Hacker News Books

The article references Andrea Wulf's the Invention of Nature a number of times, which I'd like to give a hearty, emphatic +1 recommendation to. It's a beautifully written biography and the Vintage Books paperback is also a physically beautiful book.

Indeed.

re Alexander von Humboldt: Andrea Wulf’s, The Invention of Nature[0], is an excellent overview of his work and impact.

It's quite shocking how little he is known; somewhat similar to James Clerk Maxwell.

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23995249-the-invention-o...

Always find it a bit disappointing that Alexander von Humboldt's influence on Darwin is rarely mentioned. One would think that Andrea Wulff's "The invention of Nature" had changed that

"The Invention of Nature" about Alexander von Humboldt, by Andrea Wulf.

Very in-depth book about a naturalist who deserves to be much better known than he generally is. It also includes several chapters with mini-biographies of famous people who were influenced by Humboldt.

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

Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo

Born Standing Up (Steve Martin's autobiography)

- Fooled by randomness by Nassim Taleb

- Sapiens by Yuval Harari

- The invention of nature by Andrea Wulf

- The subtle art of not giving a f*ck by Mark Manson

- Philosophy of Science: Very Short Introduction by Samir Okasha

Ernst Jünger: Annäherungen. Drogen und Rausch (not transleted to english? I've read it in polish). Great piece of essay.

The Art of War by Sun Tzu - bit sad

2 books by Greg Egan: Distress & Teranesia

The Invention of Nature : Alexander Von Humboldt's New World

DMT: The spirit molecule

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Marquez (WOW)

The book of dead philosophers by Simon Critchley (funny!)

& some more (I have to start noting it down :P)

Currently: The Systems View of the World by Ervin Laszlo

This article is mostly a review of the book The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf [0] which traces the origin of our concept of Nature to the Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt and his millieu of scientists and explorers.

After reading Wulf's book last year, I also read a historical novel about Humboltd by David Kehlmann called Measuring the World [1] which I highly recommend to anyone interested in these ideas.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345806298

[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307277399

>Absolutely, the same way that great minds of past generations had friends, went to social events, and wrote letters.

I recently read the Wulf's The Invention of Nature, a biography of Alexander von Humboldt - from the middle of his life up until his death Humboldt wrote 2000 to 3000 letters per year, crazy if you think how much work a "regular" letter is.