Lab GirlLab Girl
Score Modern
What it's about
Hope Jahren, a geobiologist, tells her story of becoming a woman in science, and of her longtime friendship with her lab partner. Woven through it are short chapters on how plants live, grow and survive, which will change how you see the natural world.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir. It's an honest portrait of a woman in science and a joyful book about plants.
You'll love it if you liked
Braiding Sweetgrass
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It alternates between memoir and short essays on plants. It's as much about friendship as about science.
By the numbers
- Readers68 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz4 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #47 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #124 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #356 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #709 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Moving, Thought-provoking
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All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Lab Girl worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Critics Circle Award for memoir. It ranks #709 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Lab Girl about?
Hope Jahren, a geobiologist, tells her story of becoming a woman in science, and of her longtime friendship with her lab partner. Woven through it are short chapters on how plants live, grow and survive, which will change how you see the natural world.
How long does it take to read Lab Girl?
About 8 hours (304 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has Lab Girl won?
NBCC Award (Memoir) winner (2016).
What should I read after Lab Girl?
If you liked it, try Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.