Measuring the World

Two self-absorbed men set out on individual scientific quests, one mathematical and one botanical/cartographical. They both accomplish scientific things, are rude and selfish as often as possible, and are always tedious. In fact, they come off as completely flat, unreal characters, a feeling that is heightened by the author's blunt and choppy writing style and the almost complete lack of dialog throughout the book.

The inability of Humboldt and Gauss to understand the people around them - and their complete interest in trying - made me completely uninterested in finding out what happens to them. Book tossed aside in supreme irritation.

Humorvoll, inspirierend und sprachlich schön. Der Konjunktiv dieses Buches gibt der Erzählung einen speziellen Charakter und prägt gleichsam die humorvolle und leichtfüßige Note des Buches. Ich bewundere die sprachliche Fähigkeit des Autors und will sogleich selbst einen derartigen Stil erlernen. Die Figuren sind ebenfalls in hohem Maße inspirierend: Einen Genius (oder hier zwei) am Werke zu sehen führt stets dazu, dass man sich auch als Leser und lebender und suchender Mensch hinangezogen fühlt zu größeren Höhen seiner selbst.

A charming satire and re-imagined biography of two German giants of science, mathematician Gauss and explorer Humboldt. They are not only united in their desire to understand and measure the world, but also in their dislike of and inability to navigate everyday society and its norms.

A wonderful and entertaining book. Plus early 19th century measuring devices and stories of geniuses forgetting the world with their heads stuck in abstract calculations. Which is definitely my sort of thing.