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Jan 31, 2020
Book Concierge
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
concierge,
science,
strong-women,
library,
memoir,
environment,
mental-illness,
nature,
friendship
Hope Jahren was always most comfortable in a lab; as a child she played in her father’s lab. She chose to research botany, and this is her memoir.
Jahren structures the book with alternating chapters; in one she will give a botany lesson, detailing, for example, the functioning of a leaf; in the next chapter she’ll relate a personal story of her journey from childhood to her position as a research scientist. And I was frequently able to draw a comparison between the science and the memory. I was ...more
Jahren structures the book with alternating chapters; in one she will give a botany lesson, detailing, for example, the functioning of a leaf; in the next chapter she’ll relate a personal story of her journey from childhood to her position as a research scientist. And I was frequently able to draw a comparison between the science and the memory. I was ...more
4.5
I liked almost everything about this book: the author's voice varying from serious, passionate, bravely honest to being surprisingly funny, her relationship with her science partner, Bill, and her uncompromising passion for science. I also liked her alternating chapters about trees and her life. Of course as with all memoirs, I have questions but I hope she writes another one that answers some of them. ...more
I liked almost everything about this book: the author's voice varying from serious, passionate, bravely honest to being surprisingly funny, her relationship with her science partner, Bill, and her uncompromising passion for science. I also liked her alternating chapters about trees and her life. Of course as with all memoirs, I have questions but I hope she writes another one that answers some of them. ...more
Interesting read with fun science trivia mixed with intensely personal stories. The eco-politics and whining about the stinginess of our government in funding science are mildly annoying, but do not dominate the book.
Intelligent, funny, full of heart, authentic and transparent. A great look into a deep study that most of us rarely, if ever, visit on a subject all around us.
Not science-y, read it if for the magnified view of green around us or for the building of a friendship that can't be broken. ...more
Not science-y, read it if for the magnified view of green around us or for the building of a friendship that can't be broken. ...more
Go plant a tree! And convince Congress to increase funding on scientific research.
This book was an enjoyable mix of sciences and human interest. The relationship Hope has with her lab partner Bill is quite quirky and is fun to watch grow. She does a wonderful job of detailing aspects or her research and plants/trees in general. I can recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the green life around us as well as those curious about the life of research scientists
This was the big read for Sangamon county 2021. I see why they chose it as it made science accessible for non scientific people. Hope Jahren is likable as she tells her story. I was a little surprised that some things didn’t happen that I expected but I think she ended where she needed to be.
3.5
Sep 13, 2016
Jillian (Peapod Historical Bookery)
marked it as to-read
Nov 18, 2016
Awallens
marked it as to-read
Jul 10, 2017
Julie sims and books
marked it as to-read
Dec 29, 2017
Sonya
marked it as to-read
Oct 16, 2019
Leighann
marked it as to-read
