In Their Own Words chronicles the stories of scientists who have made great contributions to their fields. These short histories provide our readers a way to learn from and share their experiences. Each month, we will publish in the pages of BioScience and on our podcast, BioScience Talks (http://bioscienceaibs.libsyn.com), the results of these conversations. This history is with Peter Raven, president emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden, in St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. He is also a past president of AIBS. Note: Both the text and audio versions have been edited for clarity and length.