Martha L. Crump is Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Biology at Utah State University and Northern Arizona University. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, most recently Women in Field Biology.

Finally, although I share with Crump the hope that these essays might inspire scientists to engage in fieldwork and bet-ter appreciate the animals we hold dear, I also have to say that they are exceedingly entertaining. Those of us who live for fieldwork and, in many cases, became herpetologists as a result of experiences such as those that animate the stories in this volume, recognize in almost every essay at least one inci-dent that parallels a comparable event in our own maturation as field biologists who are 'living our dreams.'

• Introduction1. The Thrill of Discovery2. Adventure and Exploration3. Fascination and Love for the Animals4. Mishaps and Misadventures5. Dealing with the Unexpected6. The People We Meet, the Friendships We Forge, the Students WeInfluenceParting Thoughts

Martha L. Crump is Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Biology at Utah State University and Northern Arizona University. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, most recently Women in Field Biology.

Finally, although I share with Crump the hope that these essays might inspire scientists to engage in fieldwork and bet-ter appreciate the animals we hold dear, I also have to say that they are exceedingly entertaining. Those of us who live for fieldwork and, in many cases, became herpetologists as a result of experiences such as those that animate the stories in this volume, recognize in almost every essay at least one inci-dent that parallels a comparable event in our own maturation as field biologists who are 'living our dreams.'

• Introduction1. The Thrill of Discovery2. Adventure and Exploration3. Fascination and Love for the Animals4. Mishaps and Misadventures5. Dealing with the Unexpected6. The People We Meet, the Friendships We Forge, the Students WeInfluenceParting Thoughts

Martha L. Crump is Adjunct Professor in the Departments of Biology at Utah State University and Northern Arizona University. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, most recently Women in Field Biology.

Finally, although I share with Crump the hope that these essays might inspire scientists to engage in fieldwork and bet-ter appreciate the animals we hold dear, I also have to say that they are exceedingly entertaining. Those of us who live for fieldwork and, in many cases, became herpetologists as a result of experiences such as those that animate the stories in this volume, recognize in almost every essay at least one inci-dent that parallels a comparable event in our own maturation as field biologists who are 'living our dreams.'

• Introduction1. The Thrill of Discovery2. Adventure and Exploration3. Fascination and Love for the Animals4. Mishaps and Misadventures5. Dealing with the Unexpected6. The People We Meet, the Friendships We Forge, the Students WeInfluenceParting Thoughts