Everyone has heard of and read about Charles Darwin. But do you know who he read about before his adventures on the Beagle? Alexander Von Humbolt—and Andrea Wulf tells his story in "The Invention of Nature." He’s the original; let’s get out there and see nature, guy.
What I find amazing about this book is after reading it how many times I started noticing things and places named after Humboldt. It's an amazement that is dual-sided, though, because, on the one hand, it's nice to learn about an adventuring scientist I had previously not known about and is honored all over the world, but on the other side, he's been largely forgotten. Not a lot of people know why various squares, parks, and reserves are named Humbolt anymore.
Alexander Von Humboldt was a pioneer of the school of thought that nature should be studied and appreciated. I think we could all use a little more of that wisdom today, given the amount of environmental destruction prevalent in today's world.
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Author's Website: https://www.andreawulf.com/
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