Selected Writings

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was an intrepid explorer and the most famous scientist of his age. This collection features excerpts from his groundbreaking works including his Personal Narrative of travels to Latin America (1799-1804), Cosmos, Views of Nature, and his anti-slavery essay. Humboldt recognized nature as an interdependent whole and saw that humankind was on a path to destroy it, denouncing slavery as the greatest evil and studying Inca, Aztec, and Mayan cultures with unprecedented respect.
Why You Should Read?
Pioneering environmental vision:
Humboldt was the first to see nature as interconnected and warned of humanity's destructive impact centuries before modern environmentalism
Adventure meets science:
Experience daring explorations—climbing Andes volcanoes, swimming with crocodiles, racing through Siberia—told through powerfully poetic prose
Profound influence:
His writings shaped Darwin, Thoreau, Muir, Goethe, Wordsworth, and Whitman, bridging science and literature
Progressive humanist:
Among the first Europeans to study Indigenous American cultures with respect and to publicly condemn slavery