Inspired by Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, Edward O. Wilson has distilled 60 years of teaching into a book for students, young and old. Reflecting on his youth as a Boy Scout and a lover of ants and butterflies, Wilson insists that success in the sciences does not depend on mathematical skill, but rather a passion for problem solving. From the collapse of stars to the exploration of rain forests, Wilson instills in his readers a love of the innate creativity of science and a respect for humankind’s modest place in the planet’s ecosystem.