The Invention of Nature

Wulf (author), Andrea (author)

The Adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the Lost Hero of Science

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, Captain Nemo owned all his many books. 

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. 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.

Andrea Wulf was born India, moved to Germany as a child, and now lives in Britain. She is the author of several books. Her book “Brother Gardeners” won the American Horticultural Society 2010 Book Award and was long-listed for the Samuel Johnson Prize 2008. The “Founding Gardeners” was published under great acclaim in spring 2011 and made it on the New York Times Best Seller List. Andrea has written for many newspapers including the Guardian, the LA Times and the New York Times. She was the Eccles British Library Writer in Residence 2013 and a three-time fellow of the International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello. She is also appears regularly NPR in the US, and on BBC radio and TV programmes in the UK.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ John Murray; 1st ed (24 Mar. 2016)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1848549005
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.8 x 3.4 x 19.6 cm