Dr. Olav Rueppell

Associate Professor

The Ants by B. Hoelldobler and E.O. Wilson

As a rare exception among scientific books, "The Ants" expresses the authors' deep passion for and the beauty of the subject. "The Ants" compels the reader to deviate from our human egocentricity and admire some of the most humble, yet most successful organisms on earth. From the very beginning of my academic career until today, this book has given me direction and purpose for my learning, teaching, and research. Beyond that, it fosters the reader's curiosity and provides fascination and entertainment and hopefully helps to preserve some of the natural beauty of our planet.