By Andrea Wulf
Andrea Wulf’s The Invention of Nature tells the forgotten story of Alexander von Humboldt of Prussia (1769-1859). Humbolt was an energetic learner, a bold adventurer of the natural world and the most famous scientist of his age. Through his courageous explorations of the Americas and Russia, Humboldt came to understand the interconnectedness of all of nature and became the first to predict and discuss climate change. He is regarded by many to be the father of environmentalism.
Wulf’s story of Alexander von Humboldt is a page-turning read. She brings Humboldt to life through his relationships with familiar figures like Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, Thomas Jefferson, Charles Darwin, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Simón Bolívar. Her sensitive and passionate eye for detail and her gift of storytelling, makes her account of Humboldt’s scientific contributions appealing to a broad range of readers.
Reviewed by Lisa Newman