Though you may not recognize his name, Alexander von Humboldt was the father of modern environmentalism and the most famous scientist of his age. Born in the late 18th century, he had a deep love for outdoor exploration and traversed the globe in search of unusual environments. Von Humboldt was friends with Thomas Jefferson, inspired Darwin and Thoreau, and was passionate about helping humans understand our relationship to the natural world. In this biography, Wulf captures the man as endlessly passionate, progressive, and impactful.

In this enthralling narrative packed with travel and adventure, Wulf introduces readers to George Forster, an 18th century British naturalist and seafarer who sailed the world with Captain Cook but deserves to be known for so much more. As readers of The Invention of Nature know, Wulf's gift is the ability to marry meticulously researched history with deep emotion and exciting storytelling. In engaging and illuminating prose, Wulf highlights how Forster was dizzyingly ahead of his time in both his scientific insights and understanding of human nature. For fans of Wulf's The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World and Hampton Sides's The Wide Wide Sea.