Goya and Velazquez without the deep appreciation I now have for them. If you haven't seen this channel, please, go watch it.
Escape into meaning: is a collection of 11, somewhat interconnected, analytical essays. Puschak delves into personal anecdotes, pop culture icons, classic literature, and public benches. All, I believe would have been better as NerdWriter videos.
But to look at this as a stand-alone literary work:most of the essays poorly break some rules that make the arguments fall flat or the writing feel disjointed. The repetitious paragraph-style quotes severly break the flow of an otherwise interesting argument in nearly every chapter. At points, this even feels like an attempt to attain a page count. Some sections are a chimera of long personal experiences and literary analysis where the personal anecdote breaks the logic and makes you wonder "do I feel the same way." If you don't, you'll probably wish the author's lengthy college reminiscence stayed out of the Emerson break-down. The last essay itself, while encouraging to fledgling writers, belongs in a Medium blog post and takes the place of a potentially unique concept.
Still, as Puschak states at the end, this is the forefront of his published books, and given the quality of his other endeavors, I would be happy to see how he can grow as an author.
Escape into meaning: is a collection of 11, somewhat interconnected, analytical essays. Puschak delves into personal anecdotes, pop culture icons, classic literature, and public benches. All, I believe would have been better as NerdWriter videos.
But to look at this as a stand-alone literary work:most of the essays poorly break some rules that make the arguments fall flat or the writing feel disjointed. The repetitious paragraph-style quotes severly break the flow of an otherwise interesting argument in nearly every chapter. At points, this even feels like an attempt to attain a page count. Some sections are a chimera of long personal experiences and literary analysis where the personal anecdote breaks the logic and makes you wonder "do I feel the same way." If you don't, you'll probably wish the author's lengthy college reminiscence stayed out of the Emerson break-down. The last essay itself, while encouraging to fledgling writers, belongs in a Medium blog post and takes the place of a potentially unique concept.
Still, as Puschak states at the end, this is the forefront of his published books, and given the quality of his other endeavors, I would be happy to see how he can grow as an author.
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September 4, 2022The title, in retrospect, seems to be ironic as one of the things Puschak states is that he doesn't believe there is any meaning to anything. Except of course what we might create ourselves.
Title aside, for the most part I found these rambles about popular culture, education, and other things to be engaging, even enthusiastic at times--such as his essay on Lord of the Rings--his having watched the films fifty times. (Which already sets us apart; I've probably read the books fifty times, but the films, no. I saw the first film three times, two of those with my son, and once with the spouse, and once each for the other two.) But what Pushak had to say was interesting as a contrast to my perceptions of the legendarium. And in some ways, we were totally on the same page.
I also enjoyed the first essay, which explores education vs. enthusiasm for learning. The rest of the essays varied, the one on Superman reading to me like a guy's take on Superman, and I didn't finish the one on Seinfeld--I tried twice to watch some of the show, but both times got to where this loud, boring guy mansplained at the top of his lungs to a captive audience and I flipped the channel both times. I tried reading the essay but nothing engaged me in the opening graphs, so I moved on.
Another "man's POV" essay was his look at "The Comforts of Cyberpunk." Bladerunner left me cold for the exact reasons he felt cut free--the total lack of relationships. I never made it all the way through the film back then or the redo, though the spouse loves it. I always fell asleep around the same spot. That said, the quotes were fine ones, and the essay articulated a lot of why the spouse likes it.
Altogether an interesting set of explorations of contemporary culture.
Title aside, for the most part I found these rambles about popular culture, education, and other things to be engaging, even enthusiastic at times--such as his essay on Lord of the Rings--his having watched the films fifty times. (Which already sets us apart; I've probably read the books fifty times, but the films, no. I saw the first film three times, two of those with my son, and once with the spouse, and once each for the other two.) But what Pushak had to say was interesting as a contrast to my perceptions of the legendarium. And in some ways, we were totally on the same page.
I also enjoyed the first essay, which explores education vs. enthusiasm for learning. The rest of the essays varied, the one on Superman reading to me like a guy's take on Superman, and I didn't finish the one on Seinfeld--I tried twice to watch some of the show, but both times got to where this loud, boring guy mansplained at the top of his lungs to a captive audience and I flipped the channel both times. I tried reading the essay but nothing engaged me in the opening graphs, so I moved on.
Another "man's POV" essay was his look at "The Comforts of Cyberpunk." Bladerunner left me cold for the exact reasons he felt cut free--the total lack of relationships. I never made it all the way through the film back then or the redo, though the spouse loves it. I always fell asleep around the same spot. That said, the quotes were fine ones, and the essay articulated a lot of why the spouse likes it.
Altogether an interesting set of explorations of contemporary culture.
June 29, 2022
FYI Got this from a GR giveaway
I have been trying to add more essays into my reading. I was hesitant when I won this but ultimately enjoyed this collection. Eleven essays, several linked, that are fairly easy to read. I did not agree with everything Puschak put forth but he had me looking at things in a different way. It helps I like science fiction and fantasy because those are the basis for many of the essays.
I have been trying to add more essays into my reading. I was hesitant when I won this but ultimately enjoyed this collection. Eleven essays, several linked, that are fairly easy to read. I did not agree with everything Puschak put forth but he had me looking at things in a different way. It helps I like science fiction and fantasy because those are the basis for many of the essays.
February 13, 2023
As a big fan of Evan's writing for Nerdwriter, it brings me no pleasure to report that I don't think this was very good. His writing style is much better served by the spoken, visual medium of video essays than it is by this long-form format. I've always thought his writing felt very careful and eloquent, whereas this came across very... undergrad? There were a handful of thoughts in here that felt illuminating to me, but most of it just didn't hit.
July 12, 2022
When it comes to collections of essays, it's either hit or miss for me. I either detest them or love them enough to recommend to friends. There's no middle ground.
This collection falls in the later category. I won this from a Goodreads giveaway, and as it's an uncorrected proof, I'd like to buy the finished work to compare, as I think it's going to differ from this (there are subjects listed on the back not covered in the proof version).
I find with a lot of essays, writers seem full of themselves, like they're talking down to you. Evan Puschak doesn't. It feels as if you're chatting with a buddy about life. It touches upon similar themes as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, and while that is one of my favorite books of all time, it can get pedantic. This was a nice escape into questions we all ask ourselves. What does it all mean? And the subjectiveness of meaning to begin with. It's a great palate cleanser between the relentless slew of murder mysteries I love to gorge myself upon.
This collection falls in the later category. I won this from a Goodreads giveaway, and as it's an uncorrected proof, I'd like to buy the finished work to compare, as I think it's going to differ from this (there are subjects listed on the back not covered in the proof version).
I find with a lot of essays, writers seem full of themselves, like they're talking down to you. Evan Puschak doesn't. It feels as if you're chatting with a buddy about life. It touches upon similar themes as Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig, and while that is one of my favorite books of all time, it can get pedantic. This was a nice escape into questions we all ask ourselves. What does it all mean? And the subjectiveness of meaning to begin with. It's a great palate cleanser between the relentless slew of murder mysteries I love to gorge myself upon.
October 1, 2022
A very enjoyable read that’s incredibly thoughtful. I had fun spending time with this book, the thoughts, and style. But I don’t think it’s a book that will have much impact beyond the hours spent with it. Certainly worth reading if you enjoy essay collections, consume a lot of books, and need something new, and with moderate expectations, it’ll be a nice relaxing time.
June 12, 2022
Honestly this is a book where the title and subtitle really promise what they deliver. This is a book on 11 separate (but really interconnected) essays which you can pick up and read and muse about for a while and feel like you've had a nice chat with a clever, interesting fellow.
The chapters are full of intelligent references to Emerson, Camus, Woolf, John Stuart Mill, Erik Erikson, Yeats (my favorite) and so many more. And then also Superman, Batman, Pulp Fiction, and the dreadful Cats movie.
The first chapter is arguably important because it explains the why of the book but at first it reads a bit like a college essay on Emerson. Stick with the book, I promise it improves and you do need that background and to understand the author's enthusiasm for Emerson to approach the remaining chapters.
All in all a bit of a slow start but then I really enjoyed picking up this book and reading a chapter-- even when it was about something I have zero interest in (Superman)-- because the author is passionate about his subject and he writes well. Even about the struggle of writing.
Aside from the writing on Yeats (and this book is worth reading just for that, really) I found the essay on public benches/public spaces incredibly interesting and I could never have dreamed I would be interested in urban planning.
The chapters are full of intelligent references to Emerson, Camus, Woolf, John Stuart Mill, Erik Erikson, Yeats (my favorite) and so many more. And then also Superman, Batman, Pulp Fiction, and the dreadful Cats movie.
The first chapter is arguably important because it explains the why of the book but at first it reads a bit like a college essay on Emerson. Stick with the book, I promise it improves and you do need that background and to understand the author's enthusiasm for Emerson to approach the remaining chapters.
All in all a bit of a slow start but then I really enjoyed picking up this book and reading a chapter-- even when it was about something I have zero interest in (Superman)-- because the author is passionate about his subject and he writes well. Even about the struggle of writing.
Aside from the writing on Yeats (and this book is worth reading just for that, really) I found the essay on public benches/public spaces incredibly interesting and I could never have dreamed I would be interested in urban planning.
September 17, 2022
This was enjoyable to listen to. There were enough otpions of engaging with the topics of the essays and really go down rabbit holes. Or just do what I did, use them as nice company of someone elses thoughts on random topics.
May 19, 2023
3,5
Essays were very hit or miss for me, but when they did hit they deeply resonated with me. And their worst they just didnt manage to capture my interest in they subject or the narration, but at their best they were eye opening, with unique knowledge(for me at least) and perspectives. The book wasnt the greatest thing i have read in my life, (i think u can even find plenty of better essays on Evan’s channel) but it did capture what i wanted from it - the deeply rooted childlike curiosity for „adult” topics. If only every essay hit the nail as well as „emerson’s magic” , „jerry seinfeld’s intangibles” or titular „escape into meaning”this would have been a much more powerful and in my opinion better book
Essays were very hit or miss for me, but when they did hit they deeply resonated with me. And their worst they just didnt manage to capture my interest in they subject or the narration, but at their best they were eye opening, with unique knowledge(for me at least) and perspectives. The book wasnt the greatest thing i have read in my life, (i think u can even find plenty of better essays on Evan’s channel) but it did capture what i wanted from it - the deeply rooted childlike curiosity for „adult” topics. If only every essay hit the nail as well as „emerson’s magic” , „jerry seinfeld’s intangibles” or titular „escape into meaning”this would have been a much more powerful and in my opinion better book
September 17, 2022
I love The Nerdwriter channel on YouTube so when I saw Evan was writing a book of essays, I instantly preordered. The essays in this book follow the same pattern of thoughtfulness, deliberation, and tact that his video essays carry. While not every piece here pulled me in, the majority were thought-provoking, thorough, curious, and meaningful. Standouts for me were the essays on Tolkien, Superman, Seinfeld, and friendship. I hope Evan continues to write more print essays while putting out YouTube content, he's such a strong essayist.
April 1, 2024
I wasn't sure what to score this book. I would say something between 3.5 and 4. Some of the essays are amazing while others are a bit weak but in general I think is a great book of essays which makes sense as he is one of my favourite video essayists on YouTube. My favourite ones were the ones about cities, benches, Superman and Jerry Seinfeld.
September 3, 2022
Great work. Unlike some of the other reviewers here, I don't think I could really tease out the connection between the essays, but I enjoyed each for what they were. Absolutely adored Ode to Public Benches and On Friendship.
Some of them felt like they would be significantly improved by being a video, and all of them felt like they would be improved by being a Nerdwriter video, especially considering the quality of the few essay (sections) he did turn into videos. This isn't a knock against his essays, or even essays generally, but his writing is so frequently about topics where actual representation of his subject can add meaning that even his imagery simply can't.
I will say that his essays often seem to have certain holes to me. When Experts Disagree was a particular offender; it doesn't address how the concern between selecting between "both" sides of a debate can miss whose expertise or how expertise is even constructed (beyond a glib statement that expertise isn't relevant for aesthetic subjects), and it conflates support of a certain politics with bias in favor of those politics without actually constructing that bridge. To a smaller degree, Jerry Seinfeld's Intangibles also feels like it's missing something when it discuses the universality of observational humor that tries to make "everyone" laugh - the change in his position relative to the general public as he's aged has affected the universality to his beliefs without him quite accepting that. I'm also not really convinced Seinfeld's observations were all that universal so much as that the people they weren't universal to didn't really get to say much about it. But he clearly spoke to Puschak, and that bit doesn't really change the essay.
All in all, I loved the book. Including a bibliography is an especially kind touch, and I fully intend to take advantage of it.
Some of them felt like they would be significantly improved by being a video, and all of them felt like they would be improved by being a Nerdwriter video, especially considering the quality of the few essay (sections) he did turn into videos. This isn't a knock against his essays, or even essays generally, but his writing is so frequently about topics where actual representation of his subject can add meaning that even his imagery simply can't.
I will say that his essays often seem to have certain holes to me. When Experts Disagree was a particular offender; it doesn't address how the concern between selecting between "both" sides of a debate can miss whose expertise or how expertise is even constructed (beyond a glib statement that expertise isn't relevant for aesthetic subjects), and it conflates support of a certain politics with bias in favor of those politics without actually constructing that bridge. To a smaller degree, Jerry Seinfeld's Intangibles also feels like it's missing something when it discuses the universality of observational humor that tries to make "everyone" laugh - the change in his position relative to the general public as he's aged has affected the universality to his beliefs without him quite accepting that. I'm also not really convinced Seinfeld's observations were all that universal so much as that the people they weren't universal to didn't really get to say much about it. But he clearly spoke to Puschak, and that bit doesn't really change the essay.
All in all, I loved the book. Including a bibliography is an especially kind touch, and I fully intend to take advantage of it.
December 12, 2022
As a long time fan and subscriber of Evan,s Channel, I really wanted to like this book. I am sure its hard changing mediums from video editing to writing for publishing but there is just a lot of issues. Far too much of the book was just descriptions or quotations of other authors works. Some of the essays are also just slightly more fleshed out scripts of videos he's already done. The Superman essay especially worked so much better as a video, since you could actually see the scenes he's referring to instead of just reading descriptions of them. The book feels genuinely written and not just another Youtuber cash grab, but I just couldn,t get past how hard it was to get through for such a short book. Still a huge fan of his videos and very proud of his decision to try something new.
April 3, 2023
Pretty good, but nowhere near as good as “The Real Fake Cameras of Toy Story 4”
The essays here just weren’t engaging enough for me - there are some fun ideas and good concepts, but something about how they’re written, the tone, and the need to constantly reference other written works, just didn’t click for me.
It didn’t feel like he brought a perspective that was fresh or had a voice I wanted to continue to read - oftentimes I’d skip through some essay’s because I didn’t feel like finishing them
There are some good ones though! But again, it feels like something is lost from his videos or that this is just his first book, and maybe I’ll enjoy the next one more.
Can’t really recommend, but wasn’t bad
The essays here just weren’t engaging enough for me - there are some fun ideas and good concepts, but something about how they’re written, the tone, and the need to constantly reference other written works, just didn’t click for me.
It didn’t feel like he brought a perspective that was fresh or had a voice I wanted to continue to read - oftentimes I’d skip through some essay’s because I didn’t feel like finishing them
There are some good ones though! But again, it feels like something is lost from his videos or that this is just his first book, and maybe I’ll enjoy the next one more.
Can’t really recommend, but wasn’t bad
January 20, 2023
I’ve been watching his videos on YouTube for the past 7 years (at least) so it made me happy that he published a full book. Each essay is just like one of his videos, a lengthy discussion on very niche, nerdy topics. But I LOVE it because if I wrote an essay book, I believe the topics would be pretty similar. With this and John Green’s “The Anthropocene Reviewed,” some of my favorite books I’ve read in the past two years have been essay collections. Is it a genre? I don’t know, but I can’t wait to read another.
July 22, 2023
My boyfriend lent me this book, and I forgot that my knowledge of movies is not even half of his.
I personally would rate this 3.5, but I gave it a 4 because I felt the need to—I should've come prepared. If I watched half the movies that Puschak mentioned, I would relate to his essays more. Heck, it could've been a 4.5.
Generally speaking, these are not the usual essays you read or academically analyze (I might be biased because whenever I hear the word "essay", what comes first in my mind is academic essays that I needed to analyze and interpret during college). For me, it felt more like... blog posts? They are enjoyable to read, and some became my absolute favorite as I agreed with everything he said in those particular essays (plus he cited some of my favorite authors, so yeay!)
My personal favorites are:
- I Think the Internet Wants to Be My Mind (reminds me of Johann Hari's Stolen Focus although they are different?)
- The Comforts of Cyberpunk (I don't necessarily like cyberpunk, but Puschak's reasoning is what got me agreeing with him. Plus he mentioned Donna Haraway!)
- Ode to Public Benches (I used to live in Barcelona so I could relate to his section a lot. Not anymore, unfortunately)
I personally would rate this 3.5, but I gave it a 4 because I felt the need to—I should've come prepared. If I watched half the movies that Puschak mentioned, I would relate to his essays more. Heck, it could've been a 4.5.
Generally speaking, these are not the usual essays you read or academically analyze (I might be biased because whenever I hear the word "essay", what comes first in my mind is academic essays that I needed to analyze and interpret during college). For me, it felt more like... blog posts? They are enjoyable to read, and some became my absolute favorite as I agreed with everything he said in those particular essays (plus he cited some of my favorite authors, so yeay!)
My personal favorites are:
- I Think the Internet Wants to Be My Mind (reminds me of Johann Hari's Stolen Focus although they are different?)
- The Comforts of Cyberpunk (I don't necessarily like cyberpunk, but Puschak's reasoning is what got me agreeing with him. Plus he mentioned Donna Haraway!)
- Ode to Public Benches (I used to live in Barcelona so I could relate to his section a lot. Not anymore, unfortunately)
September 8, 2022
A brilliant series of essays.
Evan has been making me think in new ways for years with his Nerdwriter youtube channel, and this (his first published novel) is a collection of 10 of his best, most complex, and necessary thoughts.
Highly recommended to read and listen to - and I also highly recommend his Nerdwriter work.
Evan has been making me think in new ways for years with his Nerdwriter youtube channel, and this (his first published novel) is a collection of 10 of his best, most complex, and necessary thoughts.
Highly recommended to read and listen to - and I also highly recommend his Nerdwriter work.
July 31, 2025
I love Evan Puschak’s writing, but something about this fell flat for me.
May 13, 2024
I like this guy from his YouTube channel and I must say that that (combined with the similarities I saw between this book and the Anthropocene reviewed) was enough to convince me to read it. I enjoyed but got lost in the sauce ( I don’t not care for Emerson or Superman). Clearly mans first book but I see lots of promise for later works.
August 31, 2024
You know that feeling when you read something and it describes exactly how you feel? You connect with it on such a personal level that you start to wonder if maybe the person who wrote it is another version of you? That you never used the word “resonate” correctly and only now can you say with certainty that the intensification and enrichment of the “sound” of these ideas with my soul has been achieved?
Evan is the guy behind The Nerdwriter, a YouTube channel I’ve been following for years. His videos were everything I wanted to make - well written, well edited, entertaining, insightful works of creative expression.
I’m so glad he wrote these essays and published a book. His curiosity and observations take him deep on broad subjects from art to film to architecture to comedy to poetry to politics and religion. (Ok so maybe not that broad but it seems like he could pick any topic and get obsessed with it for a while and come up with coherent, well articulated, original thoughts). I’m buying this book because I need these ideas and the ideas about ideas. The last chapter, Write A Book, was especially helpful.
Evan is the guy behind The Nerdwriter, a YouTube channel I’ve been following for years. His videos were everything I wanted to make - well written, well edited, entertaining, insightful works of creative expression.
I’m so glad he wrote these essays and published a book. His curiosity and observations take him deep on broad subjects from art to film to architecture to comedy to poetry to politics and religion. (Ok so maybe not that broad but it seems like he could pick any topic and get obsessed with it for a while and come up with coherent, well articulated, original thoughts). I’m buying this book because I need these ideas and the ideas about ideas. The last chapter, Write A Book, was especially helpful.
January 7, 2023
I started watching the Nerdwriter YouTube channel with Puschak's video on The Prisoner of Azkaban film, right around the time the YouTube algorithm seemed to really start promoting his channel, blowing up him and the video essay genre, that he partially pioneered, overnight. This was when I was in college.
I mention that because upon reading his full length essay book, it seems to me Puschak has struggled leaving his own New England liberal arts college student mindset, and it was a real drag while reading this book. And I probably would have been just fine with this book had I still been 21 and living in my shared bedroom apartment, working two jobs, and eating cold pizza three times a week. But I've grown up a little bit, amd even though Puschak is a few years older than me, it seems he's struggling with doing the same. And he more or less comes to this same conclusion after some reflection in his "On Friends" essay, so perhaps he'll get there someday.
And as a fan of the Nerdwriter, I think this book may have tainted my views of that channel a bit. While I like his short form exploratory videos his long form essays in this book get way to personal and when his own views seep into his essays, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
His essay "Emerson's Magic" was a fine place to start because he basically emphasized Emerson's human contradictions, which Puschak himself has more than his share of in writing this book. As the essays progress Puschak's man-childness continues to rear its head. He said himself that he's a spoiled, upper middle class, White male from the Philadelphia suburbs (the spoiled was added by me) and while I hate it when liberal ideology forces people to talk like that, it really shows with the "life crises" that Puschak has faced in his life.
When his "life crises" revolve around things like not earning a trip to New Zealand, the rest of this book seems like a push to accept the current WEF talking points: Separate from family and live in a large city (The Comforts of Cuberpunk), never question the science and liberal media (When Experts Disagree), everything has to be done through collaboration (Ode to Public Benches), capitalism and consumerism are bad and you should own nothing and be happy (Jerry Seinfeld's Intangibles), and never grow up, settle down, and anchor yourself to a blood-related family (On Friendship). And other essays not mentioned just seemed derivative such as the Superman is Clark Kent essay, which is a point I've heard several times before.
I honestly couldn't get over the impression that Puschak just likes the smell of his own liberal farts stuck in liberal bubble after liberal bubble with no external push to actually grow up and change. Again. Had I still been in college myself when reading this book, the ranking would have probably been much higher. But I've received my share of punches to the face from life, both metaphorically and literally, that have forced a more grounded change in my life. I still enjoy his apolitical YouTube short form videos, and I would recommend simply watching the downsized videos he's posted of the same essays in this book if you want to avoid the simple regurgitation of liberal bubble taking point from the likes of Vox and John Oliver... at least Puschak acknowledges he's spoon fed these ideas from the internet without really critically thinking himself in one of his essays.
I mention that because upon reading his full length essay book, it seems to me Puschak has struggled leaving his own New England liberal arts college student mindset, and it was a real drag while reading this book. And I probably would have been just fine with this book had I still been 21 and living in my shared bedroom apartment, working two jobs, and eating cold pizza three times a week. But I've grown up a little bit, amd even though Puschak is a few years older than me, it seems he's struggling with doing the same. And he more or less comes to this same conclusion after some reflection in his "On Friends" essay, so perhaps he'll get there someday.
And as a fan of the Nerdwriter, I think this book may have tainted my views of that channel a bit. While I like his short form exploratory videos his long form essays in this book get way to personal and when his own views seep into his essays, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
His essay "Emerson's Magic" was a fine place to start because he basically emphasized Emerson's human contradictions, which Puschak himself has more than his share of in writing this book. As the essays progress Puschak's man-childness continues to rear its head. He said himself that he's a spoiled, upper middle class, White male from the Philadelphia suburbs (the spoiled was added by me) and while I hate it when liberal ideology forces people to talk like that, it really shows with the "life crises" that Puschak has faced in his life.
When his "life crises" revolve around things like not earning a trip to New Zealand, the rest of this book seems like a push to accept the current WEF talking points: Separate from family and live in a large city (The Comforts of Cuberpunk), never question the science and liberal media (When Experts Disagree), everything has to be done through collaboration (Ode to Public Benches), capitalism and consumerism are bad and you should own nothing and be happy (Jerry Seinfeld's Intangibles), and never grow up, settle down, and anchor yourself to a blood-related family (On Friendship). And other essays not mentioned just seemed derivative such as the Superman is Clark Kent essay, which is a point I've heard several times before.
I honestly couldn't get over the impression that Puschak just likes the smell of his own liberal farts stuck in liberal bubble after liberal bubble with no external push to actually grow up and change. Again. Had I still been in college myself when reading this book, the ranking would have probably been much higher. But I've received my share of punches to the face from life, both metaphorically and literally, that have forced a more grounded change in my life. I still enjoy his apolitical YouTube short form videos, and I would recommend simply watching the downsized videos he's posted of the same essays in this book if you want to avoid the simple regurgitation of liberal bubble taking point from the likes of Vox and John Oliver... at least Puschak acknowledges he's spoon fed these ideas from the internet without really critically thinking himself in one of his essays.
January 31, 2023
Been a fan of Evan's YouTube channel for many years and was curious to check out his book. I enjoyed it - I found some of the essays more interesting than others, but overall it was a decent listen and having the author narrate the book himself was a great decision and a major selling point I'd say.
Of the 10 essays, my favorite were:
- The Comforts of Cyberpunk (together with Escape into Meaning - which I consider somewhat of a part 2) where Evan explores the aspects that make the dystopian cyberpunk aesthetic so appealing to himself and others. The key point is that in universes such as Gibson's The Sprawl, the inhabitants lead meaningless lives in a world controlled by massive corporations therefore they have access to a special kind of freedom - they escaped the arduous process of assigning one's life a certain meaning and are free to do as they please. This is the exact opposite of Tolkien's LOTR Middle Earth where everything has a profound meaning and purpose - including a simple hobbit.
- When Experts Disagree - easy to relate to. Having lost trust in most authority figures and institutions which once were responsible for entertaining healthy discourse around important topics (see what happened with covid19), making sense of "the truth" requires monumental effort from individuals given that even experts in the same camp disagree.
- Superman is Clark Kent - an exploration of one of the most recognizable characters in pop-culture that leads to the old discussion around nature vs. nurture and identity.
- Ode to Public Benches - I'm a fan of walking around cities and sitting on their benches, drinking coffee and experiencing some of that nice ol' sonder and it turns out I'm doing right.
I got a lot out of these 5 essays (50% is a good ratio) and the other 5 are ok as well, but not as appealing to me.
Looking forward to the next book!
Of the 10 essays, my favorite were:
- The Comforts of Cyberpunk (together with Escape into Meaning - which I consider somewhat of a part 2) where Evan explores the aspects that make the dystopian cyberpunk aesthetic so appealing to himself and others. The key point is that in universes such as Gibson's The Sprawl, the inhabitants lead meaningless lives in a world controlled by massive corporations therefore they have access to a special kind of freedom - they escaped the arduous process of assigning one's life a certain meaning and are free to do as they please. This is the exact opposite of Tolkien's LOTR Middle Earth where everything has a profound meaning and purpose - including a simple hobbit.
- When Experts Disagree - easy to relate to. Having lost trust in most authority figures and institutions which once were responsible for entertaining healthy discourse around important topics (see what happened with covid19), making sense of "the truth" requires monumental effort from individuals given that even experts in the same camp disagree.
- Superman is Clark Kent - an exploration of one of the most recognizable characters in pop-culture that leads to the old discussion around nature vs. nurture and identity.
- Ode to Public Benches - I'm a fan of walking around cities and sitting on their benches, drinking coffee and experiencing some of that nice ol' sonder and it turns out I'm doing right.
I got a lot out of these 5 essays (50% is a good ratio) and the other 5 are ok as well, but not as appealing to me.
Looking forward to the next book!
December 24, 2022
Nerdwriter was my childhood. He is the reason I watch the type of movies I do now. He is the reason I read the Sandman as a kid. He is also the reason I appreciate art as much as I do. Needless to say, I am a bit biased, and just really like Evan's work.
This anthology of essays was more of the same. Interesting thoughts on classic literature, but this time, it was more personal--he ties a lot of his analysis to his own life. I really enjoyed this collection of essays, and I think you will enjoy it, if you like Nerdwriter content.
This anthology of essays was more of the same. Interesting thoughts on classic literature, but this time, it was more personal--he ties a lot of his analysis to his own life. I really enjoyed this collection of essays, and I think you will enjoy it, if you like Nerdwriter content.
September 15, 2022
Light read with some enriching and relatable personal stuff. What this guy does well are video essays, and a lot of the writing here could have been more memorable in that medium. The prose translates well to a book, but doesn’t feel as insightful without the images.
MS: Puschak dissects Seinfeld’s bits to extract more psychological substance than meets the eye.
MS: Puschak dissects Seinfeld’s bits to extract more psychological substance than meets the eye.
August 14, 2023
Decent read, but feels like rambling much of the time. Definitely prefer his video essays to strengthen his arguments.
January 12, 2023
Essay collections are such a wonderful thing. I’ve read bits and pieces of quite a few, but not many to completion. I always find it interesting to see the way various writers apply their style to the medium of essays. David Foster Wallace with his intricate yet hilarious prose. Orwell with his journalistic and insightful voice. John Green with his deeply human and romantic lens.
Evan Puschak in his first published book, an essay collection, brings something deeply relatable to this art form. A deep and omnipresent curiosity. Nothing is too simple or surface level for Evan to think deeply about. He proves that there are interesting philosophical aspects to everything in life. In his first essay, he speaks to the profound feeling of reading a book from an author who’s curious or interested in the very same things we are. For him it was Emerson who fulfilled this role. Nothing can beat that feeling. There are times where one can find themselves a bit isolated in their wonder for otherwise trivial aspects of life. I know I’ve heard remarks such as “it’s not that deep” or “you’re over complicating it”. Then to read your exact thoughts on the page from an author who perhaps lived centuries ago… it reminds us of this shared thread of humanity that runs through everyone existing in this world. We are never as different from one another as it may seem.
Reading this book, I found that Evan delivered this feeling for me. I can’t describe how often I’ve wondered about friendship and the way it interacts with identity. The push and pull of influence, the way we perceive each other and how it affects our sense of self, the question of how long friends will stay in our lives. Even the doubt that he expresses when asking himself “am I overcomplicating this? Thinking about it too hard?”. I also grew up loving sci-fi and comic books and I could probably write just as much about Superman and the core of his character and what the most interesting stories about him look like (I’d have to disagree with Evan on a few points here). And I also love to write but am cripplingly critical of myself. His closing essay provided me with a great amount of inspiration and insight into how to make progress on an artistic endeavor.
Maybe I will get there someday. Fulfill my dream of writing a collection of essays. Until then, I’m so thankful for the works of authors like Evan who make us feel less alone.
Evan Puschak in his first published book, an essay collection, brings something deeply relatable to this art form. A deep and omnipresent curiosity. Nothing is too simple or surface level for Evan to think deeply about. He proves that there are interesting philosophical aspects to everything in life. In his first essay, he speaks to the profound feeling of reading a book from an author who’s curious or interested in the very same things we are. For him it was Emerson who fulfilled this role. Nothing can beat that feeling. There are times where one can find themselves a bit isolated in their wonder for otherwise trivial aspects of life. I know I’ve heard remarks such as “it’s not that deep” or “you’re over complicating it”. Then to read your exact thoughts on the page from an author who perhaps lived centuries ago… it reminds us of this shared thread of humanity that runs through everyone existing in this world. We are never as different from one another as it may seem.
Reading this book, I found that Evan delivered this feeling for me. I can’t describe how often I’ve wondered about friendship and the way it interacts with identity. The push and pull of influence, the way we perceive each other and how it affects our sense of self, the question of how long friends will stay in our lives. Even the doubt that he expresses when asking himself “am I overcomplicating this? Thinking about it too hard?”. I also grew up loving sci-fi and comic books and I could probably write just as much about Superman and the core of his character and what the most interesting stories about him look like (I’d have to disagree with Evan on a few points here). And I also love to write but am cripplingly critical of myself. His closing essay provided me with a great amount of inspiration and insight into how to make progress on an artistic endeavor.
Maybe I will get there someday. Fulfill my dream of writing a collection of essays. Until then, I’m so thankful for the works of authors like Evan who make us feel less alone.
September 3, 2023
If watching Nerdwriter videos on YouTube feels like having a life-affirming conversation about art with a super smart, self-taught friend, reading Escape Into Meaning feels like opening a portal inside that friend's mind and uncovering his inner world.
The dumb way to review that book would be to challenge's Evan Puschak's opinion with my own and analyse how correct his worldview is. But I've done this before and it's both unproductive and juvenile, like an intellectual dick length context. Instead, I tried to understand what was the underlying themes behind these topic choices that range from Super Man, to Lord of the Rings, to Jerry Seinfeld and the merits of having friend. What it is that Evan Puschak wants out of art? What it is that he seeks in the world?
An essay collection analysis is about worldview and the construction of a self. There is no prerequisite of pertinence or truth (whatever that word means). All that matters is the passion and the quality of the observations. The essays of Escape Into Meaning are, I believe, about unity and the greater good. Puschak selflessly shares some of his sharpest insight not only about the culture that shaped him, but also how he sees the world. In the fashion of Chuck Klosterman, the best are kept for last. There's a particularly sharp one about Jerry Seinfeld and how making people laugh was more important to him than any form of message and a very touching one about how he views friendship, which both highlight what the important takeaway from Escape Into Meaning: human connection is the most important variable of a well-lived life.
Anything above and below that should serve this purpose or otherwise be disregarded as unimportant.
The dumb way to review that book would be to challenge's Evan Puschak's opinion with my own and analyse how correct his worldview is. But I've done this before and it's both unproductive and juvenile, like an intellectual dick length context. Instead, I tried to understand what was the underlying themes behind these topic choices that range from Super Man, to Lord of the Rings, to Jerry Seinfeld and the merits of having friend. What it is that Evan Puschak wants out of art? What it is that he seeks in the world?
An essay collection analysis is about worldview and the construction of a self. There is no prerequisite of pertinence or truth (whatever that word means). All that matters is the passion and the quality of the observations. The essays of Escape Into Meaning are, I believe, about unity and the greater good. Puschak selflessly shares some of his sharpest insight not only about the culture that shaped him, but also how he sees the world. In the fashion of Chuck Klosterman, the best are kept for last. There's a particularly sharp one about Jerry Seinfeld and how making people laugh was more important to him than any form of message and a very touching one about how he views friendship, which both highlight what the important takeaway from Escape Into Meaning: human connection is the most important variable of a well-lived life.
Anything above and below that should serve this purpose or otherwise be disregarded as unimportant.
August 4, 2022
My thanks to both NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this new collection of essays.
One of the largest growing sections in bookstores has to be Essays section. Where once years ago three shelves with maybe one faceout would do with the mainstays being various versions of Walden, copies of Montaigne, Joan Didion and collections featuring best essays of that year. Now three bookcases aren't enough. Essays have become New York Times Bestsellers and cover everything from manners, to politics to entertainment. Maybe it is the time that we find ourselves in. Or as is mentioned in this book the educational system that spends more time boosting standardized testing numbers and less time on how the world effects us and what we can learn from it. Escape into Meaning; Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions by Evan Puschak, host, writer and producer of the YouTube Channel's The Nerdwriter offers an eclectic mix of essays on popular culture, learning, education, poets and much more.
The book begins with an essay on Emerson, but is also as study of a young man before he became an artist. Puschak describes his education as something that went this way; good grades get a person to a good school, which gets a good job and maybe hopefully a good life. So an education based on feeding a system, which he found was not for him. Soon he was began to educate himself, reading authors and feeding an intellectual need that Puschak didn't know existed but that Puschak found he needed. Essays include overviews of the genre cyberpunk, the ideals of Superman and Clark Kent, the poet Keats and others. There are other essays on politics society and education and finally the perils and mental strain of writing a book.
The collection is set up well with an overarching theme that connects the essays, but they can be read out of order or piecemeal, as I know this is how a lot of people like reading these kinds of works. Some of my favorites were again the study of cyberpunk, Superman and the first essay, which I found quite entertaining. Some don't hit these heights, which is understandable as sometimes the subjects aren't as interesting, or maybe don't play out well on paper as they might on a YouTube screen. There is a lot of research and works cited, which I always love, being a nerd for those kinds of things. I was not familiar with the author, nor his channel, but enjoyed this collection quite a bit.
A nice collection of essays, perfect for a gift for a friend or family member who likes to think about a variety of things, and has an interest in the world. The Superman comment might make people think this is a pop culture study but these essays are a lot more than that.
One of the largest growing sections in bookstores has to be Essays section. Where once years ago three shelves with maybe one faceout would do with the mainstays being various versions of Walden, copies of Montaigne, Joan Didion and collections featuring best essays of that year. Now three bookcases aren't enough. Essays have become New York Times Bestsellers and cover everything from manners, to politics to entertainment. Maybe it is the time that we find ourselves in. Or as is mentioned in this book the educational system that spends more time boosting standardized testing numbers and less time on how the world effects us and what we can learn from it. Escape into Meaning; Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions by Evan Puschak, host, writer and producer of the YouTube Channel's The Nerdwriter offers an eclectic mix of essays on popular culture, learning, education, poets and much more.
The book begins with an essay on Emerson, but is also as study of a young man before he became an artist. Puschak describes his education as something that went this way; good grades get a person to a good school, which gets a good job and maybe hopefully a good life. So an education based on feeding a system, which he found was not for him. Soon he was began to educate himself, reading authors and feeding an intellectual need that Puschak didn't know existed but that Puschak found he needed. Essays include overviews of the genre cyberpunk, the ideals of Superman and Clark Kent, the poet Keats and others. There are other essays on politics society and education and finally the perils and mental strain of writing a book.
The collection is set up well with an overarching theme that connects the essays, but they can be read out of order or piecemeal, as I know this is how a lot of people like reading these kinds of works. Some of my favorites were again the study of cyberpunk, Superman and the first essay, which I found quite entertaining. Some don't hit these heights, which is understandable as sometimes the subjects aren't as interesting, or maybe don't play out well on paper as they might on a YouTube screen. There is a lot of research and works cited, which I always love, being a nerd for those kinds of things. I was not familiar with the author, nor his channel, but enjoyed this collection quite a bit.
A nice collection of essays, perfect for a gift for a friend or family member who likes to think about a variety of things, and has an interest in the world. The Superman comment might make people think this is a pop culture study but these essays are a lot more than that.
June 5, 2023
The Nerdwriter is one of my favorite YouTube channels. While recommending it to me, my cousin just said, "It's just a guy talking about pop culture," and this is precisely what the channel is. Evan Puschak has, in my opinion made some of the most insightful video essays on YouTube. So when he announced that he would write a book, I was excited.
There is a lot to like in these essays. I especially liked the essays where he talks about what to do when experts disagree, how Tarantino talks about his works in oeuvres, how to fix Superman, and why working regularly is hard. The thing that separates this book from an 8-minute video essay is that in a YouTube video, the currency is the viewer's attention span. This means that each essay is exceptionally crisp and polished. Here I felt that Puschak strayed away from his original point frequently, which wouldn't happen in a single-minded YouTube video essay. That being said, the thing that works for these essays is the thing that works for his video essays, and that is that Puschak has a very unique way of looking at art and pop culture in general. So if you are a fan of his work on YouTube, then I recommend this book, and if you aren't familiar with his work, then I recommend his video essays instead of this book.
There is a lot to like in these essays. I especially liked the essays where he talks about what to do when experts disagree, how Tarantino talks about his works in oeuvres, how to fix Superman, and why working regularly is hard. The thing that separates this book from an 8-minute video essay is that in a YouTube video, the currency is the viewer's attention span. This means that each essay is exceptionally crisp and polished. Here I felt that Puschak strayed away from his original point frequently, which wouldn't happen in a single-minded YouTube video essay. That being said, the thing that works for these essays is the thing that works for his video essays, and that is that Puschak has a very unique way of looking at art and pop culture in general. So if you are a fan of his work on YouTube, then I recommend this book, and if you aren't familiar with his work, then I recommend his video essays instead of this book.
September 6, 2022
NerdWriter1 is my favorite YouTube channel. I preordered this book on Audible the first time he announced it in one of his videos.
This book was like 7 course meal of all desserts. As if I got a 7.5 hour YouTube video of his inner thoughts and views of the world. He mentioned at one time how the YouTube career was meant to originally be a springboard into his writing career similar to the path of John Green, which is ironic because Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed was another of my favorite reads of last year.
It was a privilege hiking through the beautiful outdoors while listening to this anthology. Every chapter struck a chord with a bit of my soul. Whether he happened to dissect the comforts of CyberPunk (literally Blade Runner is my favorite film of all time), explaining the humanization of SuperMan (favorite superhero of all time), or going of on all long dissection of ouvres in poetry and the filmography of Quentin Tarantino.
I can’t praise this enough but I am biased because I have long ago fallen in love with the voice and the inner workings of Evan’s mind as a content creator. I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous writing career because I will always pick one up. Ordering a hard copy now, and probably going to go down the YouTube rabbit hole of past videos (please make more poetry videos like The Swan).
This book was like 7 course meal of all desserts. As if I got a 7.5 hour YouTube video of his inner thoughts and views of the world. He mentioned at one time how the YouTube career was meant to originally be a springboard into his writing career similar to the path of John Green, which is ironic because Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed was another of my favorite reads of last year.
It was a privilege hiking through the beautiful outdoors while listening to this anthology. Every chapter struck a chord with a bit of my soul. Whether he happened to dissect the comforts of CyberPunk (literally Blade Runner is my favorite film of all time), explaining the humanization of SuperMan (favorite superhero of all time), or going of on all long dissection of ouvres in poetry and the filmography of Quentin Tarantino.
I can’t praise this enough but I am biased because I have long ago fallen in love with the voice and the inner workings of Evan’s mind as a content creator. I hope this is the beginning of a long and prosperous writing career because I will always pick one up. Ordering a hard copy now, and probably going to go down the YouTube rabbit hole of past videos (please make more poetry videos like The Swan).
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