Reddit reviews The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World

Great quote! Jefferson was definitely a brilliant man. I'm so sad how these days he's constantly denigrated about slavery. When we do so, we miss great gems like this.

Alexander von Humboldt was also a great man in his own right as well. He was an explorer and a naturalist who traveled through the jungles of South America, as well as a revolutionary activist in favor of the Enlightenment, like Jefferson himself. Also, unlike Jefferson, who was a deist, Humboldt was an atheist. Simon Bolivar and Charles Darwin both considered him an important predecessor to their work.

There was a recent book released about Humboldt: The Invention of Nature. I haven't read it yet myself but I'm told it is a good read.