A sketch of the physical description of the universe vols. With brilliant, surprising, and thoughtprovoking connections to simon bolivar, charles darwin, william herschel, charles lyell, walt whitman, edgar allen poe, henry david. The introduction gives a good measure of breadth of humboldts mind and is a pleasure to read or hear because of its literary felicity. A sketch of the physical description of the universe. I should have paid more attention to the first part of the book s title. Cosmos a sketch of a physical description of the universe, vol.
Ive always been an avid reader of science popularizations, and ive read many especially in the past two years. From the americas to the cosmos find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Nineteenthcentury exploration and the roots of american environmentalism aaron sachs new york.
See more ideas about natural history, cartography and geology. The series is supplemented by a website with further information on the many contexts of humboldts writings for teachers and researchers. Jan 03, 2005 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. His 17991804 research expedition to central and south america with botanist aime bonpland set the course for the great scientific surveys of the nineteenth century, and inspired such essayists and artists as emerson, goethe, thoreau, poe, and church. Humboldts kosmos did important cultural work for america. Humboldts wanderlust led him across europe and to south america, mexico, the u. To represent this doublesided aspect of cosmos, humboldt divided his book into two. We thank all contributors and participants for their papers and comments, as well as for. Written in a pleasant, literary style, kosmos gives a generally comprehensible account of the structure of the universe as then known, at the same time communicating the scientists excitement.
Though the multivolume book published in english as cosmos is known today if it is known at all as a popular science book about stars, thats a little like saying darwins origin of species is a book about breeding pigeons. A century and a half after its initial publication, the book remains a work of. The two succeeding volumes will contain a consideration of the particular means of incitement toward the study of nature consisting in animated delineations, landscape painting, and the arrangement and cultivation of exotic vegetable forms, of the history of the contemplation. It is that and a good one, but foremost it is an argument for a new understanding of nature. Published 1847 condition poor copy in the original stiffcard wrappers. Nature, earth, accessible book, historia, ciencia, astronomia.
The invention of nature by andrea wulf the boston globe. Science, astronomy, history, physical geography, cosmography, cosmology, geology. Subjects embraced by the study of the cosmos or of physical cosmog raphy. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, whether climbing the highest volcanoes in the world or racing through anthraxinfested siberia. Such a view miscalculates the broad impact humboldt had on american literature and art. A sketch of the physical description of the universe, vol. The thrilling story of the charismatic explorer who simon bolivar called the true discoverer of south america and the daring expedition that altered the course of. University of chicago press, 2009 hardcover, 404 pp. Humboldt s quantitative work on botanical geography was foundational to the field of biogeography. Humboldt s wanderlust led him across europe and to south america, mexico, the u. This librivox recording is of the introduction to cosmos.
Text remains in fine condition and without blemish. Unfortunately, as my french is very rusty from decades of neglect and my german all but nonexistent save those few helpful phrases that most any traveler. From the americas to the cosmos, held at the graduate center of the city university of new york on oct. He transformed our understanding of physical geography and meteorology, and spent his. Later years was chiefly occupied with writing kosmos, one of the most ambitious scientific works ever published. This book is a summary of early nineteenth century science. His restless life was packed with adventure and discovery, but. The invention of nature is a big, magnificent, adventurous book so vividly written and daringly researcheda geographical pilgrimage and an intellectual epic. Cosmos began as a lecture series delivered by humboldt at the university of berlin, and was published in five volumes between 1845 and 1862 the fifth was. The book emphasizes on the geological importance of the himalaya amongst its surrounding mountain ranges.
Cosmos began as a lecture series delivered by humboldt at the university of berlin, and was published in. After completing my reading of andrea wulfs awardwinning and justly so the invention of nature. Now alexander turns the tables by calling his own method a kind of historical. Ullstein bild getty images on 14 september 1869, worldwide celebrations marked 100 years since the birth of a muchloved, highly revered scientist. The menu logical portion of the cosmos is more simple than the telluric. A sketch of a physical description of the universe 5 volumes. In it, humboldt espoused the idea that, while the universe of nature exists apart from. With cosmos, the book that crowned his career, humboldt offered to the world his vision of humans and nature as integrated halves of a single whole.
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