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A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor: A Novel Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.7 out of 5 stars 5,643 ratings

The Instant New York Times Best Seller

Who has the right to change the world forever? How will we live online? How do we find comfort in an increasingly isolated world?

The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While the robots were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction with only their presence. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May: a young woman who stumbled into the Carls' path, giving them their name, becoming their advocate, and putting herself in the middle of an avalanche of conspiracy theories.

Months later, April’s friends are trying to find their footing in a post-Carl world. Andy has picked up April’s mantle of fame, speaking at conferences and online; Maya, ravaged by grief, begins to follow a string of mysteries that she is convinced will lead her to April; and Miranda is contemplating defying her friends’ advice and pursuing a new scientific operation...one that might have repercussions beyond anyone’s comprehension. Just as it is starting to seem like the gang may never learn the real story behind the events that changed their lives forever, a series of clues arrive - mysterious books that seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers - all of which seems to suggest that April could be very much alive.

In the midst of the search for the truth and the search for April is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor is the bold and brilliant follow-up to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing. It is a fast-paced adventure that is also a biting social commentary, asking hard, urgent questions about the way we live, our freedoms, our future, and how we handle the unknown.

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Product details

Listening Length 15 hours and 46 minutes
Author Hank Green
Narrator Kristen Sieh, Joe Hempel, Jesse Vilinsky, Nicole Lewis, Kevin R. Free, Hank Green, Robert Petkoff, Angelo Di Loreto, Oliver Wyman, Hillary Huber, P.J. Ochlan, Gabra Zackman
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date July 07, 2020
Publisher Penguin Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B082P7GFNV
Best Sellers Rank #14,548 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#146 in Coming of Age Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#154 in Contemporary Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)
#354 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
5,643 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers love this book, describing it as a wonderful masterpiece with a riveting story that wraps up the Carl's narrative perfectly. Moreover, they find it thought-provoking, with one review highlighting its deep philosophical concepts, and appreciate its entertainment value, particularly its commentary on social media. Additionally, customers praise the character development, with one noting how it provides insights into society, and they find it heartwarming, with one review mentioning how it offers hope for humanity's goodness. Customers also appreciate its humor, with several noting it can make them laugh out loud, and they find it visually appealing, with one describing it as "Beautifully Human."

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

88 customers mention "Readability"85 positive3 negative

Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as a wonderful masterpiece that they loved every minute of reading.

"...themes, and going further with them in a way that is satisfying to readers of the original work." Read more

"This was so fun! I don't know why I waited so many years to finish this duet. It's clever, funny, insightful and keeps great pace...." Read more

"I thought it was a better read than the first book. It’s slow to start, but then really gets exciting...." Read more

"...characters made this an extremely rich story that was a lot of fun to read. I have very little fault to pick with it...." Read more

77 customers mention "Plot"74 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, describing it as a rivetting story with a thrilling conclusion that wraps up the story lines perfectly.

"...This is a wonderful ending to and adventure about what it means to be human in a world that is scary and controlled by the minority instead of the..." Read more

"...But then the plot busts open and you get invested in what’s happening...." Read more

"...Having multiple viewpoint characters made this an extremely rich story that was a lot of fun to read...." Read more

"...That coupled with a mostly sound plot and some crazy character development made me reel over this book and have the satisfaction of being able to..." Read more

35 customers mention "Thought provoking"31 positive4 negative

Customers find the book thought-provoking and insightful, with one customer noting its extensive research and relevance to current times.

"...Green’s novel explores the nature of the mind and, in the tradition of science fiction speculating about the possible advances in technology and how..." Read more

"...It's clever, funny, insightful and keeps great pace. It's largely positive and upbeat even when faced with some big existential crises...." Read more

"...You can tell that this book was extensively researched and planned and that Green really wanted to show both the triumphs and failures of humankind...." Read more

"...I love the depth of this book. It's a great sequel. It's a fable for our times. And who knows, maybe it's real!..." Read more

26 customers mention "Heartwarming"26 positive0 negative

Customers find the book heartwarming and profoundly empathetic, with one customer noting how it offers hope for humanity's goodness.

"...Despite the novel’s warnings, Green offers hope for humanity’s goodness and ability to overcome the challenges we face...." Read more

"...It's clever, funny, insightful and keeps great pace. It's largely positive and upbeat even when faced with some big existential crises...." Read more

"...I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing the interconnected lives of everyone...." Read more

"...but good things to say to you as an author, and also as a socially conscious person...." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"22 positive3 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting that the characters are well thought out and customers enjoy spending time with them.

"...I guess part of that is that there was time set aside to build up the characters. Each one is distinct and likable in their own way...." Read more

"...This book is better in almost every way. Having multiple viewpoint characters made this an extremely rich story that was a lot of fun to read...." Read more

"...That coupled with a mostly sound plot and some crazy character development made me reel over this book and have the satisfaction of being able to..." Read more

"...I really enjoyed getting to know the characters and seeing the interconnected lives of everyone...." Read more

23 customers mention "Entertainment value"23 positive0 negative

Customers find the book entertaining and engaging, with several mentioning it can make them laugh out loud, and one customer noting how the social media elements are presented in a fun way.

"...The commentary about social media and power is so good and 5ough provoking that I will be recommending this book all the time when someone asks to..." Read more

"...It’s slow to start, but then really gets exciting...." Read more

"...It’s intense, exciting, yet fun in moments just after you felt a surge of guttural fear...." Read more

"...I think I highlighted half the book. This book is about social media, power concentrated in the hands of a few, some bizarrely accurate guessing..." Read more

11 customers mention "Humor"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous, with several mentioning it can make them laugh out loud, and one describing it as a beautiful literary endeavor.

"...It's clever, funny, insightful and keeps great pace. It's largely positive and upbeat even when faced with some big existential crises...." Read more

"...Each one is distinct and likable in their own way...." Read more

"...To me, a good book can make you laugh out loud or bring you to tears. One that can do both, even better. This one did just that...." Read more

"...It's witty, it's heartwarming, it's adventurous, and it's everything you could possible want in a novel. Seriously. Wow. And well, thanks." Read more

11 customers mention "Look"11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book visually appealing, describing it as beautifully remarkable, with one customer noting it's a beautiful sequel.

"I love the mind of Hank Green...." Read more

"...It truly is magnificent...." Read more

"...These books are a punch to the gut about humanity. A very raw and real look into how we function as a society...." Read more

"...technology and social media, and the power behind it, this is an eye-opening look presented in a great fictional story. A really good read!" Read more

Great followup, great story, scifi and interpersonal
5 out of 5 stars
Great followup, great story, scifi and interpersonal
Like the writing, the ending, the ideas, the message, all of it was bueno.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on July 12, 2020
    Hank Green’s “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” continues the story he began in “An Absolutely Remarkable Thing” with the world adapting to the disappearance of the Carls and April May’s apparent death. Unlike the first novel, which was told almost exclusively from April’s perspective, here he alternates between Andy, Maya, Miranda at the beginning before brining April back into the narrative. Further, in a break from the first book, Green goes into detail about Carl’s creation and purpose. In Carl’s own words, “I was sent here in pieces to self-assemble and then mutualistically infect your planet because, without me, a fascinating and beautiful system would have a low probability of self-correcting to sustainability. In other words, someone somewhere was pretty sure you were going to destroy yourself, and they felt like you were worth saving, so they sent me” (pg. 165). In this sequel, Green uses Carl to explore the complex systems that govern our lives and our world, from the economy to social media.

    Green’s novel explores the nature of the mind and, in the tradition of science fiction speculating about the possible advances in technology and how they could affect society, he examines the nature of true virtual reality and how it might build on the role of social media in our society (pgs. 182-183). Discussing the manner in which people imagine the connections between their minds and bodies both in how Carl resurrected and rebuilt April and in the Altus space, Green writes, “You are a story that you tell yourself, and even if it is not always accurate, it is who you are, and that it very important to you” (pg. 170). In some particularly timely commentary, Green examines how systems collapse and what that does to society. Specifically, after the disappearance of the Carls and the Dream, people seem to lack purpose and a recession looms (pg. 204). While Green wrote this prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the types of systemic collapses he describes evoke much of what we’re experiencing now, except that his novel portrays people feeling alienated and adrift whereas COVID has physically distanced people and left them with a sense of dread as some world leaders fail to respond to it in a helpful way. Describing the imminence of systemic collapse, Green writes in a particularly prescient section, “Focusing on efficiency for the sake of fewer and fewer powerful people would make us more vulnerable to shocks from catastrophes both expected and unexpected. Power grid failures or pandemics or cyberattacks would, in the next couple hundred years, cause some kind of permanent breakdown” (pg. 232). Further, describing the destabilization process, “The largest affecting factors will be tremendous concentration of power in the hands of fewer and fewer people, who will then destabilize the world to protect that power, large-scale isolation caused by easy alternatives to community and society, and a change in the speed of transfer of information that will be too rapid for norms and taboos to prevent it from being used maliciously” (pg. 278). In this, Green could be describing any of the changes that have occurred over the past two decades and with which societies continue to struggle in their efforts to adapt as they are redefined.

    Like its predecessor, Green’s work comments on the nature of social media and fame, featuring several quotable lines such as, “The truest strength is shouldering the burden of care” (pg. 106). Green describes Andy reacting to his newfound fame following the Carls and April May’s disappearance along with the public requests for comment with a new mantra, “Can you tell them something that will make them feel better?” (pg. 33). To a certain extent, this recalls the Nerdfighter mantra, “Don’t Forget to Be Awesome.” Through Maya, Green discusses the way social media allows some people to vent their cruelty: “I understand people didn’t like April, but how does it feel like a winning strategy to go after a recently deceased murder victim? Just a not to everyone: Don’t do that. Even if you’re right, it makes you look wrong. And I had figured out by this point that how things look is more or less the same as how they are” (pg. 63). This reflects the way social media tends to group similar ideologies together. As Green writes, “People will just share the things that confirm their ideology, and those things will always exist. Our reality isn’t about what’s real, it’s about what we pay attention to” (pg. 349). Finally, Green describes this best when he writes, “We have to realize that the places where we share information are not services we use, they are places where we live” (pg. 419). Based on that, they should be viewer like any other community and regulated similarly.

    Despite the novel’s warnings, Green offers hope for humanity’s goodness and ability to overcome the challenges we face. He writes, “You’re radically collaborative, profoundly empathetic, and deeply communal. Everyone who tells you anything different is selling the fear that is the only thing that can break that nature. They do that because it turns people into devices. My only advice: Never do that to another person, and do not let anyone do it to you” (pg. 445). As a sequel, “A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor” more than succeeds in building on the original, both in plot and themes, and going further with them in a way that is satisfying to readers of the original work.
    41 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2025
    This was so fun! I don't know why I waited so many years to finish this duet. It's clever, funny, insightful and keeps great pace. It's largely positive and upbeat even when faced with some big existential crises. Here's the thing - I don't really *love* being put in a head space where I imagine global society in trouble and people working to make the right choices to save humanity. I'm currently low on (but not out of) optimism that humans will choose a righteous and empathetic path. But - at least in the world built here we prevail.
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2025
    Idk when I started this book, I just know I took sooooo long to finish it because of Maya. I just didn’t like her. Good part on Hank for making this character so real I didn’t want to know her. This is a wonderful ending to and adventure about what it means to be human in a world that is scary and controlled by the minority instead of the majority. The commentary about social media and power is so good and 5ough provoking that I will be recommending this book all the time when someone asks to read something different.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2020
    I thought it was a better read than the first book. It’s slow to start, but then really gets exciting.

    The first act is a combination of “aftermath from the first book” and “setup for this second book”. And there are times the narrative starts to wax poetic about fame and power and metahumanism that it starts to sound like one of the vlogbrothers videos (though these are tough questions and deserve attention). But then the plot busts open and you get invested in what’s happening.

    I guess part of that is that there was time set aside to build up the characters. Each one is distinct and likable in their own way. I think it’s improved by having multiple characters’ POV instead of just the one (who got a little millennial-obnoxious after a while).

    Once again, we’re talking sequel so if you read the first book, you know if you want to read the second. But take comfort that the second improves on the first. I think Hank Green took what he learned, applied it, and the effects are palpable.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2020
    I enjoyed the first book in this series a lot. Did it blow me away? Not quite. Was it the best book I've ever read? Not even close, sorry. But it was still a very good and competent book.

    This book is better in almost every way. Having multiple viewpoint characters made this an extremely rich story that was a lot of fun to read.

    I have very little fault to pick with it. There were a couple of times when the plot was complex enough that I had to slow down in order to understand what was happening, but those times were brief. What he did with the Carls, and how he used them to create another layer of social commentary was wonderful, and something Hank is in a particularly good position to do. This was a very Hank book.

    In the end, the main thing that will determine whether you like this book is whether you enjoy this genre/style of book in general.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2022
    I cracked open this book one day after I finished Hank Green's first novel and finished it in two days. To me, a good book can make you laugh out loud or bring you to tears. One that can do both, even better. This one did just that. Mr. Green has created characters that you can easily understand and enjoy. He has written his books with a lesson that we can use to learn and grow. However, if we chose not to do that, he has written two books that can be thoroughly enjoyed and do what books should do. Take us to a place we would not normally go on our own.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Norma
    4.0 out of 5 stars Excelente segunda parte
    Reviewed in Mexico on October 14, 2024
    Aunque no cautiva tanto como la primera parte, la mente de Hank Green no tiene cómo detenerse, el libro es impresionante, detallado y si pensabas que no hay más que hacer con Carl en el primer libro èste vaya que te prueba incorrecto, te hace cuestionar quien realmente el malo, tal vez hasta somos los humanos en nuestra necesidad de “más” no dudes en leerlo.
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  • Danny
    5.0 out of 5 stars Hank did it
    Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2020
    This is brilliant! You can tell how much work went into creating such a rich and complex parallel universe that is strangely reflective of our world today. It makes a strong statement and provides profound thoughts about our lives, society, and humanity!
  • Rika
    5.0 out of 5 stars Endlich gibt es die Fortsetzung!
    Reviewed in Germany on July 31, 2020
    Endlich gibt es die Fortsetztung! Nach diesem Quälendem Ende geht es endlich weiter und wir werde erlöst von der unsicherheit dieses Endes.

    Okay um ganz ehrlich zu sein, ich liebe den ersten Band und den zweiten Band, aber das Ende war für mich okay. Ich war wütend und frustiert, aber es war für mich ein Ende. Aber die erleichterung war groß, als dieses Buch angekündigt wurde. Denn eine Fortsetzung hat Hoffnung für unsere Charaktere bedeutung, hoffnung, das nicht alles so final war wie es scheint. Aber ich schweife ab, schließlich will ich euch erzählen wie Band 2 war und nicht wie sehr ich mich auf dieses Buch gefreut habe.

    Das erste was mir aufgefallen ist, dass dieses Buch rießig ist. Nun ja ich habe mir versehentlich die UK Ausgabe und nicht die US Ausgabe gekauft. Was erstmal frustrierend ist, denn die sprechen eine Sprache, warum muss das Buch in einem neuen Format dort rauskommen? Aber noch schockierender für mich ist, dass die UK Ausgabe kleiner Schrift benutzt als die US Ausgabe des ersten Bandes und trotzdem 200 Seiten mehr hat.

    Inhaltlich hat sich einiges geändert, denn schließlich ist April in dem Feuer gestorben und wenn unsere Protagonistin stirbt, die die ganze Geschichte erzählt hat, wie geht es dann weiter? Ihre Freunde machen weiter, wir erleben die Gedanken und Alltäge von den anderen. Jeder einzelne von Ihnen geht in so verschiedene Richtungen und dennoch bildet es eine zusammenhängende Geschichte. Wir beginnen mit all dem Charaktern mit dem „und was jetzt?“. Es ist gerade was Weltbewegendes passiert, die ganze Welt hat sich um diesen Freundeskreis gedreht. Aber was macht man, wenn die Welt nicht mehr zuschaut, weil April nicht mehr da ist. Und während alle so langsam in ihren Alltag zurückkehren oder versuchen mit der Situation klar zu kommen, merken wir das es natürlich noch nicht vorbei ist, schließlich gibt es dieses Buch.

    Im ersten Band ging sehr viel um Social Media und uns, wie beeinflusst es jemanden auf einmal eine rießige Plattform zu haben. Im zweiten Band geht es mehr um die Sci-Fi Seite. Ich sage mehr, weil es geht immer noch um Social Media und ihren Einfluss. Aber wir bekommen endlich erklärt was im ersten Band eigentlich mit Carl passiert ist. Ich will nicht zu viel verraten, denn das ist eher die zweite Hälfte, aber alter falter ist das gut! Es steckt so viel Planung in diesem Buch und so viel Fachwissen.

    Abgesehen vom Inhalt muss ich bei diesem Band leider anmerken, dass es mir schwerer gefallen ist das Buch zu lesen. Es hat mehr Energie gekostet sich hinzusetzten und in diese Welt einzutauchen. Insgesamt war es schwieriger rein zukommen. Das könnte vielleicht daran liegen, dass es sich weniger wie Young Adult anfühlt als das erste Buch und immer noch auf Englisch geschrieben ist.

    Mein Fazit

    Hat sich das warten gelohnt? Ja! Ich bin mit diesem Buch mehr als zufrieden auch wenn es eine andere Richtung eingeschlagen hat. Ich fand es sehr interessant über die eher Wissenschaftliche Seite dieser Welt zu lesen und das hat die Welt noch realer wirken lassen. Aber auch die Charaktere haben die Entwicklung bekommen, die sie verdient haben.
  • 74susieq
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great read
    Reviewed in Australia on January 22, 2023
    A book for all lovers of sci-fi fantasy type fiction.
    I am ready to re-read both books in the series.
    Multi-clever Hank has beautifully found his niche in the world of fiction. I think that John has rubbed off on him, and then Hank has moved the Green lens on the world to focus on different aspects of human nature.
  • Ivo
    5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend!
    Reviewed in Brazil on February 25, 2024
    Livro muito bom! Recomendo! Very good book! I recommend!