A review by nonsensesinger
The Adventures of Alexander Von Humboldt by Andrea Wulf

5.0

This book is astonishing. I found it on the new shelf at the Southwest Harbor public library on Mt. Desert Island while on vacation and they let me check it out! (Pro tip : if you are ever staying at a vacation community with a library, just ask for a card and see!) I had a day to read it before leaving the island and was totally engrossed! Not only had I really never heard of Alexander von Humboldt (and his works and influence) who was EXTREMELY important in the arenas of studying plants, geology, native cultures and customs of South America, but I had never quite seen a book like this. This book felt custom made for me - adventuring in South America AND it’s a graphic novel!? This book does a BRILLIANT job of staying in the moment with thrilling adventure and death defying dos in the name of science while also flashing ahead to highlight von Humboldts lasting resounding influence. He had a lot to say about deforestation, slavery and treatment of native peoples and conservation that was, for the time, extremely forward thinking. He is portrayed in this book as a sort of absent minded professor - constantly thinking, measuring and recording and he is still extremely likable. He makes me want to do more with my day - And want to go to South America all the more. My one and only complaint about this book is, due to its size sometimes the images were blown out or pixelated in the collages....I didn’t even talk about the collages....just READ THIS!