Used book "Inventing Nature" [90% new]

Everyone who has experienced a mix of aspiration and tribulation on the path to knowledge can see in Humboldt how one person can dedicate a lifetime's intellect and passion to measuring the world and defining nature.

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※Editor's Recommendations※

☆ "One must aspire to goodness and to the sublime, great things... the rest is left to fate." —Alexander von Humboldt

☆ Rachel Carson's "Silent Spring" was inspired by his concept of "the interconnectedness of all things"

☆ He proposed that "the Earth is a living organic whole" more than 150 years before James Lovelock's "Gaia hypothesis"

☆ Darwin admitted that without his influence, he would not have embarked on the voyage of the "Beagle" nor thought of writing "On the Origin of Species"

☆ Thoreau re-wrote "Walden" after reading his works and exclaimed from the cliffs of Concord: "My soul is with him."

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※Synopsis※

In the 18th century, humanity, with "progress" as its keyword, continuously threw itself into the craze of transforming nature, but gradually lost its reverence for it. Among the many scientists of this period who explored "how to understand nature," there was a Faustian figure: his heart was filled with an unceasing urge for knowledge, not only desiring to travel the world but also attempting to understand the entire cosmos. Deeply influenced by Enlightenment thought, he firmly believed in the necessity of objective experimentation but also valued personal subjective feelings. He combined science and imagination, re-examining nature with a holistic perspective of the "web of life." He was Alexander von Humboldt.

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was praised by King Frederick William IV of Prussia as "the only truly great man since the Deluge." He ventured deep into the dense rainforests of Venezuela, traversed the long Andes mountains, and climbed what was then considered the highest volcano, Mount Chimborazo; he narrowly escaped the jaws of crocodiles with companions, witnessed the brutal fights between wild horses and electric eels, and encountered jaguars in the dense shadows of trees. He integrated his new understanding of nature with a careful observation of the political situation of the time, providing Thomas Jefferson with detailed investigative data and influencing Simón Bolívar's Latin American revolution. Humboldt's vast knowledge of the world not only aroused Napoleon's jealousy but also profoundly influenced poets and scientists such as Goethe, Coleridge, Darwin, Thoreau, and Haeckel. How did Humboldt transform from a young man with a passion for travel into a scientist with global influence? What shaped his new perspective on observing nature? And how did the holistic view of nature generated from this influence generations of intellectuals in the historical evolution of thought? The answers to these questions can be found in "The Invention of Nature."

Andrea Wulf re-traced Humboldt's footsteps to write this book. With vivid prose and extensive research, she interweaves Humboldt's biography, travel adventures, and the evolution of his natural philosophy, not only revealing his pivotal position in the history of science but also building a connection between this naturalist from over 150 years ago and the modern world. Humboldt is like a 21st-century polymath, with a forward-looking perspective far beyond his contemporaries, injecting a sensitive spirit into discussions on slavery, environmental issues, and scientific development. This observer, who bridged science and art, can transcend any era.

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※Media Reviews※

Alexander von Humboldt was a scientist ahead of his time, second only to Napoleon in influence. However, outside of his homeland, Germany, Humboldt's name gradually faded into oblivion. Through vivid prose and meticulous research, Wulf recreates Humboldt's adventurous journey and allows us to rediscover his visionary ecological views. This book reminds everyone: the Earth is an organic whole, and every harm inflicted by humans on the environment will have catastrophic consequences.

——"The New York Times"

Humboldt comes from two centuries ago, yet his words and actions are those of an omniscient intellectual living in 2015, injecting a brilliant intellectual light into today's global scientific and social discussions. Inspired by Humboldt's travel journals, "The Invention of Nature" sometimes reads like a thrilling adventure novel. I believe it's impossible to read "The Invention of Nature" without being captivated by Humboldt. Through this book, Wulf has undoubtedly made us all fall in love with Humboldt.

——Nathaniel Rich, "The New York Review of Books"

From Russia to the South American rainforests to the Himalayas, a brave explorer in pursuit of nature... Wulf injects a Tintin-esque spirit into "The Invention of Nature," with every jungle, every mountain, and every dangerous animal serving as a testament to Humboldt's courageous exploration. Truly a magnificent tribute to a wonderful figure!

——"The Guardian"

Andrea Wulf brings the great 19th-century scientist Alexander von Humboldt back into the modern reader's view. Wulf's analysis of the dissemination of Humboldt's natural philosophy in the subsequent history of scientific thought is stunning. Ms. Wulf emphasizes that every ecologist today harbors a Humboldt within. With phenomena like global climate change sounding the alarm, Humboldt's interdisciplinary approach holds extraordinary significance for discussions of many contemporary real-world issues.

——"The Economist"

This book combines a personal biography, thrilling travel journals, and the dissemination of intellectual history. And this figure, who gave us our familiar view of nature, deserves not only to be re-introduced but also to be celebrated in this era.

——"The Atlantic"

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※Celebrity Recommendations※

An exciting adventure story!

——Bill Bryson, author of "A Short History of Nearly Everything," Chairman of the Royal Society Science Book Prize Committee 2016

Andrea Wulf is a writer with unique sensibility and passionate charm. She always takes us through fascinating history, embarking on a magnificent journey of botanical exploration and scientific discovery. Her works are brilliant, her language concise and seasoned, and every line radiates intellectual brilliance.

——Elizabeth Kolbert, author of "The Sixth Extinction," Pulitzer Prize winner for non-fiction writing

"The Invention of Nature" is a grand, magnificent book of exploration, with such vivid writing and detailed research, truly a geographical pilgrimage and an intellectual epic. This book traces the intellectual convergence of Humboldt with Simón Bolívar, Charles Darwin, William Herschel, Charles Lyell, Walt Whitman, Edgar Allan Poe, Henry David Thoreau, and George Perkins Marsh. Truly a profound and excellent work.

——Richard Holmes, author of "Coleridge and The Age of Wonder"

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※Awards and Recognition※

First China Nature Good Books Award · Annual Thought Prize

Selected for the 13th National Library Wenjin Book Award Recommended List

Shortlisted for the 13th Wenjin Book Award

No. 1 on Douban's 2017 Annual Books Science & New Knowledge List

Award-winning work of First Financial's 2017 Top Ten Nature Good Books

Award-winning work of "Global Science"'s 2017 Most Beautiful Science Reading

Royal Society Science Book Prize 2016

Los Angeles Times Book Prize 2016

Costa Book Award for Biography 2015

The New York Times Ten Best Books of 2015

"The Economist," "The Guardian," "Publishers Weekly," "Kirkus Reviews," "Nature," "The Atlantic," "New Scientist," "The Independent," "The Mirror," "The Sunday Times" Best Books of 2015