Scan barcode
chronologically_charlie's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Natural science is my jaaaaam. I've spent a good chunk of my life in labs, but there's no better setting than the natural lab that the world provides us. This memoir supports me one thousand times over, as it weaves together Hope's path with her studies, careers, and relationships. As many other reviewers have mentioned, her partnership with Bill is nothing short of delightful. Reading about their struggles and triumphs is almost like I was right alongside them on their journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, and Medical trauma
massivepizzacrust's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
This has been on my radar since it came out and I guess somewhere along the way I misremembered what it was about. I expected more science less memoir but as a woman in STEM I do really appreciate the discussions of the expectations and judgement placed on the author. But she does come off as a little bit of an asshole...? I can appreciate the 100% dedication to her work that she describes but I don't think it's fair to portray that kind of obsession as normal or desirable. We have a huge mental health crisis in academia partly because we tell students that if they can't put in this kind of work they don't deserve to be there. And I'm not sure that this work isn't encouraging that attitude. I came out of this book feeling very conflicted and not knowing as much about plants as I thought I would.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Mental illness, and Forced institutionalization
More...