"Lab Girl" Geobiologist Hope Jahren's Autobiography Wins the Nat'l Book Critics Award (2016)

Hope Jahren's life can be described as groundbreaking and heartbreaking.  After reading her tale of her trials & tribulations in a male dominated scientific academia world, I've come away with a fertile  fascination & stirred awareness of trees, plants & ground beneath my feet.  Jahren's profound affinity for studying trees, plants, flowers, seeds & dirt has sprouted a steadfast curiosity & awakening to the miraculous nature of...nature.  Hope's life is no less fascinating although not without debilitating struggles with mental illness.  Much has to be said for her lifelong lab partner Bill.  His unique personality, drive and devotion to Hope are remarkable.  The passion Hope shares for plants & her unflappability in the face of diversity pique one's own wherewithal within the world we take up space.  Partly an erudite master class in botany & scientific study and part intimate & uninhibited life story, Hope's "Lab Girl" is engrossing & thought provoking.  It's also a conservation wake-up call for our planet.  Please, someone notify the president to make note of Hope's findings.  There is an appalling sparsity of funds allocated  to significant scientific study & discovery.  This is a particularly  inspiring read for girls as encouragement, not only towards the realm of scientific study, but to persevere & pursue their own interests.  The joy of accompanying an original thought is infectious in a fecund & ferocious manner.  Hope demonstrates a willingness to struggle and commit not only to research but as a partner with someone that is quite extraordinary.  Having read "Lab Girl" I've learned many miraculous things that occur in our midst daily & those that have evolved over time.  Spending time reading Jahren's Nat'l Book Critic winning auto-biography has enriched my sensitivity to the environment and to the miraculous super nova of possibilities around us.