Ln his long and distinguished career as a writer and scholar, Julian Simon came to be known as one of the leading--and most controversial--authorities on population economics. An immensely productive writer, his work is unified by a basic core belief: that human intellect and ingenuity are ever-renewable resources in the use and preservation of natural resources. The first part of Simon's autobiography takes the reader through his childhood, his years as an officer in the Navy, and his experiences as a copywriter in an advertising firm. Simon's plan after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago was to be an entrepreneur, which would afford him enough money to care for his parents and allow him free time for writing fiction. Deciding to seek a professional career, in 1963 he accepted a position at the University of Illinois. The book includes substantive chapters on research methods, population economics, and immigration, and explains how Julian Simon became the economist he was, analyzing crucial periods in his life when he developed his ideas on fundamental issues. Written in an engaging and amusing manner, Julian Simon's autobiography is both a personal memoir and a professional contribution to important ideas in economics, research methods, and demography.