"The Invention of Nature" could be a good read for anyone interested in the history of science and environmentalism. This book presents an in-depth account of Alexander von Humboldt’s life, his expeditions, and his discoveries, highlighting his revolutionary ideas of a complex interconnected global force called nature. The author presents a compelling case of how Humboldt influenced other naturalists and writers, and how his work shaped environmental thinking. The book has won several awards and is highly recommended for those who want to learn about the history of modern environmentalism.

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• Royal Society Science Book Prize (2016)
• Costa Book Award for Biography (2015)
• Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Science and Technology (2015)
• Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (Shortlist) (2016)
• Kirkus Prize Nominee for Nonfiction (Finalist) (2015)
• Dingle Prize for History of Science (2017)
• Cundill History Prize Nominee for Finalist (2016)

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was the most famous scientist of his age, a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. Among his most revolutionary ideas was a radical conception of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. In North America, Humboldt’s name still graces towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river. And yet the man has been all but forgotten. In this illuminating biography, Andrea Wulf brings Humboldt’s extraordinary life back into focus: his prediction of human-induced climate change; his daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the anthrax-infected steppes of Siberia; his relationships with iconic figures, including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson; and the lasting influence of his writings on Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and many others. Brilliantly researched and stunningly written, The Invention of Nature reveals the myriad ways in which Humboldt’s ideas form the foundation of modern environmentalism—and reminds us why they are as prescient and vital as ever.

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