The Invention of Nature

The splendid biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science and father of ecology.

The Invention of Nature reveals the extraordinary life of the visionary German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) and how he created a new way of understanding nature.

Humboldt was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his time. His eventful life was full of adventures and discoveries: he climbed the highest volcanoes in the world, rowed down the Orinoco, and crossed a Siberia infested with anthrax. Capable of perceiving nature as an interconnected global force, Humboldt discovered similarities between different climatic zones around the world, and foresaw the danger of human-induced climate change.

He turned scientific observation into poetic narrative, and his writings inspired not only naturalists and writers such as Darwin, Wordsworth, and Goethe, but also politicians such as Jefferson and Simón Bolívar. Furthermore, it was Humboldt's ideas that led John Muir to persevere in his theories, and Thoreau to write his Walden. Wulf traces Humboldt's influence on the great minds of his time, whom he inspired in fields such as revolution, evolutionary theory, ecology, conservation, art, and literature.

A reading that gains importance on World Environment Day.

The Invention of Nature is among the best books of the year according to The New York Times, The Independent and Publishers Weekly among others.

Reviews:
«My favorite book by far is this incredible biography about the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed our way of seeing the natural world and who shaped modern environmental consciousness. A friend of Goethe, he influenced Darwin, Thomas Jefferson, and Bolívar. He showed a unified vision of life. Today we put ourselves in his shoes when we discuss climate change. An overlooked thinker, despite being a powerful reminder of voices that warned about overexploitation, pollution, and human rights.»
Francesca Thyssen, ABC ("30 books for quarantine")

«A sensational read. Andrea Wulf's superb new book tackles the figure of Alexander von Humboldt. The Invention of Nature is a very high-quality tribute to a captivating figure.»
Simon Winder, The Guardian

«An exciting book. [...] It is impossible to read The Invention of Nature without contracting Humboldt fever. Wulf has the power to make us all Humboldtian. At times it reads like adventure literature, and Wulf's research has almost Humboldtian dimensions.»
New York Review of Books

«It achieves its goal of rescuing Humboldt's reputation from the crack into which he and many other German writers and scientists fell after World War II.»
The Independent

«Wulf demonstrates that Humboldt was a true visionary, whose perspective is more relevant today than ever.»
Booklist

«A brilliantly written biography. As this wonderful book shows, Humboldt's figure should be incorporated urgently into all educational programs on Earth.»
The Scotsman