Book excerpt: This version includes color photos.Can you imagine waking up every Thursday morning to an engaging email containing an essay of gratitude? Better yet, could you envision finding this thank you note coming from your boss? For a year, Nicholas Kartsonis took his direct reports on a fascinating odyssey exploring a variety of topics. Most essays show gratitude for the wonders of modern science, with a focus on medical discoveries in infectious disease, vaccinology, and microbiology that have changed the course of humanity. Along the way, Nick also shares his appreciation for people, places, and events that have personally touched him in his own journey as a physician, a father, and a sports fan. He chose the timing of each essay to correspond to an important event in history, and uses this association to recount the significance of each achievement. This book showcases Nick's favorite stories, each showing the positive side of a world often dominated by negativity, mistrust, and skepticism.