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E. O. Wilson had to learn calculus alongside his own students (Image: Hugh Patrick Brown/Time & Life/Getty)

When biologist E. O. Wilson gave seemingly counterintuitive advice in his book Letters to a Young Scientist, it didn鈥檛 go down well 鈥� in the media at least

YOU don鈥檛 have to be good at mathematics, a high IQ may be a hindrance, and seek goals where others don鈥檛 to make for easy wins. Such advice from science giant E. O. Wilson could only cause upset.

In Letters to a Young Scientist, Wilson offers searingly honest 鈥� and, some argue, incorrect 鈥� counsel. An article based on the book in last month caused uproar among the mathematically minded.

In the article and the book he describes how many successful scientists are mathematically 鈥渟emiliterate鈥�, and reveals how, as a 32-year-old Harvard professor, he sat with undergraduates (some his own students) to learn calculus and achieve an undistinguished C. His aim is not to deter, but to encourage talented would-be scientists who aren鈥檛 naturals with numbers. The 鈥渉aemorrhage of brainpower鈥� must be staunched.

Controversy aside, Wilson鈥檚 plain advice is refreshing, and the book, with lovely vignettes of his career, should inspire. Many tips are pragmatic: don鈥檛 be lured by a field鈥檚 鈥済lamorous aura鈥�, prizewinning scientists and big grants, but 鈥済o where the least action is occurring鈥�. Some tips seem like heresy but make sense: forget the hive mind and let the solitary brain wander and dream. A few are a little dubious, brutal even. 鈥淩eal scientists do not take vacations,鈥� Wilson decrees. Fine 鈥� but only if you have his career.

Overall, you could hardly find a better mentor than Wilson. Jaded mid-careerers struggling with lab politics, egocentric colleagues, hazy career paths in the face of cuts and few tenured positions may well disagree. But Wilson has advice for them, stressing how much of the world is yet to be explored by science. 鈥淵ou are needed,鈥� he urges, reassuringly.

Skilfully and elegantly written, many of Wilson鈥檚 tips could also apply to other careers. As he says: 鈥淭he scientist is part poet, and by pleasure drawn from new ways to express old truths, the poet is part scientist.鈥�

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淢y advice is鈥︹��