Overall, this was a rather fascinating, informative, and even at times, inspiring book on Alexander von Humboldt, who I had previously never heard of. Not only did I enjoy the largely first half of the book but also the sections on Bolivar, Darwin, and Thoreau! Personally, I could have done without the sections on Muir, Marsh and Haeckel.

However, I found myself pulled out for multiple reasons. Wulf is totally enamored with Humboldt to the point that there is never a moment of non-positive portrayal of this man. Not even ambivalence. He was an anti-monarchist while working for the monarchy. He was a slavery abolitionist while making pals with enslavers. He was anti-colonial while providing documents to a colony, the United States, that contained information about the Spanish colonies that were oh so more barbaric than it. In a way, Humboldt was placed on a pedestal compared to his contemporaries including the ones that actually risked their lives for their beliefs. He criticized Bolivar and many others when he did nothing but live off the dime of oppressors and write half a million letters.

Also, the framing of Humboldt as 'inventing' nature is not something that I found that I could take seriously. I can believe that he was one of, if not the first person, to publish ideas that had never been expressed before in a popular work such as humans and nature being one or the negative impact of colonialism on nature. However, I find it difficult to believe that he was the first person to ever say these things. With the way that Wulf largely uses colonialism and slavery to bolster his image, it aligns perfectly with referring to him as not only being responsible for the spread of certain ideas but the existence of said ideas in the first place.

As for him being largely forgiven, Humboldt, while brilliant, lacked a major scientific theory that others could test out and build upon. So much of his work was about nature as it is connected to itself or to humans. Where was his evolution theory? He may have influenced many others but his most influential works were not fully scientific but spiritual in terms of nature and its perception. There has to be other reasons why he is forgotten when other German scientists are remembered.

Despite my criticisms, I do believe that this is well-researched and that the passion that Wulf has for the topic can be read in between the lines. I also found myself enamored with Humboldt's personality, his adventures, his passion, and the infatuation that his followers had with him and his research. I would not say no to reading more about his obsessive friendships with other men as well as some of his own writing on nature.

I will also say that this book filled me with rage many times because of the warnings about climate change going ignored by those in power across the world. Now, we're truly in for it because of greed.

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

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

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