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

The acclaimed author of The Brother Gardeners and Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of the visionary German naturalist whose ideas continue to influence how we view ourselves and our relationship with the natural world today. Alexander von Humboldt (1769 - 1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthrax-infested Siberia. He came up with a radical vision of nature, that it was a complex and interconnected global force and did not exist for man's use alone. Ironically, his ideas have become so accepted and widespread that he has been nearly forgotten. Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his investigation of wild environments around the world; his discoveries of similarities between climate zones on different continents; his prediction of human-induced... Alexander Von Humboldt (1769–1859) Was An Intrepid Explorer And The Most Famous Scientist Of His Age. In North America, His Name Still Graces Four Counties, Thirteen Towns, A River, Parks, Bays, Lakes, And Mountains. His Restless Life Was Packed With Adventure And Discovery, Whether He Was Climbing The Highest Volcanoes In The World Or Racing Through Anthrax-infected Siberia Or Translating His Research Into Bestselling Publications That Changed Science And Thinking. Among Humboldt’s Most Revolutionary Ideas Was A Radical Vision Of Nature, That It Is A Complex And Interconnected Global Force That Does Not Exist For The Use Of Humankind Alone. Now Andrea Wulf Brings The Man And His Achievements Back Into Focus: His Daring Expeditions And Investigation Of Wild Environments Around The World And His Discoveries Of Similarities Between Climate And Vegetation Zones On Different Continents. She Also Discusses His Prediction Of Human-induced Climate Change, His Remarkable Ability To Fashion Poetic Narrative Out Of Scientific Observation, And His Relationships With Iconic Figures Such As Simón Bolívar And Thomas Jefferson. Wulf Examines How Humboldt’s Writings Inspired Other Naturalists And Poets Such As Darwin, Wordsworth, And Goethe, And She Makes The Compelling Case That It Was Humboldt’s Influence That Led John Muir To His Ideas Of Natural Preservation And That Shaped Thoreau’s Walden. With This Brilliantly Researched And Compellingly Written Book, Andrea Wulf Shows The Myriad Fundamental Ways In Which Humboldt Created Our Understanding Of The Natural World, And She Champions A Renewed Interest In This Vital And Lost Player In Environmental History And Science.-- Part I. Departure : Emerging Ideas. 1. Beginnings ; 2. Imagination And Nature : Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe And Humboldt ; 3. In Search Of A Destination -- Part Ii. Arrival : Collecting Ideas. 4. South America ; 5. The Llanos And The Orinoco ; 6. Across The Andes ; 7. Chimborazo ; 8. Politics And Nature : Thomas Jefferson And Humboldt -- Part Iii. Return : Sorting Ideas. 9. Europe ; 10. Berlin ; 11. Paris ; 12. Revolutions And Nature : Simón Bolívar And Humboldt ; 13. London ; 14. Going In Circles : Maladie Centrifuge -- Part Iv. Influence : Spreading Ideas. 15. Return To Berlin ; 16. Russia ; 17. Evolution And Nature : Charles Darwin And Humboldt ; 18. Humbolt's Cosmos ; 19. Poetry, Science And Nature : Henry David Thoreau And Humboldt -- Part V. New Worlds : Evolving Ideas. 20. The Greatest Man Since The Deluge ; 21. Man And Nature : George Perkins Marsh And Humboldt ; 22. Art, Ecology And Nature : Ernst Haeckel And Humboldt ; 23. Preservation And Nature : John Muir And Humboldt. Andrea Wulf. This Is A Borzio Book--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 435-455) And Index. From the Prologue... When nature is perceived as a web, its vulnerability also becomes obvious. Everything hangs together. If one thread is pulled, the whole tapestry may unravel. After he saw the devastating environmental effects of colonial plantations at Lake Valencia in Venezuela in 1800, Humboldt became the first scientist to talk about harmful human-induced climate change. Deforestation there had made the land barren, water levels of the lake were falling and with the disappearance of brushwood torrential rains had washed away the soils on the surrounding mountain slopes. Humboldt was the first to explain the forest's ability to enrich the atmosphere with moisture and its cooling effect, as well as its importance for water retention and protection against soil erosion. He warned that humans were meddling with the climate and that this could have an unforeseeable impact on ‘future generations'. The Invention of Nature traces the invisible threads that connect us to this extraordinary man. Humboldt influenced many of the greatest thinkers, artists and scientists of his day. Thomas Jefferson called him ‘one of the greatest ornaments of the age'. Charles Darwin wrote that ‘nothing ever stimulated my zeal so much as reading Humboldt's Personal Narrative,' saying that he would not have boarded the Beagle, nor conceived of the Origin of Species, without Humboldt. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge both incorporated Humboldt's concept of nature into their poems. And America's most revered nature writer, Henry David Thoreau, found in Humboldt's books an answer to his dilemma on how to be a poet and a naturalist – Walden would have been a very different book without Humboldt. Simón Bolívar, the revolutionary who liberated South America from Spanish colonial rule, called Humboldt the ‘discoverer of the New World' and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Germany's greatest poet, declared that spending a few days with Humboldt was like ‘having lived several years'. The acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world--and in the process created modern environmentalism. Alexander von Humboldt (1769--1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. In North America, his name still graces four counties, thirteen towns, a river, parks, bays, lakes, and mountains. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether he was climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthrax-infected Siberia or translating his research into bestselling publications that changed science and thinking. Among Humboldt's most revolutionary ideas was a radical vision of nature, that it is a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his daring expeditions and investigation of wild environments around the world and his discoveries of similarities between climate and vegetation zones on different continents. She also discusses his prediction of human-induced climate change, his remarkable ability to fashion poetic narrative out of scientific observation, and his relationships with iconic figures such as Sim?n Bol?var and Thomas Jefferson. Wulf examines how Humboldt's writings inspired other naturalists and poets such as Darwin, Wordsworth, and Goethe, and she makes the compelling case that it was Humboldt's influence that led John Muir to his ideas of natural preservation and that shaped Thoreau's Walden . With this brilliantly researched and compellingly written book, Andrea Wulf shows the myriad fundamental ways in which Humboldt created our understanding of the natural world, and she champions a renewed interest in this vital and lost player in environmental history and science. From the Hardcover edition The acclaimed author of The Brother Gardeners and Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of the visionary German naturalist whose ideas continue to influence how we view ourselves and our relationship with the natural world today.Alexander von Humboldt (1769 - 1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthrax-infested Siberia. He came up with a radical vision of nature, that it was a complex and interconnected global force and did not exist for man's use alone. Ironically, his ideas have become so accepted and widespread that he has been nearly forgotten. Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his investigation of wild environments around the world; his discoveries of similarities between climate zones on different continents; his prediction of human-induced climate change; his remarkable ability to fashion poetic narrative out of scientific observation; and his relationships with iconic figures such as Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson. Wulf examines how his writings inspired other naturalists and poets such as Wordsworth, Darwin, and Goethe, and she makes the compelling case that it was Humboldt's influence on John Muir that led him to his ideas of preservation and that shaped Thoreau's Walden. Humboldt was the most interdisciplinary of scientists and is the forgotten father of environmentalism. With this brilliantly researched and compellingly written book, she makes clear the myriad, fundamental ways that Humboldt created our understanding of the natural world.From the Hardcover edition NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The acclaimed author of Founding Gardeners reveals the forgotten life of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world—and in the process created modern environmentalism. "Vivid and exciting.... Wulf’s pulsating account brings this dazzling figure back into a dazzling, much-deserved focus.” —The Boston Globe Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was the most famous scientist of his age, a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. Among his most revolutionary ideas was a radical conception of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. In North America, Humboldt’s name still graces towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river. And yet the man has been all but forgotten. In this illuminating biography, Andrea Wulf brings Humboldt’s extraordinary life back into focus: his prediction of human-induced climate change; his daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the anthrax-infected steppes of Siberia; his relationships with iconic figures, including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson; and the lasting influence of his writings on Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and many others. Brilliantly researched and stunningly written, The Invention of Nature reveals the myriad ways in which Humboldt’s ideas form the foundation of modern environmentalism—and reminds us why they are as prescient and vital as ever. NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A biography of Alexander von Humboldt, the visionary German naturalist whose ideas changed the way we see the natural world—and in the process created modern environmentalism. • From the acclaimed author of Magnificent Rebels. "Vivid and exciting.... Wulf’s pulsating account brings this dazzling figure back into a dazzling, much-deserved focus.” — The Boston Globe Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was the most famous scientist of his age, a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. Among his most revolutionary ideas was a radical conception of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. In North America, Humboldt’s name still graces towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river. And yet the man has been all but forgotten. In this illuminating biography, Andrea Wulf brings Humboldt’s extraordinary life back into focus: his prediction of human-induced climate change; his daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the anthrax-infected steppes of Siberia; his relationships with iconic figures, including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson; and the lasting influence of his writings on Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and many others. Brilliantly researched and stunningly written, The Invention of Nature reveals the myriad ways in which Humboldt’s ideas form the foundation of modern environmentalism—and reminds us why they are as prescient and vital as ever. Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. In North America, his name still graces counties, towns, a river, parks, bays, lakes, and mountains. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether he was climbing volcanoes, racing through Siberia, or translating his research into bestselling publications that changed science. Among Humboldt's most revolutionary ideas was a radical vision of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his daring expeditions and investigation of wild environments around the world and his discoveries of similarities between climate and vegetation zones on different continents. She also discusses his prediction of human-induced climate change, his remarkable ability to fashion poetic narrative out of scientific observation, and his relationships with iconic figures such as Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson. Wulf examines how Humboldt's writings inspired other naturalists and poets such as Darwin, Wordsworth, and Goethe, and she makes the case that it was Humboldt's influence that led John Muir to his ideas of natural preservation and that shaped Thoreau's Walden. Wulf shows how Humboldt created our understanding of the natural world, and champions a renewed interest in this vital player in environmental history and science.-- Adapted from book jacket " ... Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age ... Now Andrea Wulf brings the man and his achievements back into focus: his daring expeditions and investigation of wild environments around the world and his discoveries of similarities between climate and vegetation zones on different continents. She also discusses his prediction of human-induced climate change, his remarkable ability to fashion poetic narrative out of scientific observation, and his relationships with iconic figures such as Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson. Wulf examines how Humboldt's writings inspired other naturalists and poets such as Darwin, Wordsworth, and Goethe, and she makes the case that it was Humboldt's influence that led John Muir to his ideas of natural preservation and that shaped Thoreau's Walden ..."--Jacket None None None DEPARTURE: EMERGING IDEAS Beginnings Imagination and Nature: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Humboldt In Search of a Destination ARRIVAL: COLLECTING IDEAS South America The Llanos and the Orinoco Across the Andes Chimborazo Politics and Nature: Thomas Jefferson and Humboldt RETURN: SORTING IDEAS Europe Berlin Paris Revolutions and Nature: Simón Bolívar and Humboldt London Going in Circles: Maladie Centrifuge INFLUENCE: SPREADING IDEAS Return to Berlin Russia Evolution and Nature: Charles Darwin and Humboldt Humboldt's Cosmos Poetry, Science and Nature: Henry David Thoreau and Humboldt NEW WORLDS: EVOLVING IDEAS The Greatest Man Since the Deluge Man and Nature: George Perkins Marsh and Humboldt Art, Ecology and Nature: Ernst Haeckel and Humboldt Preservation and Nature: John Muir and Humboldt None None None None None None None A portrait of the German naturalist reveals his ongoing influence on humanity's relationship with the natural world today, discussing such topics as his views on climate change, conservation, and nature as a resource for all life