Name: Lara Engle's review of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Item: Lab Girl
Rating: 4
Author: Lara Engle

Hope Jahren

National Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book Winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Film Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography Finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, TIME.com, NPR, Slate, Entertainment Weekly, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews Geobiologist Hope Jahren has spent her life studying trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Lab Girl is her revelatory treatise on plant life--but it is also a celebration of the lifelong curiosity, humility, and passion that drive every scientist. In these pages, Hope takes us back to her Minnesota childhood, where she spent hours in unfettered play in her father's college laboratory. She tells us how she found a sanctuary in science, learning to perform lab work "with both the heart and the hands." She introduces us to Bill, her brilliant, eccentric lab manager. And she extends the mantle of scientist to each one of her readers, inviting us to join her in observing and protecting our environment. Warm, luminous, compulsively readable, Lab Girl vividly demonstrates the mountains that we can move when love and work come together.

Lab Girl

Lara Engle

An illuminating debut memoir of a woman in science; a moving portrait of a longtime collaboration, in work and in life; and a stunningly fresh look at plants that will forever change how you see and think about the natural world Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she's studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book might have been a revelatory treatise on plant life. Lab Girl is that, but it is also so much more. Because in it, Jahren also shares with us her inspiring life story, in prose that takes your breath away. Lab Girl is a book about work, about love, and about the mountains that can be moved when those two things come together. It is told through Jahren's remarkable stories: about the things she's discovered in her lab, as well as how she got there; about her childhood--hours of unfettered play in her father's laboratory; about how she found a sanctuary in science, and learned to perform lab work "with both the heart and the hands"; about a brilliant and wounded man named Bill, who became her loyal colleague and best friend; about their adventurous, sometimes rogue research trips, which take them from the Midwest all across the United States and over the Atlantic, from the ever-light skies of the North Pole to tropical Hawaii; and about her constant striving to do and be the best she could, never allowing personal or professional obstacles to cloud her dedication to her work. Jahren's probing look at plants, her astonishing tenacity of spirit, and her insights on nature enliven every page of this book. Lab Girl allows us to see with clear eyes the beautiful, sophisticated mechanisms within every leaf, blade of grass, and flower petal, and also the power within ourselves to face--with bravery and conviction--life's ultimate challenge: discovering who you are.

As far as memoirs go, I enjoyed the nonlinear style, mixed with natural history, philosophical musings and inner thoughts.

Between the high expectations to overcome as a woman in science, the patriarchal gender norms, the stress of gathering funds alongside her male lab partner with whom she has a special relationship (which had several pressure points, for that relationship to be defined, or to "progress" in a direction she didn't want, even though the expectations were there as well).

Really loved reading about her relationship with her mom. How she had to overcome the imposed upon her housewife status. How she inspired her love for not just reading but exhaustively reading a book.

Also loved her relationship with her husband, how in spite of people telling her, at various points, that she was too inexpressive or too expressive, their relationship had the right chemistry.

Two quotes I really loved:

"People don't know to make a leaf, but they know how to destroy one."

„Our world is falling apart quietly. Human civilization has reduced the plant, a four-hundred-million-year-old life form, into three things: food, medicine, and wood. In our relentless and ever-intensifying obsession with obtaining a higher volume, potency, and variety of these three things, we have devastated plant ecology to an extent that millions of years of natural disaster could not.”

The one thing I disliked — the fact that she cared so deeply about plants, about the planet, but in several instances described eating beings. Wish she applied her way of thinking to what's on her plate as well. Or, rather, who is on her plate.

Sarah Sammis

3.5. I have a lot to say (and complain) about this book tbh, but it's a memoir, the one very genre that doesn't warrant any expectation. the book also has a lot of great moments that i still come to enjoy it enough to even read the acknowledgement and end note despite my complaints anw. and as a junior scientist, i just gotta bow down to her staggering hard work and achievements, she's quite an inspiration.

Abhimat Gautam

This was a delightful book. In summary, it’s the interesting story of a scientist writing about her life and uncertainties in the world of academia, especially from the perspective of a female scientist. But that doesn’t quite capture how beautifully this book is written. Jahren has a delightful way of looking at her life and being able to capture it in words, while also simultaneously connecting it to her fascination with trees and plants. She explores her struggles with mental illness, and several issues that come up with life in academia. There’s a lot of her perspectives that I found myself identifying and connecting with, and a lot I also learned from. I loved devouring this book.

And, I had no idea how absolutely fascinating trees are! I mean, I love getting to learn more about stars and the universe every day, but man, trees just seem so absolutely fascinating and I’m a bit jealous that I don’t get to work on studying them too. I kinda, may have also started reading through a textbook on trees for fun, prompted by this book…

This book is half memoir, half poetic rumination on the science of plants. I enjoyed both halves. Jahren's life lends itself to considerations of curiosity science, feminism, mental health, family, and identity. It's a rather quiet book that argues for the value of a quiet life.

Andrew John Kinney

4.4 If you've read Hope Jahren's book, The Story of More, and you liked it, read Lab Girl - you'll like it too. It is a more personal story, sometimes painfully personal, but like Story of More, it's funny and heartfelt. I have great respect for just how hard she has had to work to establish herself as a scientist, and I'm sorry that being a woman in STEM is so hard - it shouldn't be. Lab Girl grew on me the further I read, until by the end I really liked it a lot, though I think The Story of More is a more important book. I do love Jahren's writing, and I hope she writes another book soon. She's funny, engaging, and passionate about her subject, which is the pursuit of truth. That's what science is, if you were wondering.

Briar's Reviews

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren felt like a book personally made for me.

This novel following Hope Jahren's life and trials of becoming a geobiologist is a serious gem for my collection. Every sentence of this novel felt like it was crafted for me - it a smart, female scientist rocking out in her field. She wins awards, she builds laboratories and she is a genius in her field. How can I not love this book?! On top of it all, it's a non-fiction novel which is not my normal read, yet I was SO OBSESSED WITH THIS BOOK. All caps. Yes, I was that obsessed.

So, down to the nitty gritty: This biography is not all sunshine and roses. Along the way, Hope deals with all sorts of trials and craziness. We follow her as a lab tech in a hospital, as a scientist trying to get grants, and as a friend to Bill and mother. Mixed in with her personal story is loads of facts about trees and nature. There are entire chapters devoted to the complexity of how trees work and live, which was one of the coolest parts of the books for me. I wish Hope had taught my high school biology classes, because for once I actually felt like I understood what trees go through. Everything was relatable, and there were lots of metaphors.

The best part of this whole book was the comedy. Our author clearly has a fantastic sense of humor, which involves a LOT of sarcasm. I am incredibly sarcastic so I loved every second of every snarky comment. I felt so connected to Hope, because I could relate. That's where I think this book really shines! Very few books connect with me on a such a personal level, so I loved every second of reading this book. I didn't want to put it down and I wanted to read it again (which is very rare for me, by the way).

I believe there is something in this book for everyone: science, sarcasm, an incredible friendship between Hope and Bill, the trials and errors of being a mother, and mental health. 

And, to be brutally honest, I don't really have any negatives to say. It was the perfect book for me in every way. Other readers will have their doubts, but I connected with this book so strongly that I can't see faults. Every reader wants a book like that, and I'm glad I found mine. Thank you Hope for sharing your wonderful story.

Five out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

An illuminating debut memoir of a woman in science; a moving portrait of a long-time collaboration, in work and in life; and a stunningly fresh look at plants that will forever change how you see and think about the natural world. Acclaimed scientist Hope Jahren has built three laboratories in which she's studied trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Her first book might have been a revelatory treatise on plant life. Lab Girl is that, but it is also so much more. Because in it, Jahren also shares with us her inspiring life story, in prose that takes your breath away. Lab Girl is a book about work, about love, and about the mountains that can be moved when those two things come together. It is told through Jahren's remarkable stories: about the things she's discovered in her lab, as well as how she got there; about her childhood--hours of unfettered play in her father's laboratory; about how she found a sanctuary in science, and learned to perform lab work "with both the heart and the hands"; about a brilliant and wounded man named Bill, who became her loyal colleague and best friend; about their adventurous, sometimes rogue research trips, which take them from the Midwest all across the United States and over the Atlantic, from the ever-light skies of the North Pole to tropical Hawaii; and about her constant striving to do and be the best she could, never allowing personal or professional obstacles to cloud her dedication to her work. Jahren's insights on nature enliven every page of this book. Lab Girl allows us to see with clear eyes the beautiful, sophisticated mechanisms within every leaf, blade of grass, and flower petal, and also the power within ourselves to face--with bravery and conviction--life's ultimate challenge: discovering who you are.

Wynter

Such a short book, but it took me forever to read it. I should have liked it more than I actually did. Hope Jahren's part-memoir, part-scientific reflection has humour, memorable personalities, fun educational material, and some truly moving recollections. The problem was that sometimes Jahren's could become too dramatic. I had the misfortune to listen to the audiobook while walking my dog, and I swear it made me want to pull my hair out. The teary, choking voice at the end of nearly every chapter that was supposed to make me feel emotions while the author dwelled in self-pity was like nails on chalkboard. I also went into the book thinking this would be more of a love letter to botany and some interesting findings the author discovered during her career (I never read blurbs), but instead I got mostly a memoir, interlaced some musings on plants that supported the mood for these memories. And this is officially the longest sentence I've ever written. Needless to say, I am sort of underwhelmed. If you are going to read Lab Girl, please avoid the audio, and be prepared for a lifetime worth of over-reactions to ordinary events.

National Bestseller Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography A New York Times Notable Book Geobiologist Hope Jahren has spent her life studying trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Lab Girl is her revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also a celebration of the lifelong curiosity, humility, and passion that drive every scientist. In these pages, Hope takes us back to her Minnesota childhood, where she spent hours in unfettered play in her father’s college laboratory. She tells us how she found a sanctuary in science, learning to perform lab work “with both the heart and the hands.” She introduces us to Bill, her brilliant, eccentric lab manager. And she extends the mantle of scientist to each one of her readers, inviting us to join her in observing and protecting our environment. Warm, luminous, compulsively readable, Lab Girl vividly demonstrates the mountains that we can move when love and work come together. Winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Film Prize for Excellence in Science Books Finalist for the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, TIME.com, NPR, Slate, Entertainment Weekly, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Kirkus Reviews

Maria Flowers

Plants and Life 

This story effectively brings Jahren's life story of becoming a scientist(title and beyond) and the study of plants together in a beautiful matrimony.

It was never what I expected it to be, but I really enjoyed this book. It was a memoir of love for her work, her partner, and herself. I could have kept listening to her stories for another entire book. 

B. R.

Flavia Louise

Really fascinating book about plants and a scientist's life.

jiaqi kang

couldve gone thru another round of editing (a couple of typos, and a really confusing chapter (the road trip van crash one) where a brand new character gets introduced suddenly in the middle of the action, causing me to wonder if jahren simply lost track of the fake names she was using for one of the students. who the fuck is emily and why does teri vanish for like 10 pages only to come back at the end?????) 

also could have had more science and less autobiography

also when they go to monkey jungle and she talks her way out of being arrested by, and then befriends, the police i was like LOL white privilege... nobody else couldve gotten away w that!

Nadine 

Part truth, beauty and knowledge and part "what the F?" this book looks into what it is to be a brilliant (manic depressive) female scientist in 21st Century America (and I suspect elsewhere) when your science is "speculative" rather than for bio-tech or warfare. 
Well worth reading / listening to.

Samantha Alukas 

As a fellow Midwestern female scientist, I was excited to delve into this memoir. For biology enthusiasts and novices alike, Jahren’s casual style makes reading this book feel like a warm conversation with a close friend. 

Although her life as a lab scientist weaves a deeply intimate and oddly relatable story of discovery, loneliness, loyalty and love; her prose shines brightest when she writes about her truest passion: the life of plants. Sandwiched between more personal chapters, Jahren beautifully illustrates the rich and secret life of seeds, roots, leaves, trees, and flowers. “A seed is alive while it waits,” she writes, “Every acorn on the ground is just as alive as the three-hundred-year-old oak tree that towers over it”. These vignettes alone make a fantastic read, shifting my perception of the world around me and what it means to be alive.

Olivera Mitić

Tomasz

Ma swoje mocne momenty, ma swoje słabe i wręcz infantylne momenty.
To, że historia jest napisana przez kobietę daje inną perspektywę na organizację nauki, środowisko naukowe. Poza tym jednak pamiętnik ten z czasem staje się coraz bardziej tkliwy (chyba tak po prostu "po kobiecemu") i opisuje relacje prywatne, czy w pewnym momencie wręcz szczegółowy opis porodu. Nie brak jednak ciekawych opisów amerykańskiego systemu nauki czy botanicznych badań autorki, jak również niektórych sytuacji z życia badaczki.
Co drugi rozdział poświęcony jest na opis drzewa (od ogółu do szczegółu) - nie można nie porównać tego do dużo lepszych "Patyków, badyli" U. Zajączkowskiej.
Książka dość nierówna i pamiętnik na przestrzeni stron przyjmuje różnoraką formę. Były strony, gdzie "akcja" bardzo wciągała, a były i takie, które omiatało się przelotnie.
Niemniej jednak samą autorkę całkiem polubiłem, i choć nie jest to nigdzie wprost opisane, to czuje się ten wzrost doświadczenia i wpływu, wzrostu w hierarchii badaczki w gronie akademickim.

Julie Berman

The author narrates this book and she is fantastic. Interesting and profound stories of plants and life. Loved this quote: "Along the way, we also managed to become adults without ceasing to be children." I look at plants and trees in a whole new way now.

b.andherbooks

Scientist Hope Jahren intersperses her fascinating career with equally fascinating botany facts. A highly readable and illuminating memoir.

I especially enjoyed reading Jahren's experiences with her fraternal life-partner, her non-biological brother Bill. What a treat.

Also enjoyed discussing the book with my Book to Art Club. We created faux-cacti planters!

Ben Nathan

She has an exceptional story and I want every girl in my classes that had any inclination toward science to read it. That said, I think Bill is the true hero as lab assistants never get the credit they deserve

Lab Girl is a book about work and about love, and the mountains that can be moved when those two things come together. It is told through Jahren's remarkable stories: about the discoveries she has made in her lab, as well as her struggle to get there; about her childhood playing in her father's laboratory; about how lab work became a sanctuary for both her heart and her hands; about Bill, the brilliant, wounded man who became her loyal colleague and best friend; about their field trips - sometimes authorised, sometimes very much not - that took them from the Midwest across the USA, to Norway and to Ireland, from the pale skies of North Pole to tropical Hawaii; and about her constant striving to do and be her best, and her unswerving dedication to her life's work. Visceral, intimate, gloriously candid and sometimes extremely funny, Jahren's descriptions of her work, her intense relationship with the plants, seeds and soil she studies, and her insights on nature enliven every page of this thrilling book. In Lab Girl, we see anew the complicated power of the natural world, and the power that can come from facing with bravery and conviction the challenge of discovering who you are.

Heather Killeen

This book totally took me by surprise. As a woman and a scientist I knew I would likely identify with the author, but I don't think I've ever been so grabbed by the writing style of a non-fiction book. The back and forth between biological and ecological descriptions of specific types of plants, and stories from her personal life and career, are seamlessly choreographed, leaving fascinating places where the two seem to overlap as metaphors for each other. She makes the study of plants (which I am now chagrined to admit was one of my least favorite courses in college) feel like embarking on an exploration into something totally "other" and strange in the best possible way. Pointing out the differences between human biology and plant biology made this type of information even more accessible and fascinating. Throughout the book, Hope Jahren makes it abundantly clear that she is an excellent teacher. 

Likewise, the personal parts of the book are interesting on a career journey level, but also deeply inspirational and moving. Although the stories actually span a 20 year period of Jahren's life, there is a pretty clear narrative, layered with life's common frustrations, anxieties, quirks, and hilarious moments that made the book hard to put down. I could say a lot more about this book, but I just say one more thing. 

Anyone that has felt obsessed about something, maybe more than they thought is strictly normal, will find Jahren completely relatable, whether you are a scientist or not. I think this book is in part, an ode to people who have felt, at some point in their life, like an outsider. Whether it's because of race, gender, sexual orientation, mental illness, introversion, or an extravagant obsession with Star Wars, (ahem, that last one is just an example :P), all of us have probably felt like we were alone in our weirdness. So reading about a hard-working, charismatic yet imperfect person, completely obsessed with figuring things out in her world, navigate a career and share her boundless enthusiasm for her work, was both inspirational and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Lara Engle &
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

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Lara Engle &Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

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