Lab Girl

A Memoir

By: Hope Jahren

Narrated by: Hope Jahren

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

National Book Critics Circle Award winner, Autobiography, 2016.

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 minute 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 the power within ourselves to face - with bravery and conviction - life's ultimate challenge: discovering who we are.

©2016 Hope Jahren (P)2016 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Some people are great writers, while other people live lives of adventure and importance. Almost no one does both. Hope Jahren does both. She makes me wish I'd been a scientist." (Ann Patchett)

This book is precious!

This book is so special, I hardly know how to describe it. It's a book about a life well lived. It's about finding yourself, accepting who you are and thriving. If you like science and nature and trees, you'll love the little nuggets of botany and biology, strategically placed to compliment the thread of the story. It's also a book about love, friendship, family and survival. I highly recommend it.

A very personal look into becoming a scientist

Would you consider the audio edition of Lab Girl to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bill, because of his constant weirdness and his stalwart friendship

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book made me cry when Jahren during a painful childbirth yelled out and made her yell into a visceral complaint against the "imperfections in a world of limitless potential". Just one phrase, and the author summarized all that has gone wrong in any middle-aged reader's life, you cannot deny it.

Any additional comments?

Because of its detailed reflectiveness on how it feels to struggle against a local default way of life, how it feels to struggle as a woman in a career dominated by men, how it feels to love your work, how it feels to discover a purpose to claim as your own, how it feels to have a friend, and how it feels to explore new territory in your chosen field, this book is worthy of status as a classic. Like Moby Dick, the book includes a lot of little-known technical info, but it is about trees and plants and it is more concise and it is more superbly woven into the author's personal experiences and emotions.

Rich colorful metaphors

This was a absolutely wonderful audio book. Mrs Jahren's narration was flawless! I really enjoyed the her life stories and learning about tree biology.

A Deeply Moving Human Experience

The remarkable Professor Hope Jahren has shared with us her stories from growing up in her father's college laboratory in the midwest to her life as a research scientist at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa. This autobiography is much deeper and much more beautiful than a "woman in science" book.

This is a profoundly human account of people growing into what they always were and were meant to be. This is an account of many imperfect people making their way in a flawed and sometimes hostile world.

This is a story of people, of love, of discovery and of science. But mostly, this is a story of the deep connections between people that are formed over the course of a life time.

I dearly loved the way Hope has woven into this book parallel stories about the evolution and biology of plants. She alternates her life's stories with accounts of how different plants grow and struggle. She touches on the majesty and wonder of living organisms that survive for centuries or millennia.

Another theme that Hope includes is the profound emotional impact of discovery. For some people, this "need to know" is a compulsion. Professor Jahren does more than explain this, by sharing her life and discoveries with us, she helps us experience these things vicariously through her.

Hope is the reader of this audio book. This is a first hand telling of wonderful stories by the chief participant. Listening to Hope is like listening to a close friend across the kitchen table. Hope's masterful narration of her own stories is outstanding!

I have many favorite books and I seldom recommend books to other people. But I recommend this book for anyone that has an open mind and open heart and an enjoyment of science and an appreciation for how this old world is the product of endless struggling.

As with all actual life, the book is bitter-sweet. There are times for laughter and smiles as well as tears both of joy and sadness.

This is a beautiful work.

A wondrous wordsmith

This book is a bit like marbled rye--you're unsure what kind of book (or bread) it really is. That being said, I must declare it to be definitely worth the reading. It was both scientifically interesting and deeply emotional at the same time.

If you like the characters in "The Big Bang Theory" then you'll find this interesting too. I mean, the author is not a Leslie Winkle, but she is quite definitely a wonk That's not a bad thing. It's just different. And, in this book, she opens a window into her world of science and its place in today's world. Facts are presented in a matter-of-fact way that allows you to digest them before again delving into the emotional life involved with actually BEING a scientist. Woven throughout are marvelous images of plant life, in various stages.

The author's phrasing and word choices are wonderful. The editing of this "story" is just short of miraculous--I don't know how they managed to weave it all together, but it works. The only reason I gave it four rather than five stars was because it definitely plays to a niche audience. It's not a general interest potboiler that blows it off the charts. But it's a terrific book in its own right. And I really, really liked it.

Excellent and insightful book

This is a very readable, er listenable book that combines very insightful observations on what it's like to be a scientist, learnings about plant life which are fascinating, and a touching personal biography. Definitely worth a read. The fact that it's read in a very personal way by the author contributes to the enjoyment.

My heart melted.

Hope Jahrens memoir brought me to tears on multiple occasions, over the beauty of the science she relates, her raw honesty in describing her experience with mental illness, her loving portrayal of a true friend and the difficulties of being a woman in a male dominated field. This book lifted me out of despair over my own career in science, inspiring me to dive head first and explore to my hearts content.

Disappointing

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The pace of the book is much too slow. The science is interesting but not not presented in an exciting way.

Would you be willing to try another book from Hope Jahren? Why or why not?

Probably not

What didn’t you like about Hope Jahren’s performance?

No enthusiasm. Science is incredibly exciting, but the reader seemed to be totally bored with it.

What else would you have wanted to know about Hope Jahren’s life?

Nothing

Any additional comments?

I like books on science. However, I only listened to about 25 percent of this one before I lost interest in it.

Today I will be planting Bill, tomorrow Hope.

The narration compassionate and real. The writers words etched my brain deeply as a strong rooted tree. The story moved me like a seed sprouting in the mystery of discoveris.

Fascinating, intimate and poetic

Where does Lab Girl rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

very high

What was one of the most memorable moments of Lab Girl?

The very personal times when she reflects on her life and losses.

Have you listened to any of Hope Jahren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several times when she shared something that resonated strongly with me. I was moved hen her son was born and she decided she could be a "father" even if she felt she was unable to meet her own expectations for a "mother". I knew exactly what she meant.

Any additional comments?

Hope Jahren is an amazing and brilliant scientist; this becomes clear when she shares the recognition she finally started getting. She is also a brilliant writer, and an excellent teacher. I am a bit of a science geek so I loved the information she provided about plants, in a clear and unique way. I also found her use of language inspiring and many times I chuckled and admired her selection of just the right word, Also, her metaphors and humor were delightful.

I have recommended this book to many of my dearest friends.