Scan barcode
treesf's review against another edition
4.0
Interessant boek met ontdekking van deze Alexander hoe de kolonisten al de natuur verwoestten
daninithepanini's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
very interesting but also pretty repetitive
sam12213's review against another edition
3.5
(spoilers for a real person's life)
One of the hardest books to rate because fundamentally, I like it, but it is simultaneously two books in one and also not entirely what I expected.
This is more of a straightforward biography rather than a (semi-)philosophical exploration of the concept of nature. That latter bit is present in the handful of chapters that describe Humboldt's influences on other famous people of his time and after - but the presence of those chapters is also what makes the book feel disjointed. I also feel the book isn't really sufficiently critical enough; obviously Humboldt was hugely influential in the way we conceptualise nature, but the fact that this conceptualisation can itself be kind of toxic isn't touched upon at all - even though that is exactly what I would've liked to explore a bit further.
Lastly, while Humboldt himself is by and large a very charming protagonist, I found his life story kind of sad? He spent most of his life chasing the high of the one big trip he was able to take, and his second big trip - to Russia - is treated as a consolation prize even within the book. He was an activist LGBTQ legend, but remained alone all his life, watched most of his friends and family pass away, and died before the slavery which he detested was properly abolished. The book doesn't really touch upon those tragic aspects at all, which left me with a bit of a sour taste.
Anyway, good book, very well-written, but please go into it expecting a biography rather than some sort of philosophical exploration, and you'll have a ball
One of the hardest books to rate because fundamentally, I like it, but it is simultaneously two books in one and also not entirely what I expected.
This is more of a straightforward biography rather than a (semi-)philosophical exploration of the concept of nature. That latter bit is present in the handful of chapters that describe Humboldt's influences on other famous people of his time and after - but the presence of those chapters is also what makes the book feel disjointed. I also feel the book isn't really sufficiently critical enough; obviously Humboldt was hugely influential in the way we conceptualise nature, but the fact that this conceptualisation can itself be kind of toxic isn't touched upon at all - even though that is exactly what I would've liked to explore a bit further.
Lastly, while Humboldt himself is by and large a very charming protagonist, I found his life story kind of sad? He spent most of his life chasing the high of the one big trip he was able to take, and his second big trip - to Russia - is treated as a consolation prize even within the book. He was an activist LGBTQ legend, but remained alone all his life, watched most of his friends and family pass away, and died before the slavery which he detested was properly abolished. The book doesn't really touch upon those tragic aspects at all, which left me with a bit of a sour taste.
Anyway, good book, very well-written, but please go into it expecting a biography rather than some sort of philosophical exploration, and you'll have a ball
goblue22's review against another edition
5.0
Alexander Von Humboldt directly influenced Charles Darwin, Simón Bolívar, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Henry David Thoreau, and John Muir. He discovered the concept of keystone species, the web of life—that all species are connected—climate zones, air currents and highlighted the damaging effects of deforestation and colonization on the environment. Besides from Napoleon, he was the most famous person of his time. And yet today he is largely forgotten. At least I did not know much about him.
This book brings Humboldt’s adventures and influential discoveries to life. It is detailed, yet accessible and all together a great read.
This book brings Humboldt’s adventures and influential discoveries to life. It is detailed, yet accessible and all together a great read.
femv's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Absolutely fantastic book that inspired me so much. While very informative, it’s still an easy and fun read.
logibear8's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
exterm's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like I've read two books.
The first ~half of the book is a biography, the rest is made up of separate stories that are partial biographies of people that are somehow related to Humboldt. I didn't like this structure very much, but thought thta the book was absolutely reading even just for the first part.
The first part is a riveting account of Alexander von Humboldt's life, work, methods, successes and challenges. It gives a glimpse into the mind of a man who was truly ahead of his time, entirely dedicated to the singular purpose of understanding the world, and originator of hundreds of hugely impactful ideas that we take for granted today.
The stories in the second half, while mostly interesting, were only very loosely connected and full of biographical facts that had no relevance to me.
Overall, the book makes a good case for thinking in systems, thinking (and collaborating) across disciplines, and thinking long term. Humboldt's comparative approach to science and his accessible method of science communication unlocked a string of epiphanies for him and others, and the world could use more of that these days.
It is however depressing to read how much Humboldt already understood about our arrogant treatment of minorities and the environment, over 200 years ago, and how little progress has been made on those topics since. Humboldt was concerned about people making unintentional, irreversible changes to the climate and ecosystems of the regions he explored; he would be infuriated if he learned that we've since extended this "method" to the planet as a whole.
The first ~half of the book is a biography, the rest is made up of separate stories that are partial biographies of people that are somehow related to Humboldt. I didn't like this structure very much, but thought thta the book was absolutely reading even just for the first part.
The first part is a riveting account of Alexander von Humboldt's life, work, methods, successes and challenges. It gives a glimpse into the mind of a man who was truly ahead of his time, entirely dedicated to the singular purpose of understanding the world, and originator of hundreds of hugely impactful ideas that we take for granted today.
The stories in the second half, while mostly interesting, were only very loosely connected and full of biographical facts that had no relevance to me.
Overall, the book makes a good case for thinking in systems, thinking (and collaborating) across disciplines, and thinking long term. Humboldt's comparative approach to science and his accessible method of science communication unlocked a string of epiphanies for him and others, and the world could use more of that these days.
It is however depressing to read how much Humboldt already understood about our arrogant treatment of minorities and the environment, over 200 years ago, and how little progress has been made on those topics since. Humboldt was concerned about people making unintentional, irreversible changes to the climate and ecosystems of the regions he explored; he would be infuriated if he learned that we've since extended this "method" to the planet as a whole.