Oceana2602's review of Die Vermessung der Welt
Die Vermessung der Welt by Daniel Kehlmann
Oceana2602's review
rating:
bookshelves:
2008,
biographies,
german,
science
recommended for:
everyone
status:
Read in January, 2008
Daniel Kehlmann's Measuring the World was one of my birthday presents last year, and I waited almost a year to finally read it. Even though it had been on my wishlist, when it suddenly sat there on my shelf, the idea of reading about pre-industrialization Germany, about Humboldt and Gauß, two boring old scientist, seemed rather dreadful.
I should have known better. Measuring the World is not a science book. It's not about two boring old men either, though it is about two old scientist. And the way Kehlmann describes them, you feel as if you had known them forever from the first moment. Humboldt's enthusiam, his absolute NEED to measure things, to experience, not to miss anything no matter at what cost, is as palpable as Gauß's displeasure at traveling, a cranky old geezer is, I think, what one would call him (or "ein griesgrämiger alter Kauz"). Kehlmann makes both of them exceptionally human, with all the flaws, and at the same time manages to describe their genius with...more
I should have known better. Measuring the World is not a science book. It's not about two boring old men either, though it is about two old scientist. And the way Kehlmann describes them, you feel as if you had known them forever from the first moment. Humboldt's enthusiam, his absolute NEED to measure things, to experience, not to miss anything no matter at what cost, is as palpable as Gauß's displeasure at traveling, a cranky old geezer is, I think, what one would call him (or "ein griesgrämiger alter Kauz"). Kehlmann makes both of them exceptionally human, with all the flaws, and at the same time manages to describe their genius with...more
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