Provides the first full-scale study of the life of the controversial American administrator, writer, and entrepreneur. Sullivan organizes the biography chronologically. He begins by exploring how Worcester's family and education shaped his character. He then examines Worcester's introduction to the Philippines during the Steere Expedition of 1887-1888. Sullivan contends that the zoological expedition to the Philippines served as a rite of passage for Worcester. The author notes that the outbreak of war between the United States and Spain in 1898 enabled Worcester to advance the claim of being one of the few Americans with knowledge about the Philippines. Sullivan states that Worcester soon became regarded as a leading public expert on the Philippines.