"Long, thin, and cool as hell" was how parasitologist Thomas Platt described the new genus and species of trematode ( Baracktrema obamai ) he named in honor of the 44th USA president and his 5th cousin, Barack Obama. The story of  Baracktrema  was picked up by over 200 news outlets worldwide, providing a fitting swansong to an illustrious career revisited in this part-personal and part-scientific memoir. Platt's road to success was not initially smooth. Faced with a brutal tenure rejection at the start of his career, he was told that "You are not the type of person we want to invest in for the next 30 years." After a brief stint in the business world, Platt bounced back in spectacular fashion by embarking on a successful 28-year career at Saint Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana. He traveled extensively in search of new species of parasitic worms, from neighboring Costa Rica to the far-flung reaches of Australia and Malaysia. His love of turtles and their parasites led to the discovery of 30 new species, 11 new genera, and international recognition. He provides perspectives on the places and people encountered along the way, details of interactions with wildlife, as well as interesting and accessible insights into parasite behavior in the external environment and with their hosts. SMALL SCIENCE  is an inspiring story of an unexceptional high school student's path through college, graduate school, the academy, and a successful research career in "small science" ― the science of parasites, and the science of work accomplished in the margins, in the time carved out from a heavy teaching load, committee assignments, and mentoring dedicated undergraduate women in the joy of scientific discovery. "A reader will finish SMALL SCIENCE with a big-time lesson in biology, and because of Platt's writing, may not even realize what has happened. We even have his artwork displayed in a real gallery and poetry ... to augment his tales of what he calls small science but what in fact turned out to be an enviable career as a multi-faceted and highly productive scholar." John Janovy, Jr. Varner Professor Emeritus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA " SMALL SCIENCE is a big book. A frank memoir of Tom Platt's life as a distinguished parasitologist committed to engaging undergraduates in real research, this book is both a detailed celebration of some amazing organisms and a tribute to the scientists and students who come alive in studying them. Platt's voice is intimate, reflective, thoughtful, funny, and focused; and his story will reward anyone interested in science, higher education, and the life of learning in our time." -- Patrick E White President Emeritus, Millikin University, USA "Against the depictions of modern science on the grand scale ― formidable and dehumanizing ― this gem of an autobiography reminds us of the small science that still persists: its research problems and disciplinary communities, and lives and work of those who practice it as teacher-researchers in liberal arts colleges." -- Christopher S Hamlin Professor of History, University of Notre Dame (IN), USA "Thomas Platt's recollections through a fascinating life and career are loaded with interesting historical events, details on diverse biological phenomena emphasizing parasitology, and numerous adventures in meeting interesting people and travels throughout the world. Platt candidly relates the joys, frustrations, and incredible serendipity that can occur in a teaching and research career. The book is a wonderful celebration of our field and an exemplary source of advice for parasitologists, students, and academic researchers." -- Ramon A Carreno Professor of Zoology, Ohio Wesleyan University, USA Dr Thomas R Platt  is Professor Emeritus at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA, where he was Chair of the Department of Biology from 2001–2008. He is the author of more than 70 publications on parasitology and taxonomy, and the discoverer of 30 new species. He named one of the last parasites he discovered before retiring  Baracktrema obamai , after then-USA President Barack Obama, who is his fifth cousin, twice-removed. He holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Alberta, Canada.