ABSTRACT

Emphasis in education is being placed on the need for people to be able to think critically in order that they can assess and use the flood of information available on almost any topic. Another current concern is that fewer students from the U.S. are choosing to pursue graduate study or careers in science. It seems that some exploration of scientists’ lives might inspire individual students to follow any leanings toward science they may have. The biographies of animal scientists described here were chosen because they attempt to show the reader the whole personality of the biographee including contributions made to his/her field. Obviously, the titles included represent only a tiny selection of available biographies. Readability by a wide audience and a tone informal enough to make the personality of each biographee accessible were the primary criteria used in deciding which titles to include in this selection. Incidents and thought processes are shared with the readers of these volumes making clear how broad-minded, persevering, and flexible good scientists tend to be.