The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea WulfMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Hooter: Biography of Nature's Indiana Jones
Humboldt is a name that hasn't really made the front page of science and history in recent times but Andrea Wulf's take on him provides insight into this scientist and adventurer who unlike his predecessors went around the world in quest of gold, glory and god, Humboldt probably focused on glory in the pursuit of science and nature. Travelling across South America, Europe and Russia, his adventures along with his great oratory skills and writing skills made him a toast of the populace in his prime - amply helped by a rich inheritance his father had left behind.
The book dedicates chapters to individuals who were heavily inspired by Humboldt like Thoreau, Darwin, Haeckel and Marsh to name a few. He was probably one of the first to talk about the interconnectedness of the entire planet and the ecosystem and how an ecological disaster was a ticking time bomb as humans played against nature - for eg: deforestation in place for cash crops and the long term side effects of monoculture being one such example- just maybe not in so many words and jargon as these were concepts ahead of his time.
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