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A review by bramboomen
The Invention of Nature: Alexander Von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf
4.0
There are a lot of reasons to like this book. It tells a part of the history of science which is not often explored. Wulf does this with an enthousiasm that is infectious. Her writing is clear, not overly poetic and you can really notice her fascination with Humboldt. Also, it can't be that easy to write an easily accessible, historical biography about a scientist, however interesting he might be.
I would have liked to read more about Humboldt's travels in South America and Russia. Instinctively, I expected the bulk of the book to be about these adventures. However these chapters flew by while Humboldt travelled from Cuba to Peru in a matter of paragraphs.
If there was one annoyance in reading this book, it was the repetition that started to occur halfway through. I did not need to be told every page that Humboldt loved nature, that he talked very fast, that he understood things in a profoundly unique way, that he loved nature, that nobody had ever done what he had done and that he loved nature very much. As I started to notice this pattern I also started to glaze over some parts, especially the last few chapters.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and I share Wulf's confusion as to why Humboldt is not more prominent in our history books.
I would have liked to read more about Humboldt's travels in South America and Russia. Instinctively, I expected the bulk of the book to be about these adventures. However these chapters flew by while Humboldt travelled from Cuba to Peru in a matter of paragraphs.
If there was one annoyance in reading this book, it was the repetition that started to occur halfway through. I did not need to be told every page that Humboldt loved nature, that he talked very fast, that he understood things in a profoundly unique way, that he loved nature, that nobody had ever done what he had done and that he loved nature very much. As I started to notice this pattern I also started to glaze over some parts, especially the last few chapters.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed the book and I share Wulf's confusion as to why Humboldt is not more prominent in our history books.