Humboldt's Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey that Changed the Way We See the World

by Gerard Helferich

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 science.

From 1799 to 1804 German naturalist and adventurer Alexander von Humboldt conducted the first extensive scientific exploration of Latin America. At the completion of his arduous 6,000-mile journey, he was feted by Thomas Jefferson and presented to Napoleon, and, with the subsequent publication of his findings, he would be hailed as the greatest scientific genius of his age.

Humboldt’s Cosmos tells the story of this extraordinary man who was equal parts Einstein and Livingstone, and of the adventure that defined his life. Gerard Helferich vividly recounts Humboldt’s expedition through the Amazon and over the Andes, highlighting his paradigm-changing discoveries along the way. During the course of the expedition, Humboldt cataloged more than 60,000 plants, set an altitude record climbing the volcano Chimborazo, and became the first to study the great cultures of the Aztecs and Incas. In the process, he revolutionized geology and laid the groundwork for modern sciences such as climatology, oceanography, and geography—and his contributions would influence future greats such as Charles Darwin and shape the course of science for centuries to come.

Published in time for the bicentennial of the expedition’s completion in May 1804, Humboldt’s Cosmos is a dramatic tribute to one of history’s most audacious adventurers, whom Stephen Jay Gould noted “may well have been the world’s most famous and influential intellectual.”

Genres: History, Science, Nonfiction, Biography, Nature, Travel, Geography

358 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2004

About the author

Gerard Helferich, a former editor and publisher, is the author of "Humboldt's Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey That Changed the Way We See the World." He lives with his wife in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and San Miguel Allende, Mexico.

Reviews

[Karen GoatKeeper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ask people to name a few famous scientists and Alexander Humbolt will probably not be one. Yet this man who explored South America, Mexico and Cuba around 1800 when he was only in his twenties was a major influence on all of science both then and now.
Humbolt mapped out where places - rivers, cities, mountains etc. - were. He measured altitude for mountains, changed the outlook on volcanoes, showed that plant life changed with altitude. Along the way he reshaped geology and the study of volcanoes, created the study of plant geography, set the basis for oceanography and climatology, began archeology and the serious study of native peoples and cultures.
Humbolt stressed accurate measurement and data collection in science. After returning to Europe, he mentored and promoted new scientists to carry on his work. However, science was shifting from the general to the focus on individual disciplines.
In all of his work, Humbolt was looking for how all things worked together to create the whole. He wanted to discover the unity of Nature. In the end, he made no single big breakthrough people could point to. Instead he is behind most of what is going on in science and so is lost from the public eye.
The book is very interesting. It does seem over long at times as it follows Humbolt on his journeys through South America, Mexico and Cuba. Still, he was a remarkable man worthy of being remembered as one of the great scientists.

[Nishka · Rating 4 out of 5]

great overview of humboldt and the beginnings of many geographic subjects! this was recommended to me by my professor for geography of latin america, and my second read was just as riveting as the first.

will say to readers to always practice critical thinking - no one is perfect and should not be sensationalized as such. also always keep in mind that history during a time of little to no preserved recordings from native peoples means we’ll never have the full story - but this part of the story was very interesting!

[Nathan Woll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah this is really good. I'm kind of embarrassed that I didn't know anything about Humboldt prior to reading this

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humboldt to me was a someone I had never heard of. Now, I am amazed at the things this man accomplished in his life. How much richer the whole world would be if we had more men like this. A great education in a very enjoyable format.

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 science. From 1799 to 1804 German naturalist and adventurer Alexander von Humboldt conducted the first extensive scientific exploration of Latin America.

At the completion of his arduous 6,000-mile journey, he was feted by Thomas Jefferson and presented to Napoleon, and, with the subsequent publication of his findings, he would be hailed as the greatest scientific genius of his age. Humboldt's Cosmos tells the story of this extraordinary man who was equal parts Einstein and Livingstone, and of the adventure that defined his life. Gerard Helferich vividly recounts Humboldt's expedition through the Amazon and over the Andes, highlighting his paradigm-changing discoveries along the way. During the course of the expedition, Humboldt cataloged more than 60,000 plants, set an altitude record climbing the volcano Chimborazo, and became the first to study the great cultures of the Aztecs and Incas. In the process, he revolutionized geology and laid the groundwork for modern sciences such as climatology, oceanography, and geography and his contributions would influence future greats such as Charles Darwin and shape the course of science for centuries to come.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is uneven and often superficial. I will try to read a real biography of Humboldt. This is more like a sensationalist educational TV special on him. We learn too much detail at times, such as names of many places he stopped in Venezuela, which are not on the book's maps and are of no inportance. As another reviewer has noted, Helferich seems geographically confused. It was very interesting to learn or be reminded of Humbolt's many accomplishments and "firsts" and of his importance to science. There is unnecessary speculation about his sexuality through the book. There are many digressions into history, before and after Humboldt, which feel like padding. In particular there are many pages on Peru and it's history, and about 20 pages on Mexico which are superficial and full of errors, all not related to Humboldt.

[Eyelandgirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am truly embarrassed that I didn't know the extent of this man's contributions to science and humanity. The fact that I've been swimming in the Humboldt current and summited Pico Humboldt in Venezuela, yet never delved into why these places, among many others, were named after him, shows that I don't have as inquisitive a mind as he did! I am so glad I read this book, to understand how he influenced so many branches of science and geopolitics. He was a generalist and a polymath, who influenced many who came afterwards in many different fields of science, yet is remembered by few.

My husband's book club had 'The Invention of Nature' book about Humboldt on their list to read. I started it, and was intrigued by the subject, but not by the writing, so I am glad to have found this earlier alternative that I enjoyed much more.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading Science magazine, and they had an article about Humboldt and his findings regarding plant diversity and altitude....and I thought to myself, "Who is this Humboldt guy, really?" His name is on everything...but I don't feel I have a solid idea of him.

So, as I always do, when I realize I don't know a thing, I ordered some books by and about Humboldt.

This is the first one of those that I read.

It gave me an excellent idea of Humboldt's timeline, both his personal timeline, and where he fits in the world of scientific discovery. Who influenced him, and who he influenced.

Now on to Cassin...

[Keith Younger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice summation of Humboldt's scientific journies at the beginning of the 19th century, but the author has no physical sense of direction, which results in quite a few errors in the text.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful study of a remarkable scientist and humanist who should be more familiar to us all.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've read in the past year. (For context, I've read at least 40 books in the past year.) I felt like I was traveling with Humboldt through Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico--and then on to Philadelphia, Washington, and even Monticello! Having been to a few of the places he mentioned (Cuzco, Lima, Quito, Bogota, Mexico City, Guanajuato, etc.), the book made me want to go back to Latin America and explore the rain forests and plains described. The writing is so good that the reader feels like he or she is traveling, covered with insect bites and surrounded by crocodiles, in the packed 'lancha' or boat/canoe on rivers through the tropical rainforests. Accounts of Humboldt's meetings with missionaries and Indian tribes along the way had me looking up places on google to see what their status is today. Reading this in our 21st century times gives one a strong impression of how much we've lost/destroyed in our natural environment since the time of Humboldt's travels (around 1800). Even then, he could see how much colonial practices of enslavement and agriculture had destroyed indigenous cultures and the environment. I've also read The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wolf, which came out about a decade after this book. If anyone has time, I'd recommend both. The world could use more thinking like Humboldt's. I read this on a Kindle and almost wish I had a physical copy so I could give it away so someone else could enjoy it.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than Andrea Wolf's better-marketed The Invention of Nature. I read that immediately before Humboldt's Cosmos, noting how in more than one observation, she repeats phrases that Helferich used in his earlier book. By focusing less on his life and not on those influenced by Humboldt throughout the 19th c., Helferich achieves a more streamlined, efficiently told, and clearly organized study for the layman. I stated in my review of Wulf that I wondered if Helferich had produced a more engaging work than his successor. Glad to say he has. True, when telling the career of somebody who's meticulously chronicled his adventures, a biographer faces a challenge of having in the prolific Humboldt's case too much rather than too little primary material to sift through. But, Helferich paraphrases a good portion of the original sources, and he comments on Humboldt's assertions.within the contexts of both his era and of subsequent decades which have verified or, to a far lesser extent, corrected his often accurate assumptions and carefully worded speculations. The only suggestion I have is that, at least on my Kindle, no maps or illustrations supplement the text. Without these aids, the reader is left a bit hazy about where in Latin America certain forays occur.

Still, it's recommended over its more assiduously promoted competitor. It flows easily, appropriately for such an explorer of the Amazon itself.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alexander Von Humboldt was famous for his five-year expedition to Latin America, where he and his traveling companions endured and persevered over the many challenges offered by its natural extremes. From insect-riddled rainforest jungles with their lethal animals and dangerous rapids to the frigid mountainsides of active volcanoes, Humboldt studied every aspect of the natural world presented there. Then for the next half-century, he published a vast compendium of works analyzing his findings for use by the next cadre of scientists who clarified and expanded upon his extensive success. Gerard Helferich does a phenomenal job in “HUMBOLDT’S Cosmos”, presenting Humboldt’s dedication to his work, the complexity of the man, and his worth in advancing a broad range of scientific endeavors. Recommended reading for lovers of science or high adventure.

[Steve Courson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. I admit to not being a science guy so I had to Google a lot of scientific terms, but I wanted something different and got it. I was familiar with Humboldt Sink from my reading about the Donner Party and other unfortunates who crossed it on their way to California. I didn’t know (shamefully) who or what a Humboldt might be. Now I know. This book is well written and a good primer on the man and his accomplishments. When I read I love going down rabbit holes and the author provides many possibilities. There is just enough to whet your appetite on his side trips describing Cortes conquering the Aztec empire, the Incas, Lewis & Clark and a variety of birds and plants. Better maps would have made this a 5 star read.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have given the book a five but the author plays the "I can't quite bring myself to state the obvious, that Humbolt was gay" card. His homosexuality is obvious to any gay man reading the book.
Granted it has little to do with his work but his infatuations with young men and his travelling companions comes up over and over again. I also wish the author dealt with his obscurity in modern times with more than a few pages. I thought this to be one of the more facinationg aspects of the whole story. On the whole very readable and very well written.

[Cmorden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing all the things that Humboldt had done. He is largely forgotten now days, but his body of work is really incredible. This reviews much of that and also aspects of his personal life and relation with Bonpland.

[Larry Kilham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I traveled a lot in Latin America in the 1960s, so I was particularly interested in this travel story. Many places the author described were just as I saw them. Humboldt was a remarkable scientist who we could use today to provide perspective about our environmental mess.

[Chris Maddix · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mention the name Alexander Von Humboldt and you are likely to receive shrugs and unknowing stares, but this was clearly a genius, a man instrumental in hewing the way in which we see the natural world, and this book offers an invitation into a study of his breadth of knowledge.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable survey of Humboldt’s life, with the primary focus being on his travels in America. A bit more revealing of the influences on his political ideals than some of the other ones I’ve read.

[Willow Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super interesting guy. Writing seems to falter in places because is a lack of personal information about him.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read a ton of biographies, so I don't have much experience with which to compare this telling of Alexander Humboldt's life. The biography does reasonable due diligence recounting his early life, his amazing travels in South America, and capping it off with his publication efforts and political life back in Europe. You can tell where the writing was drawing heavily from Humboldt's own journals, such as detailing weather conditions while at sea and frequently describing exactly how maddening the mosquitoes were in the Venezuelan rainforest (I can imagine each journal entry beginning with "Day [XX], Mosquitoes still hellish."). Helferich seems mostly interested in the anthropological aspects of Humboldt's journey, detailing the state of every missionary and city and going on tangents about the histories of the Aztecs and Mayans. Along with the mixed progressive and antiquated views Humboldt had toward native peoples. Which is all definitely interesting, but I was disappointed in the scarcity of natural history presented - which is odd because Humboldt was a NATURALIST. The author at least does some justice to Humboldt's numerous impressive summit climbs and how he related ecosystem shifts along the elevation gradient, and about Humboldt's contributions to magnetism and mapping efforts. Yet we hear very little about the flora and fauna. Personally, I'd rather learn about the crazy wild plants and critters of the rainforest, not the old geezers at the missionaries. Heck, I think Humboldt first described the oilbird and I don't think the species is ever mentioned in this book. Oilbirds are nocturnal, cave-dwelling, echolocating bat-like birds that eat palm oil and locals would cook the chicks to make oil - how do you pass over awesomeness like that?? I was really interested in the epic passage through the Andes but that part of the trip gets pretty glossed over. I'm not sure whether the omissions are due to lack of data/journaling from Humboldt or simply reflect the author's personal interests. To his credit, Helferich builds a reasonable case of why Humboldt was so famous in his own time yet nearly forgotten in ours despite his expansive and varied contributions to several branches of science.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexander von Humboldt, Prussian Baron, was the first European to explore the wilderness of South America, taking scientific measurements and making observations over a five year journey. In his observations he noted the similarities of plants in areas of similar temperatures, created isotherms
and started the field of plant geography. Humboldt's obsessive cataloguing was used by Darwin an early admirer of Humboldt's travels. A generalist, he revolutionized several disciplines - biology, geology, geography, anthropology - and his breakthroughs in hard sciences transformed oceanography, volcanology, magnetism and other fields. In his endeavors he related physical characteristics (weather and soil to human issues. He was perhaps the first European to recognize the debasement of the indigenous peoples of America by colonization and established the fact they were descended from advanced civilizations.
Most individuals do not recognize the contributions this man made to the advancement of science and should read this work to familiarize themselves with this scientific generalist.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about Alexander Humboldt's voyage in 1799 -1804 to northern South America, Mexico and Cuba. He did a great deal of scientific work -- geography, ecology, geology, anthropology, all in an integrated way. The voyage ended with him visiting Jefferson in Washington just after Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark off on their voyage, which in many ways was similar to Humboldt's. In the first half of the nineteenth century, Humboldt was world famous as a result of his explorations, and he deserved to be.

I wish only that the book had been longer and gone into more detail about Humboldt's experiences.

[Valerie]

Darwin stated that von Humboldt's narratives inspired even a confirmed homebody like Darwin himself to want to travel.

Von Humboldt was one of the first to realize that the mesoamerican societies of Central and South American had been civilized by anybody's standards, and that the depredations of the conquistadores and their successors had led to considerable degradation--which he believed could and should be reversed.

He wasn't immune to prejudice, of course--but he was more inclined to look for historical reasons for things, rather than put them down to inexorable genetic heritage.

An interesting story, and generally well told

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually didn’t have very high expectations for this book--thought it would be superficial travelogue. It certainly wasn’t great, but much better than that. The descriptions of the incredible discomfort and apprehension H. and his traveling companions had to go through. I can feel the clouds of mosquitoes hovering around. The amazing thing about these exploring guys is that they really had practically no idea what they were walking into, and that was fine with them. It’s hard to imagine that kind of thing now, when we know everything there is to know about anywhere. Our only adventure is not the unknown, but whether we can survive what we know we’ll be getting ourselves in to.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, readable overview with lots of quotes from original sources. I don't think I could read the actual writings from Humboldt which he published to wide acclaim in his lifetime; his style is too laborious. But the story of his adventures and discoveries is incredible. This author points out many firsts that Humboldt discovered which have now been assimilated into scientific thought that is used today.

[keatssycamore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure if it's the writing, but Humboldt comes off a little like the stereotypical German tourist. This strikes me as both good and bad (as German tourists tend to be). Example: the mastiff he decides to take into the jungle with him. His "pet" is ultimately (and maybe inevitably?) eaten. Shows a kind of willfulness while at the same time showing the cheerful way he would face privations on his journeyings ("Just need my dog and I'll be fine").

[JW Schlie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found this book very difficult to read, as the author seemed to simply add more detail than necessary to describe a voyage. I kept hoping it would tie into Humboldt's ideas about all nature being connected but it really felt more like a rewrite of the facts from his journal. I read 3 chapters and then shelved it.

[Elgin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard about von Humboldt but read this book after hearing it discussed on NPR.
This guy led an amazing life. The story of his explorations into the Amazon interior are
amazing. Von Humboldt was also a true scholar and renaissance man.

[James F · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent popular biography of Alexander von Humboldt, focusing on the expedition for the exploration of South America. Despite the title, it does not deal with his Kosmos, which gets only five pages near the end.

[Steve Weileman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing story. I was familiar with the name but never completely understood the share breath of what Humbolt accomplished. Great read that I would certainly recommend putting on your 'to-read' list.