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

Andrea Wulf

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

Recommendation inspired by:
Who is Alexander von Humboldt? - George Mehler

Why we love this book:

The Invention of Nature tells the story of a visionary whose ideas are much more famous than his name, reaching beyond the usual boundaries of biography to explore Humboldt’s influence on revolutionaries, poets, and scientists on three different continents. What stuck with me most of all were the frustrations and setbacks that characterized his life as much as discovery and adventure. It made me hopeful and a little bit sad — in a good way.

Recommended by:
Elizabeth Cox, TED-Ed Team

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