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Everyone will read two core texts or by Humboldt. Both are available in ink-on-paper and electronic versions. If you use printed texts, it is your choice whether to find them locally, probably at Powells, or to order them through the internet, probably through Amazon. The main texts are: 1) Helferich, Gerard. Humboldt's Cosmos: Alexander von Humboldt and the Latin American Journey That Changed the Way We See the World. New York: Gotham, 2004. This is the most important text for the course, and you must read it completely as soon as you can. 2) Humboldt, Alexander. Jaguars and Electric Eels. Translated by Jason Wilson. London: Penguin, 1995/2007. This is an abridged version of Humboldt's much longer Personal Narrative of a Journey to the Equinoctial Regions of the New Continent, which is part of the still longer Relation historique du voyage aus régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent. We're using Jaguars and Electric Eels because it is short and the translation is modern. But we'll also compare its texts to the Personal Narrative and Relation historique texts to get a feel for the past and see how our view of the issues can be affected by how much or little of the original texts we encounter. If you are going to read any of the texts electronically, use this link to download free Kindle Reading Apps for the various computers, smart phones, and similar devices. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE A KINDLE TO USE THESE APPS. Within the Kindle app for your device, or on your Kindle itself, if you have one, you can then go to the Kindle Store to find and download the texts. You can also shop in the regular book section of Amazon, and then choose the Kindle version. Here is the link to the Amazon page for Helferich, Humboldt's Cosmos. There you can buy the printed book or the electronic edition, and can also download the first chapter (preface and chapter I) for free. DOWNLOAD THIS FIRST CHAPTER IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER YOU INTEND TO OBTAIN THE ENTIRE BOOK. Another part of getting a fast start is to read the Book Description and reader comments on the same web page. Here is the link to the Amazon page for Humboldt, Jaguars and Electric Eels. There you can buy the printed book or the electronic edition, and can also download the first chapter (includes both the preface and chapter I of the printed book) for free. DOWNLOAD THIS FIRST CHAPTER IMMEDIATELY, HOWEVER YOU INTEND TO OBTAIN THE ENTIRE BOOK. Another part of getting a fast start is to read the Book Description and reader comments on the same web page. Amazon also maintains its own "Alexander von Humboldt page". A few minutes there is a good way to survey the basic texts written by and about him. |