Conservancy Book Review 10

Review of Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

review written by Richard May

Several years ago, I had the good fortune to read Lab Girl by Hope Jahren.   It is a wonderfully engaging story of a complex young woman from Minnesota whose passion for plants and trees leads her to become a botanist.
Through her experienced eyes, nature comes alive in ways that I could never imagine.  Learning how flora adapts to its environment to survive is described in beautiful detail.
As a young girl, Jahren takes full advantage to experiment in a makeshift lab with her father.  Her passion for her surroundings set her on a path of self-discovery that is genuinely remarkable.  She shares that journey with the reader.
Lab Girl opened up my eyes to the many wonders of nature that we often take for granted.  From the spiny cactus in a desert to the lush vegetation of the rainforest, she explains how roots adapt to having too little or too much water.  
With breathtaking imagery and rugged determination, she carefully walks the reader through her world of landscapes. Her love and passion win us over as she explains how plants communicate and adapt to conditions that many humans would find intolerable.

While Jahren’s journey is that of a scientist, one can relate to her personal and professional struggles.  Fortunately for the reader, those struggles do not get in the way of her passionate love for plants.  Exposure to the elements and human obstacles makes the word “resilient” seem tame from the perspective of a plant.
Jahren does not glorify science.  In fact, she goes out of her way to explain how difficult it is to collect the necessary evidence to form and justify her conclusions.  With dogged determination, she dots every “i” and crosses every “t” to explain what goes on behind the scenes in the luscious greenery that sustains life.  
Lab Girl is a remarkable book that details a profoundly personal journey of a young woman determined to become a scientist.  Her inspiration was the green world she saw around her egged on by “experiments” as a young child.
Like most other nature enthusiasts, I never cease to be amazed at nature’s bounty.  Jahren provides insights from a scientific basis that adds an even deeper understanding of that miracle called nature.
I would encourage adults and high school students considering a science education to follow in Ms. Jahren’s footsteps.  It is a rewarding and challenging journey that will not soon be forgotten. 
Hope Jahren, Ph.D. is a professor at the University of Hawaii.  Her improbable journey is documented in her own words and one cannot help being moved by her sweat and agony as she follows her passion.  This is a very rewarding book for all who wish to learn more about the mystery lurking in every leaf.

Thank you,
Jennifer Wilson Woody
Senior Communications Coordinator 
jennifer@kiawahconservancy.org