Edward O. Wilson has distilled sixty years of teaching into a book for students, young and old. Reflecting on his coming-of-age in the South as a Boy Scout and a lover of ants and butterflies, Wilson threads these twenty-one letters, each richly illustrated, with autobiographical anecdotes that illuminate his career-both his successes and his failures-and his motivations for becoming a biologist. At a time in human history when our survival is more than ever linked to our understanding of science, Wilson insists that ...
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Edward O. Wilson has distilled sixty years of teaching into a book for students, young and old. Reflecting on his coming-of-age in the South as a Boy Scout and a lover of ants and butterflies, Wilson threads these twenty-one letters, each richly illustrated, with autobiographical anecdotes that illuminate his career-both his successes and his failures-and his motivations for becoming a biologist. At a time in human history when our survival is more than ever linked to our understanding of science, Wilson insists that success in the sciences does not depend on mathematical skill, but rather a passion for finding a problem and solving it. From the collapse of stars to the exploration of rain forests and the oceans' depths, Wilson instills a love of the innate creativity of science and a respect for the human being's modest place in the planet's ecosystem in his readers.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 256 p. Contains: Halftones, black & white. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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New. 2014. Reprint. Paperback. Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson imparts the wisdom of his storied career to the next generation. Num Pages: 256 pages, 21 illustrations. BIC Classification: PS; RNC. Category: (P) Professional & Vocational. Dimension: 186 x 117 x 16. Weight in Grams: 152......We ship daily from our Bookshop.
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A Non-Scientist And "Letters To A Young Scientist"
As its title implies, Edward Wilson's "Letters to a Young Scientist" (2013) is cast in the form of 20 letters addressed to young people who are considering science as a career. The book says a great deal about science and study, but it is much more. The book teaches that a person should have passion for what he or she chooses to make of life, whether in science or in another field. The book teaches about science and about the value of hard work and persistence. Thus, this short book can be read with pleasure not only by budding scientists but by general readers as well. I am retired and never seriously considered science as a career choice. Still, I want to discuss what I learned from Wilson's thinking.
Wilson's accomplishments over a life devoted to science make his ideas worth considering. In a career of over 50 years as a biologist, most of which he spent teaching at Harvard, he has written prolifically both for lay readers and for scientists. He has founded the disciplines of sociobiology as well as the discipline of biogeography. Wilson won two Pulitzer Prizes, the Crawfoord Prize for ecology, and many other awards. He is also the world's leading authority on ants. In the "Letters", for example, he discusses a work that he wrote over an eight-year period late in his career: "Pheidole in the New World: A Dominant Hyperdiverse Ant Genus" (2003). This is obviously a work for specialists.
It is unsurprising that Wilson relies on his own experience for much of the advice he gives in the Letters. His most important advice comes at the outset of the book and is reiterated many times. Wilson emphasizes the importance of passion and desire to a budding scientists. He writes:
"My confessional instead is intended to illustrate an important principle I've seen unfold in the careers of many successful scientists. It is quite simple; put passion ahead of training. Feel out in any way you can what you most want to do in science, or technology, or some other science-related profession. Obey that passion as long as it lasts. Feed it with the knowledge the mind needs to grow. Sample other subjects, acquire a general education in science, and be smart enough to switch to a greater love if one appears. But don't just drift through courses in science hoping that love will come to you. Maybe it will, but don't take the chance. As in other big choices in your life, there is too much at stake. decision and hard work based on enduring passion will never fail you."
Regardless of a person's career goal and regardless of the individual's stage in life, passion for what one does is critical for meaningful activity. Wilson illustrates his advice with discussion of his own life, beginning with his youthful fascination with biology and nature, including snakes, butterflies, and ants. He is a person who did with his life what he was born to do. After recounting experiences of his boyhood searching for insects, Wilson writes, "I've gone into this boyhood story to make a point that may be relevant to your own career trajectory. I have never changed."
Wilson also discusses the importance of the entreprenurial spirit even for a field such as science with includes ambition, the ability to engage in many projects of various sizes at the same time, ambition to succeed, and the willingness to take risks. He again illustrates entrepreneurship in science with many examples from his own experience as a biologist and from his experience working with other scientists.
Besides advice which has application beyond young people and beyond science, Wilson has much to say about scientific work itself. He describes the relationship between science and math, the tension between individual creativity and teamwork in science, the importance of mentorship, and much more. Wilson makes much of the importance of creativity, likening scientific accomplishment to the work of a poet, informed with background and hard work.
I remain most impressed with Wilson's patient lifelong work learning about ants. He writes that when he began his career, there were perhaps a dozen specialists on ants in the world. From studying ants, Wilson broadened his focus to include ecology, evolutionary biology, sociobiology, and consilience -- synthesizing knowledge from various fields. But ants remained central. Wilson writes to prospective scientists of his massive study of "Pheidole" (a large genus of ants) that I mentioned above:
"You may think of my story of ants as only a narrow slice of science, of interest chiefly to the researchers focused on it. You would be quite right. But it is nonetheless at a different level from an equally impassioned devotion to, say, fly fishing, Civil War battlegrounds, or Roman coins. The findings of its lesser grails are a permanent addition to knowledge of the real world. They can be linked to other bodies of knowledge, and often the resulting networks of understanding lead to major advances in the overall epic of science."
Wilson's Letters offer a great deal to young people interested in devoting their lives to science. The book also taught me, and will teach other non-scientific readers, much about science, scientific discovery, and the love of science. In its discussion of passion and commitment, exemplified in Wilson's life, the book has a universal message for people at all stages of life.
Robin Friedman
mamakay.allen@gmail.com
Aug 15, 2013
good book
We purchased this book as a gift to our grandson. Good for his mind.
