Edward O. Wilson has distilled sixty years of teaching into a book for students, both young and old. Reflecting on his coming of age in the South as a Boy Scout and lover of ants and butterflies, Wilson interweaves these twenty-one letters, each richly illustrated, with autobiographical memories that illuminate his career—both his successes and failures—and his motivations to become a biologist. In an era in human history when our survival is more than ever linked to understanding science, Wilson insists that success in the sciences does not depend on mathematical abilities, but on the passion for finding a problem and solving it. From the collapse of stars to the exploration of rainforests and ocean depths, Wilson inspires a love for the natural creativity of science and a respect for humanity's humble position in the planet's ecosystem.