This is a great book told in a master "storytelling" fashion about various topics that are dominated to some degree by amateurs who are making discoveries, and advancing science. Hitt makes the case for amateurs throughout American history, going back to Benjamin Franklin, and idea that this is part of our character.
One of my favorite chapters is about the rediscovery of the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, a bird that was thought to be extinct. A group of professional ornithologists were touting this "discover" but the amateurs were skeptical. Turns out the professionals are really not that reliable on the identification of birds. They spend too much time in their ivory tower doing research and publishing papers...the real experts are the amateurs who spend their time in the field WATCHING birds.
Another great chapter talks about Claude-Anne Kirshen, an innovative scholar and author of several well respected books about the founding fathers despite starting out as a typist/transcriber on a project transcribing the papers of Benjamin Franklin. Her original, very sexist boss didn't acknowledge her publications.
Anyway, lots of great accounts on a variety of topics. It is easy for me to recommend this book.
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