The Invention of Nature

Andrea Wulf

• 17 november 2015
• 9781473637184

Samenvatting:

Before Longitude no one remembered John Harrison. The Invention of Nature does the same for Alexander von Humboldt

'A big, magnificent, adventurous book - vividly written and daringly researched' Richard Holmes

'A truly wonderful book . . . This is one of the most exciting, intellectual biographies I have ever read' A. N. Wilson

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) is the great lost scientist: more things are named after him than anyone else including towns, rivers, mountain ranges, a penguin, a giant squid - even the Mare Humboldtianum on the moon.

His colourful adventures read like something from Boy's Own: Humboldt explored deep into the rainforest, climbed the world's highest volcanoes and inspired princes and presidents, scientists and poets.

Taking us on a fantastic voyage in his footsteps, Andrea Wulf shows why his life and ideas remain so important today. Humboldt predicted human-induced climate change as early as 1800, and The Invention of Nature traces his ideas as they go on to revolutionize and shape science, conservation, nature writing, politics, art and the theory of evolution. His way of thinking was so far ahead of his time that it's only now coming into its own. Alexander von Humboldt really did invent the way we see nature.
Andrea Wulf was born in India, moved to Germany as a child, and now lives in England. She is the author of several acclaimed books including the prizewinning The Brother Gardeners and the New York Times bestseller Founding Gardeners. She has written for many newspapers including the Guardian, LA Times and New York Times and appears regularly on TV and radio.

www.johnmurray.co.uk
www.andreawulf.com@johnmurrays @andrea_wulf #InventionOfNature

WINNER OF THE 2015 COSTA BIOGRAPHY AWARD

WINNER OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY PRIZE 2016


'Dazzling' Literary Review

'Brilliant' Sunday Express

'Extraordinary and gripping' New Scientist

'A superb biography' The Economist

'An exhilarating armchair voyage' GILES MILTON, Mail on Sunday

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) is the great lost scientist - more things are named after him than anyone else. There are towns, rivers, mountain ranges, the ocean current that runs along the South American coast, there's a penguin, a giant squid - even the Mare Humboldtianum on the moon.

His colourful adventures read like something out of a Boy's Own story: Humboldt explored deep into the rainforest, climbed the world's highest volcanoes and inspired princes and presidents, scientists and poets alike. Napoleon was jealous of him; Simon Bolívar's revolution was fuelled by his ideas; Darwin set sail on the Beagle because of Humboldt; and Jules Verne's Captain Nemo owned all his many books. He simply was, as one contemporary put it, 'the greatest man since the Deluge'.

Taking us on a fantastic voyage in his footsteps - racing across anthrax-infected Russia or mapping tropical rivers alive with crocodiles - Andrea Wulf shows why his life and ideas remain so important today. Humboldt predicted human-induced climate change as early as 1800, and The Invention of Nature traces his ideas as they go on to revolutionize and shape science, conservation, nature writing, politics, art and the theory of evolution. He wanted to know and understand everything and his way of thinking was so far ahead of his time that it's only coming into its own now. Alexander von Humboldt really did invent the way we see nature.

Recorded by arrangement with Doubleday, an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC; (P)2015 Highbridge, a division of Recorded Books