“Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume, and that being able to derive happiness from discovery is a recipe for a beautiful life.”
This is one of many wonderful lines from Hope Jahren’s memoir, Lab Girl, which I read this spring. As I walked under budding trees and past flowering bushes, Jahren’s narrative of becoming a botanist, building three successful labs and constructing a life from scratch resonated with me deeply.
Jahren draws wonderful parallels between plants and people, exploring roots, leaves, seeds, flowers and fruit in both the botanical and human realms. She writes about the cyclical nature of growth, the right conditions for flourishing, the ways both plants and humans react to unexpected strain. She never loses sight of the fundamental differences between plants and people, but her elucidation of those differences is also insightful.
I’m over at Great New Books today talking about how much I loved Lab Girl. Please join me over there to read the rest of my review.
cakes, tea and dreams 
I love reading about science so I’ll have to check this out – thank you!
Hope you enjoy it! So good.
This sounds really interesting, I will add it to the reading list, thank you!
Hope you enjoy!
It is a terrific book. I recommend it to anyone who asks.
Me too!