Foreign John Green Books and the Ultimate Concern

In which John Green discusses a few of the foreign editions of his novels Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Paper Towns, all while discussing the idea of an ultimate concern, including the question of whether and how it is possible to live by the utilitarian values advocated for by many nerdfighters.
And there is a brief mention of boobs.
HERE ARE A LOT OF LINKS TO NERDFIGHTASTIC THINGS:
Shirts and Stuff: dftba.com/artist/30/Vlogbrothers
Hank's Music: dftba.com/artist/15/Hank-Green
John's Books: amzn.to/j3LYqo
======================
Hank's Twitter: / hankgreen
Hank's Facebook: / hankimon
Hank's tumblr: / edwardspoonhands
John's Twitter: / realjohngreen
John's Facebook: / johngreenfans
John's tumblr: / fishingboatproceeds
======================
Other Channels
Crash Course: / crashcourse
SciShow: / scishow
Gaming: / hankgames
VidCon: / vidcon
Hank's Channel: / hankschannel
Truth or Fail: / truthorfail
======================
Nerdfighteria
effyeahnerdfighters.com/
effyeahnerdfighters.com/nftumblrs
/ nerdfighters
nerdfighteria.info/
A Bunny
(\(\
( - -)
((') (')

[@xXCreepyNightXx]

in german the fault in our stars translates to "Destiny is a lousy traitor"

[@BB-qo6ks]

hahaha

[@garrigang2429]

In Norwegian it basicly is "Fuck Destiny"

[@tovekauppi1616]

The Swedish title translates to 'sooner or later, I will explode'.

[@josuelservin2409]

+Amilia Ducane In spanish is "Under the same star"

[@jamesb.6177]

Way to be subtle Germans.

[@TheVervada]

Oh my god this is hillarious you mispronounced the french title of paper town in a way that means "The hidden buttcheek of Margo"

[@TheVervada]

instead of the hidden face btw not funny face, which would be a super weird translation

[@yaumelepire6310]

TheVervada, It killed me when I heard it! I am dying dying from laughter, right about... now!

[@clemcl19]

I immediately searched in the comments for this!!

[@sdfghjksdfgh673]

Thank you for giving me this amazing and wonderful peice of information.

[@ArealMrsSmith]

Omg. 2021 and I NEDED THIS LAGH!

[@Norwenyan]

I'm making this comment although you probably won't ever se it. I just wanted to tell you that in Norwegian the fault in our stars is called "faen ta skjebnen" which translates to "fuck destiny".

[@ampz1466]

+Ingrid lol. The person that translated it probably just finished reading.

[@truboo4268]

+Ingrid Well, that does accurately describe Hazel's feelings towards destiny.

[@TerenceClark]

I think the inexplicable shoe is a metaphor that calls to mind the feet that should have been, but are not on the cover of your book.

[@martinhoangnguyen1691]

Rename your book "The Feet In Our Stars"

[@bubblesspongey]

Or "The Fault In Our Feet"

[@albablabla]

martin hoang Nguyen "An Abundance of Feet"

[@albablabla]

martin hoang Nguyen "Let it Feet", "Paper Feet"

[@isaacs8783]

looking for feet Feet all the way down

[@TheNeiraaa]

John speaking Polish sounds like a Sim.

[@jmz1736]

"Ohhhh, inexplicable shoe, you're probably a metaphor but I don't understand you"

[@tiffanywu4823]

In Chinese the fault in our stars translates to "the most beautiful pain"

[@alannar.8701]

It's funny that you mention the thing about how we care more about those who are close to us than those who need us to care about them. I've spent probably about a month collectively staring at the ceiling thinking about that. In fact, let me tell you a story. My school has different themed dances. This October, when everyone was freaking out about Ebola, my school had a dance called a Pink-Out. Everyone wears pink, the decorations are pink, and the proceeds go to fighting breast cancer. My friend and I were walking up the stairwell, talking about how there were much more severe diseases to fight than Ebola. I said, "like Malaria!" She said "or Breast Cancer..." with this look that sort of said "Well, duh." I stopped and said, "Breast cancer kills 40,000 women every year. And that sucks. But malaria kills more than 2.5 times as many people, and most of them are children. I don't see any posters hanging up trying to raise money for malaria nets." She was silent.

[@veddabredda]

Whenever John talks about his love for The Yeti I make the same face I make when I'm watching kitten videos and the kitten does something unbearably adorable.

[@LoveButterflies]

Means The hidden part / face of Margo ^^ It's funny that you pronounced it like The hidden butt of Margo... Love your videos

[@Reilly5]

Well, butts on average are hidden.

[@LupusIsABadDiagnosis]

yoooo I was gonna say something about that too. Make a butt pun (cuz you know, the video's 4years old, someone somewhere for sure pointed that out). Just thought that was funny though, cuz I'm an Amina too!!

[@LoveButterflies]

It's never lupus Hi Amina ❤ ^^

[@themitchweiss]

Sarah's quote was one of my favorites from Looking for Alaska, along with "...we can't know better until knowing better is useless." And, "There comes a time when we realize that our parents cannot save themselves or save us..."

[@nozerty]

The Polish version has the coolest cover by far. Don't know who thought the Italian version was a good idea.

[@Uhohlisa]

The Abundance of Katherines is definitely female feet too...

[@victoriaquinn7730]

"ahhhhhh I should marry you"

[@Klissaczek]

Your polish isn't the best, but hey! you can still work on it :) By the way ,,Buszujący w zbożu XXI wieku'' means XXI century's The Catcher in the Rye.

[@thunder_birdfps8294]

huh that's a cool complement

[@Noemie2018]

The way you pronounced it in French sounded like you were saying "The hidden BUTT of Margo" :'D

[@TinyCanadian]

"AHHHHHH I must marry you" I love you John

[@Ankudamurderer]

I understand the shoe! In the book Kevin [Spoiler redacted] in the chip's shoes.

[@katiehusband1505]

I took a sip of coke before he sang the 'inexplicable shoe' song and I choked

[@RBLXbranefreez]

The book with your name printed Dzon Grin is still pronounce John Green. The Dz' is like the 'dg' is 'judge', the 'on' is the same. The 'i' is pronounced as a 'ee'.

[@mariam19554]

YES THE SERBIAN ONE WOOOOHOOO It's actually read as John Green, just we write as we hear and speak as is written hahaha

[@ivapaunovic7285]

+Dinosaur Hunter yes!!! Serbia rules!!!

[@salibali9]

They way you pronounce "Margos Spuren" is so adorable :D Tfios cover hasn't got ANY feet on it !

[@MadaclyMad]

I love that your and hank's videos inform me and make me think while making me laugh at the same time.

[@t.ula96]

Greetings from Poland! ;D I laughed so hard when you read in Polish. No offense, that was brilliant! ;D But you still need to work on Polish ;) I think it's necessary, you MUST come to Poland because Poland LOVES you ;**

[@Pining_for_the_fjords]

I'm learning Polish, and I believe the Polish text translates as 'Rummaging in the crops (or crop field) of the 21st century' Correction: After googling the phrase 'Buszujący w zbożu', it's the Polish title of Catcher in the Rye. So Looking for Alaska is the Catcher in the Rye of the 21st century.

[@RitaSijelmass]

***** That is actually pretty cool. Way to go Poland!

[@Uhohlisa]

+Conway79 It says that in the video...

[@aashi8316]

You were close!

[@incolourxx2613]

Just learned where John got that amazing quote from in Looking for Alaska... these old vlogs are gold mines!

[@ilamusicalssm]

i always have to watch these videos twice because i keep looking at the books on john and hanks shelves and i get all exited when i see one ive read

[@MissMakea]

I'm german and the feet thing is so true, haha. That´s why i've read your bookd in english

[@alina5374]

German will grayson, will grayson: feet

[@leonietrzeba6778]

True

[@cookiebandit18]

the reason i watch you guys is shown so well right here, you guys strike an amazing balance between comedy and philosophy!

[@bulleland]

Dzon Grin, your vlogs make me calmly and profoundly happy. Just to know that there actually are people out there like you. Thanks for being awesome.

[@AtramentM]

3:24 - great :D Greetings from Poland.

[@singinwithceline]

I get that this video is old and you may not ever see this, but my ultimate concerns are using the talents/skills God gave me to heal the world (or at least part of it) from the horrific aftermath of abuse & trauma & helping people heal from eating disorders. Because it should never hurt to be a child. No one should ever be afraid of their lover or parent or family. Nobody should ever be afraid to go home. Mental illness should not be a taboo source of shame. There should be no stigma. Mental illness is just that-ILLNESS, and needs to be treated with the same sense of urgency & openness that we give physical illness. No one is ashamed to discuss a cold, or cancer, or tell you they see their doctor when needed. So WHY are we ashamed to admit it when asked if we're on depression medication or seeing a therapist? We should not have people dying because they're too scared to ask for help or be admitted to treatment for eating disorders, addictions, and other mental health issues. But that's what happens when you stigmatize sickness. People don't get help & they die. And the world needs beautiful, talented, lovely people who decrease world suck like Demi Lovato and Robin Williams and Whitney Houston and Oprah Winfrey and you and me too much to have them all die or not get help because of a baseless societal LIE that tells us all being mentally ill makes you a bad person.

[@TheSwimTwin]

Every time I watch a new video you make me glad i subscribed.

[@yougogirlphinney28]

Watching vlogbrothers vids once just isn't enough. So as I've been making my way through all the vids from the start (being a recent nerdfighter) I find that I'm actually watching almost all of them at the very least twice in a row. No wonder it's taking me so damn long :P

[@littleducklinglove]

That would be the Hidden Face of Margo. You were close... ish...?

[@theray-raychanel5823]

Haaaaaaaaaaa I must Mary you.

[@L0L0rox]

hahahaha I love this. Your books are awesome. The covers on the foreign books are oh so lovely and hilarious.

[@lfstaib91]

I love the way John talks about Sarah. I also love that John used her words in his book. That's the kind of thing you usually see in sappy romance movies...

[@eesia6130]

In Poland many books are compared to others. Like "As funny as Forrest Gump" or about author that he is "British Stieg Larsson" and usually has little or no sense, but with Looking for Alaska I agree.

[@ZonaHrnjak]

DIZON GRIN... Lol.

[@fatesrelease]

I am soooo excited that you have a BLYTHE doll on your Italian book of Looking for Alaska! Way too cool!

[@LivingWatermelons]

@vlogbrothers John I would just like to let you know that I love when you talk about your books. Though in some ways its better to know nothing about the author of a story, I feel like knowing a little bit about your thought process or the ideas that went into your stories makes them richer somehow. Also, you just made a morning that would otherwise have been exclusively dominated by a comparison essay on emancipation MUCH better. Thank-you.

[@xanderhalsey-dam7623]

Actually, it's pronounced Jon Green Z with a hat makes a zh sound Dzh=J I is actually ee So Jon Green

[@anemaaarie]

actually, in serbian, your name is written as it is spoken in english :D

[@Mrstwiligtloverlovet]

The way you say the the german title of paper towns is just awesome:D

[@autumnsfall25]

The story about the quote is beautiful

[@Barbie6754]

you're genius !..... go on learning polish :3

[@magicturtle3541]

Any Pols here XD

[@agjakku]

I'm surprised at the abundance of them!

[@ktnursingrl12]

The motto they teach us in my public health nursing class is "doing the greatest good, for the greatest number of people, using the available resources" which is pretty similar to what you just said

[@battousai9795]

It's kinda funny to come back to the old videos and realize that some of them have bad video or sound quality, idk if it's because when I was younger I didn't care, because we're used to better quality now, or because I've been getting into filmmaking and I care about that stuff now, but it's a little bit weird.

[@anya6785]

Why was this filmed on a potato?

[@bingbong8649]

Džon grin

[@dinobonoid]

Those book covers are amazing! Alternate book covers are such a treat to look at. The Italian one is pretty kickin' (pun not intended for all the feet references in this video.)

[@jagoandlitefoot]

I am practically dying of laughter at the way you pronounced "wieku" at 3:31. It's so... adorable.

[@smilesfanatic9889]

you don't seem very tired. you seem more high on caffeine. No offense.

[@ChloeMoretzSwift]

me living in germany makes me so sad because the german john green books are just so... ugly.

[@ChloeMoretzSwift]

and thats why i have now bought myself the american version :)

[@piahansson528]

Karla K. Me too! And I'm also from germany :)

[@mosspally6995]

Pia Hansson I love Germany! And I love TFIOS! That makes us family right?

[@piahansson528]

Haha sure :D

[@aratiel]

John, you have voiced what I have been saying and thinking for years: that people (mostly celebrities) are mostly concerned with issues that affect them or their families. It's only natural to donate to charities and causes which are personal to you, which is why I donate to animal shelters and literacy and libraries. But to fully embrace what I previously stated as my ultimate concern ("life") we should reach out to those issues that are beyond our own lives and worlds.

[@amanatee27]

this is a very Good video, and I"m glad I accidentally came across it while trying to determine if your books are translated into Korean/Hangul.

[@Valereea33]

your comment about your french ap test made me laugh like crazy!!

[@clairestehr9896]

I think the shoe is representing something about escaping the labyrinth. Like, in order to escape the labyrinth, you need to be prepared for whatever happens, and once or if you do, you have to lose something that was a personal crutch or requirement in escaping. So for Alaska if life were to be her personal labyrinth, and by escaping it she died, losing her friends and her memories which aided in her escape.

[@StopAnimate827]

!!!! My FAVORITE book EVAR is An Abundance of Katherines! I just started watching your channel today, and I didn't even put two and two together. Wow(:

[@martha_s]

I feel like you're essentializing a ton when discussing "we" & what "we" are doing, but i also recognize that trying to synthesize this topic & discussion we've been having about ultimate concerns in 3 minutes & 37 seconds while also making pithy remarks about foreign editions of your books & filming on a pretty new camera & probably not operating on much sleep because you have an 8 week & 2 day old baby, well, i figure i can cut you some slack. another powerful, thought-provoking video. thanks.

[@VlogUntilDawn]

I always intended on reading all of John Green's books, but after hearing that quote "Imagining the future is a kind of nostalgia" I need to go to the book store NOW and get Looking For Alaska!!!

[@fecklessman]

incredibly thought-provoking video. this deserves a video response... if i've got time i'll come up with one.

[@rachelleio]

John! I'm going to be seeing you in Austin on the 9th! I'm so excited!!!

[@lightspeedius]

This vlog is better than 21 regular vlogs.

[@Javjean]

Watching this makes me feel so old.

[@yamercado2]

after watching this for the first time a few months ago, i got the "inexplicable shoe" song stuck in head for quite some time.

[@socomeoncourage]

what a fantastic video. thank you John Green

[@meteorrejector]

My ultimate concern is my baby cousin having a full, happy life free of worldsuck. I want to make the world suck less for her; for her to live in a world without malaria, cholera, cancer, etc. And I truly would give my life for her happiness.

[@ellagold430]

I love how as the author, he didn't even think of that. CONGRATS!

[@ShadeStar64]

I definately understand what your saying about how most peoples ultimate concerns are utilitarian, but when I think of how to make the world a better place it often doesn't involve making individuals happier, as I have a personal belief that no one person is more important than another, but is about preserving the planet for posterity so that we do not kill off all humans. A huge part of this is accepting death, and how by trying to stop every last person from ever dying, we hurt ourselves.

[@laurride288]

god i love the vlogbrothers. also, on sarah's quote: i used it in a college essay. i think about it all the time. sarah didn't forget to eat her awesome-o's that morning.

[@CanadianSliwka]

The Polish part at the end made my day!!!!! John was so far off on the pronounciation I never would have guessed it was him speaking Polish. I love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! =)

[@aishabe]

1. I love your multiple copies of Let It Snow, I wish you'd do more short story compilation books. 2. I think my ultimate concern at the moment is the location of my Pizza John shirt.

[@vladimirbmp]

FRENCH THE LLAMA, I'm from Serbia too, and I cannot express with words how much I am thrilled to see there are more Nerdfighters in Serbia! I've never met one for all these years.

[@quinngauvin137]

John's pronunciation of the french title of Paper Towns is amazing! Instead of it being "The hidden face of Margo", he said, "The hidden *butt of Margo". Great job with that one, John. I mean, it is technically true, because *all of Margo is hidden, but it is so funny how wrong you are!

[@Aemys]

It's the first video of you that I watch, and I'm hooked! You are very funny. La face cachée de Margo means The hidden face of Margo.

[@ElleIsMadeOfAwesome]

"Inexplicable Shoe" is my new favorite song.

[@CodedLockFilms]

I love the tiny nuggets of information we get about the Yeti every so often. Well, I've thought about it all week, and I've come to the conclusion that I don't know what my primary concern is. I think what that says about me is that I am still young and growing and learning about myself and others, and i like that.

[@phililili23]

I am very impressed with your weight loss. And the books are awesome. And the yeti story made me happy.

[@eragonlover1]

At the beginning of the week, I didn't know what my ultimate concern was. Now, due to Hank and You and Someone Who Wrote A Post On The Ning That I Read, I think mine is the availability of accurate knowledge to all. Like Fahrenheit 451 type stuff.

[@agnieszkakluska2078]

I laughed so hard at the end! By the way, do you know there is no Polish version of An Abundance of Katherines? It's a sad, sad world we live in :(

[@iChakram]

This reminds me of a movie I watched in German class. It's called 'The Lives of Others', and is about East Germans after WWII, and how many are being interrogated for crimes they may or may not have done (with other peoples lives resting on their answers). I think it very well depicts the ultimate concern that you guys talked about, and you definitely should watch it if you haven't yet.

[@PrincessZeldaGirl]

I left nerdfighter notes in your books the otherday in Books-a-million :D

[@RadioactiveGrannyTV]

I love the blythe doll on the italian cover!

[@madhurimagogia2726]

I love it when John breaks the rules and sings for us

[@JinxDagger]

The quote on the back of the Italian version of Looking for Alaska is "Imagine the future knows of regret".

[@hlslatingirlsos]

Off topic, but John, did I just see Cross My Heart and Hope To Spy by Ally Carter in your bookshelf?? You've exceeded your coolness limit!

[@larkavery8915]

I saw that too!

[@dianasof]

That Sarah story was beautiful.I feel selfish when I think that my ultimate concern at the moment is to live life the way I want to, and to ensure my happiness (without hurting others). But after my second cancer surgery, my outlook on life changed. It's not like I spend my time kicking puppies, but I also don't spend my time volunteering at soup kitchens either.

[@dawn8293]

I would fight or die to have been what was needed, and become what was good and right.

[@TheAwesomeOne1ooo]

this video is beautiful.

[@SuperHappyNotMerry]

the Yeti sounds so awesome! The way John talks about her I imagine her being this very sophisticated, awesome woman with like superpowers of awesome!

[@ccubed215]

I spent the first half of the video trying to figure out how the Books and "The Ultimate Concern" were connected.

[@implode573]

That is the first time I enjoyed listening to you sing. Awesome.

[@robertagrella2506]

I'm Italian and when you said "rimpianto" I totally laughed. It's so funny ahah :)

[@WorstRescueEver]

I got very excited that you talked about/showed the german editions :) I recently bought Looking for Alaska as a present for a friend! Haven't read it for myself but I have faith that it's abssolutely fantastic :) also I think it's funny how you pronounce "Spuren" :) It would be more like Shpuren, with that Shhh-sound on the beginning.. and no rolling the "r", we don't have that in german.

[@melanjh]

You just made my day with that shoe song. XD