I feel like I've read two books.

The first ~half of the book is a biography, the rest is made up of separate stories that are partial biographies of people that are somehow related to Humboldt. I didn't like this structure very much, but thought thta the book was absolutely reading even just for the first part.

The first part is a riveting account of Alexander von Humboldt's life, work, methods, successes and challenges. It gives a glimpse into the mind of a man who was truly ahead of his time, entirely dedicated to the singular purpose of understanding the world, and originator of hundreds of hugely impactful ideas that we take for granted today.

The stories in the second half, while mostly interesting, were only very loosely connected and full of biographical facts that had no relevance to me.

Overall, the book makes a good case for thinking in systems, thinking (and collaborating) across disciplines, and thinking long term. Humboldt's comparative approach to science and his accessible method of science communication unlocked a string of epiphanies for him and others, and the world could use more of that these days.

It is however depressing to read how much Humboldt already understood about our arrogant treatment of minorities and the environment, over 200 years ago, and how little progress has been made on those topics since. Humboldt was concerned about people making unintentional, irreversible changes to the climate and ecosystems of the regions he explored; he would be infuriated if he learned that we've since extended this "method" to the planet as a whole.