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Absolutely. I found reading A. v. Humboldt absolutely fascinating. (He has the added merit of not only having been a brilliant scientist, but also a gifted pros
by veddox 8y ago
Absolutely. I found reading A. v. Humboldt absolutely fascinating. (He has the added merit of not only having been a brilliant scientist, but also a gifted prose writer.) And James Watson's "The Double Helix" was an intriguing insight into a period in biology when much of what we take for granted was just being discovered. One gains a deeper understanding for any system of thought when one learns how it came to be.
- auxbuss 8y agoIndeed. 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-of-nature https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23995249-the-invention-o...
- veddox 8y agoWulfs book was what got me to read the original Humboldt ;-) I've admired Humboldt ever since I was a child - her book reawakened that interest and gave me the impetus to read some of his own writings.