Jim Barker is an outstanding leader who worked tirelessly to make Clemson a better university. One of the things that made him so successful was his accessibility to faculty, staff and — especially — students. He often shared stories about the spontaneous and sometimes hilarious encounters with students who showed up on his doorstep. Many people told him, “You should write a book.” But there were classes to teach, students to advise, grandchildren to spoil, and he put it off. He and Marcia were finally persuaded to write this book as a way to raise money for the Barker Scholars Endowment, which provides need-based grants for students who might otherwise not be able to stay on track to graduate.