From the Bookshelf of Science and Inquiry…

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

Andrea Wulf

Start date: May 1, 2016

Finish date: May 31, 2016

Discussion: Book Club 2016

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Book Club 2016

* December 2016 - Wizards, Aliens
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Jan 21, 2016 Charlene rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, biology, history, climate, ecology, mindgasms, philosophy, biography, constructs, politics

This book is now #1 on my list of favorite books of all time.

When I was 16 I was an unwavering atheist and became incredibly obsessed with my own personal holy trinity: Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, and Edgar Allen Poe. I loved Darwin's writing style and how he used facts over belief to understand the world. Thoreau's depiction of the world was depressing and heartbreakingly beautiful, just the RX my confused teenage brain needed at that time. It was a fantastic mindgasm to come to under This book is now #1 on my list of favorite books of all time.

When I was 16 I was an unwavering atheist and became incredibly obsessed with my own personal holy trinity: Charles Darwin, Henry David Thoreau, and Edgar Allen Poe. I loved Darwin's writing style and how he used facts over belief to understand the world. Thoreau's depiction of the world was depressing and heartbreakingly beautiful, just the RX my confused teenage brain needed at that time. It was a fantastic mindgasm to come to understand how Thoreau felt himself outside of the world to a certain extent, while still being in it, so much so, that he saw its beauty so keenly and felt it on a visceral level. Thoreau, to me, was almost a real life Zarathustra (though I am not sure I would agree with my younger self about that anymore). Poe simply excited me to my core. Funny enough, I can only enjoy Darwin in my adulthood. Both Thoreau and Poe lost their hold on me long ago. But for so long, I tried to live my life through their eyes, imagining I was them; the scientist, the transcendental lover of Earth, and the creative writer. I had no idea, until reading this book, that all three of my idols held von Humboldt as their idol and had inspired each of Darwin and Thoreau's major works and inspired Poe's Eureka. To a certain degree, since I consumed those works with such intensity, I feel as if I had been idolizing von Humboldt for so long without ever knowing it.

Until reading this book, my knowledge of von Humboldt had come from reading about other scientists, especially Darwin. Everyone knows who Darwin is, what he studied, and what came of that study. He is credited for effecting one of the most major paradigm shifts in the history of science. Yet, how many people have heard of von Humboldt? How many of those who have heard of him were able to retain what they knew of him? How was he depicted? As a side character? As an influence? How many people really know all that he accomplished? Why is his name not as well known as Darwin's? This author brought von Humboldt out of the shadows to place him front and center, demonstrating he was as an important scientific figure as Darwin, if not more so.

During his lifetime, von Humboldt set the stage for the theory of evolution, the theory of plate tectonics, the theory of the web of life and ecosystems (which also means he set the stage for the very new study of networks/systems science), and the study of human precipitated climate change. He did all of this hundreds of years before scientists came to understand the depth to which he was trying to describe the earth and larger universe, and how it is connected. Humboldt was extremely passionate about writing for the masses. He wanted to make science relatable to the nonscientist. He believed jargon should be kept in the margins and relatable text should fill every page of a science book, to help the reader connect to the true beauty of the natural world. For Humboldt, there was no need of a god. Understanding the facts of it all *was* religion; it *was* a spiritual experience. Despite his plain writing and ability to convey science on this level, his ideas were still not mainstream because he was on the cutting edge to an extreme degree. Plate tectonics, which he came to understand in the late 1700s- early 1800s would not be understood to any reasonable degree for another 100 years. Ecology would only be mildly understood until now! We are just beginning to understand ecosystems as networks, understanding how life itself emerges, how species emerge, how species are not only connected to smaller ecosystems but how each ecosystem is connected on a global level and ecosystems affect the climate of the earth itself. Two hundred years later, humans are still debating if human hastened climate change is real. With such a tiny amount of information available to him, Humboldt could already recognize the negative effects of human actions on the global health of the planet.

Despite being right on the mark about so many phenomena, Humboldt's contributions are largely understated. I understand that this is more the case in America than in various other countries, but considering his significant contribution to almost every aspect of natural science, it should not be the case in any country. Being a German scientists, anti-German sentiments played a role in wiping his name from the many streets and other places that were named for him. Many prewar German scientist's books were burned. It's time to revisit his contribution and pay him the proper recognition. It is quite clear von Humboldt, who believed no race was superior to any other race, would not have agreed with the treatment of the Jewish people in his country and in neighboring countries.

Humboldt's inner drive to understand and convey the dynamic nature of the world was unstoppable. As you will learn in this book, he was kept from exploring for much longer than he could bear. The moment he was allowed to go free into the wider world, he did. He spent every penny he had on that exploration as in the aid of others who were also exploring the natural world. He paid for his own printing, his supplies, his travel, etc. He ate almost nothing so that he could fund other scientists to carry out this important work. In this, he very much reminds me of the beautiful Michelangelo. And in a way, von Humboldt was the Michelangelo of the natural world. He studied its beauty in great detail, just as Michelangelo stole a corpse and studied its every muscle and organ. Von Humboldt sculpted that beauty for all to see, but instead of using Carrara marble, he used words in books to create a shape, a vision, that everyone could see. Like Darwin, von Humboldt, at least in his early years, cared more about the science than fame. After he earned his stripes, it appears he was fairly domineering in presence and conversation, sometimes obnoxiously so. However, it seems it might have been a product of aging? I am not sure what to make of that. What I do know is that his work in uncovering the natural laws was every bit as significant as Copernicus', Newton's, Darwin's, and Einsteins, and his name should always appear whenever these familiar examples are given.

If you have not read a book focused entirely on von Humboldt, then you have not completed your education of the history of science. It's that cut and dry. And, if you are going to read a book about von Humboldt, make it this one. A+ ...more

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Jun 27, 2018 Navi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, science, history-of-science, kindle, 500-pages-plus, biography

I am really happy that I took the time to savour this book. Wulf does an incredible job painting a portrait of a relatively unknown figure, through her evocative and well-researched biography. Throughout this book, I could not believe that I had never heard of Alexander von Humboldt. He was a polymath, explorer, naturalist and writer who had a life full of adventure, discoveries and influence.

Humboldt devoted his whole life to traveling and studying in attempts to understand the natural world a ...more

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Jul 03, 2016 Katy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: history, math-science

Excellent book! Alexander Von Humboldt is a hero for science & nature and was ahead of his time. We can all still learn from him and from those who were influenced by him.

8 likes · Like · see review

Mar 24, 2017 Kathleen rated it really liked it

It is amazing that Humboldt isn't well known. So many landmarks are named after him and so many well known historical figures were not only influenced by him , but we're extravagantly enthralled by him. Anyway, this is an enjoyable read. ...more

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