[ Books ] The Invention of Nature' - Andrea Wulf

The Invention of Nature: The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the Lost Hero of Science by Andrea Wulf

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There are two big mountains in front of Caracas, on the mountain chain that separates it from the Caribbean sea. The tallest one is Pico Humboldt, the slightly shorter one is Pico Bonpland: Humboldt’s shadow looms large in South America. His travels and writings are still read and quoted and may have helped set in motion conservationist movements, the beginning of the ecology movement and perhaps progressive political thought. This book is a good reflection of all this, taking us through Humboldt’s life and his impact in an entertaining way -even if it meanders a bit with long detours into the lives of Bolívar, Jefferson and other contemporaries and followers. Recommended. [this was the set reading at Bibliogoth in December 2017).



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