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Natural History Book Club
January 27, 2019 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join Friends of China Camp for January’s book selection:
THE INVENTION OF NATURE
By Andrea Wulf
January 27th, 2018- 7pm
Named Best Book of the Year by The New York Times and many more.
Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was the most famous scientist of his age, a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. Among his most revolutionary ideas was a radical conception of nature as a complex and interconnected global force that does not exist for the use of humankind alone. In North America, Humboldt’s name still graces towns, counties, parks, bays, lakes, mountains, and a river. And yet the man has been all but forgotten.
In this illuminating biography, Andrea Wulf brings Humboldt’s extraordinary life back into focus: his prediction of human-induced climate change; his daring expeditions to the highest peaks of South America and to the anthrax-infected steppes of Siberia; his relationships with iconic figures, including Simón Bolívar and Thomas Jefferson; and the lasting influence of his writings on Darwin, Wordsworth, Goethe, Muir, Thoreau, and many others. Brilliantly researched and stunningly written, The Invention of Nature reveals the myriad ways in which Humboldt’s ideas form the foundation of modern environmentalism—and reminds us why they are as prescient and vital as ever. (Exerp by Amazon.com)
Reservations are required. To reserve, send email to: chinacamp.programs@gmail.com, or call (415) 456-0766. Please indicate a) the date of the program you would like to reserve b) your name, c) your phone number, d) the total number of places you are reserving. We will reply to confirm your reservation.