The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

This biography examines Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a German naturalist and polymath who was the most famous scientist of his era. Humboldt's work fundamentally changed how we understand the natural world. He developed a conception of nature as a complex, interconnected global force independent of human use—a radical idea that laid the groundwork for modern environmentalism. Humboldt made numerous significant contributions to science, including predicting human-induced climate change. He conducted daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the steppes of Siberia. He knew prominent figures including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson, and his writings influenced Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and others. In North America, his name remains attached to towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river, yet he has largely faded from public memory. Andrea Wulf's biography restores focus to Humboldt's life and legacy, demonstrating how his ideas continue to form the foundation of modern environmentalism.