Science has always been a subject that interests me. How can it not? After all, as humans, we are science. Lab Girl is a book about science and research, but also so much more. It is about family, financial struggle, tension, love, stress–the list goes on. It is also about plants and trees and soil. I can’t really say that dirt is interesting, but mushrooms? Tree growth? Hope Jahren makes these things fascinating by digging deep into their structure and meaning.
I really liked learning about how mushrooms feed off of trees, but I didn’t feel bogged down by the information Ms. Jahren shared. Sometimes books can go a little too in-depth about the subject that is being expounded on. Lab Girl doesn’t go there. Instead, things are kept interesting, and the story moves forward, only sharing tidbits of scientific research here and there.
I love books that tell stories of strong and resourceful women who are trying to change the world. This book is one of those. I finished this book and felt empowered and inspired. This is just one example of what a woman can do, and it really held my interest all the way through. If you want to read a book that educates as well as amuses, then this book would be a good pick.
Review of an Advance Reader Copy
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 4 religious exclamations; 24 mild obscenities; 10 religious profanities; 3 derogatory names; 14 scatological words; 4 anatomical terms; 16 F-Word derivatives.
Violence/Gore: A dead animal is mentioned to be in a tree; glass explodes in a lab by accident, goes all over; a vehicle crashes and passengers are in a near fatal accident; the birthing of a baby is briefly described, some blood is mentioned to be oozing; a character dies of natural causes; rapists are joked about.
Sex/Nudity: Adults kiss; nudity is depicted on a billboard in a non-sexual way; the anatomy of a man is spoken of hypothetically; sex is talked about in a scientific way.
Mature Subject Matter:
Cancer, mental illness, personal crises.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Smoking is mentioned; beer is drunk by adults in a bar; drugs are mentioned.
