Inspiring Books for Young Scientists #1 | Letters to a Young Scientist

"Inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's Letters to a Young Poet, 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"

There's something really comforting about science. At least I think so. The fact that we can know the world we live in with depth is something awesome. I've always loved that feeling that comes with looking at the things that surround you and knowing them to the chore. Quite literally. Seeing the world in waves, in heat exchange, in molecules and atoms and stardust has a poetic, novel-like side. That's why I decide to become a doctor. Because I want to know what makes people up, and I want to fix them when they have health problems. 

I got my hands on this books just in the right moment. And I loved it to bits. These 21 letters are written by Edward O. Wilson, one of the most famous entomologist of the scientific world. He started as a child, chasing bugs with a butterfly net in his backyard and filled with child determination. And one day he became really interested in ants. Yep, ants. I wasn't very sure at first, because I didn't know what I was going to find inside this book. It turned out to be surprisingly fascinating. Wilson tells us all about his career, right from the beginning. He uses some of his discoveries as examples, and he doesn't hesitate to talk about his failures too. 

What really stuck with me of all the things he exposes in this book, is the fact that to be successful in your scientific career, you need determination and hard work. That's all. You don't need to be the new Einstein to get where you want to get. If you work with a fierce desire of being good at what you do, you'll be good. No, let me fix that. You'll be great. You can not let yourself be intimidated by the knowledge your peers have, because you have knowledge too. The fact that other people succeed doesn't mean you can't do it too. 

Another valuable advice is to get yourself surrounded by hard-working, passionate people. You'll see how others work, their creativity will enhance yours, and it will always be more fun and it will make the scientific experience 100% wrath it. But now I want to say that I'm not talking just about scientists, this is applicable to any field: art, literature, architecture, law, business... I don't know, name the profession and the only sure thing that I can tell you is that passion gets you anywhere. 

I'm really thankful for this book, because it made me remember that illusion I felt the first time I put on a white coat, the first time I got my hands on a human body (like, a cadaver) (yeah, yeah, this might sound strange for non-medical people but, what can I do, these things interest me!) or that memorable time we dissected a pig's heart in the high school's lab and I was like a child with a new toy while Al was trying not to throw up in the corner. 

This book is obviously directed to young students of biology, but it can be a little conductor of light for those moments in which spending hours glued to your chair doesn't feel worth it. So I urge every young biologist, chemist, physicist, doctor, nurse, geologist, pathologist... to go to the nearest bookshop, buy this book, and read it. And you'll learn incredible things about ants! 

I'm aware this is not a book for everyone. It talks a lot about the biochemistry of ant's organisms, and some people might find that boring. I thought I wouldn't enjoy it very much for this same reason, but in the end I found myself being really amused by the way ant's world works. Trust me, it's more fascinating than it seems. I swear. 

My first steps in the scientific world haven't been easy. But I'm sure they are leading me in the right way, and I'm starting to walk on with more strength every day. 

P.S: 5 points for those who spot the Sherlock reference. 

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What about you? Have you ever found one of those 

books who just made you see everything under a new light?