The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World

The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt’s New World
By Andrea Wulf
Alexander von Humboldt may have been the pre-eminent scientist of his era, second in fame only to Napoleon, but outside his native Germany his reputation has faded. Wulf does much to revive our appreciation of this ecological visionary through her lively, impressively researched account of his travels and exploits, reminding us of the lasting influence of his primary insight: that the Earth is a single, interconnected organism, one that can be catastrophically damaged by our own destructive actions.
Alfred A. Knopf. $30.