Although there are many books available on this subject, students often find it difficult to learn the essence of analysis on their own or after going through a course on real analysis. Written in a conversational tone, this text explains the hows and whys of real analysis and provides guidance that makes students think at every stage. It offers insight into how a typical mathematician works—observing patterns, conducting experiments, looking at or creating examples, understanding underlying principles, coming up with guesses or conjectures and rigorously proving them.