Book Quotes from "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren // Five Quotes I Loved

I thought it would be fun to start sharing quotes from books that I really enjoyed. Sometimes it feels like a book is just full of amazingly quotable moments and I desperately want to share them with others. The first book I am going to feature is "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren. I recently finished this book and loved it. Check out the video above or keep reading for five "Lab Girl" quotes that I loved and why!

1. Hope Jahren does SUCH an amazing job in "Lab Girl" portraying her life as a research scientist. Much of the book is a discussion of the struggles she and others face while living that particular life, especially as a woman. And frequently in "Lab Girl", to my delight as a reader, her descriptions of a life in science are poetic and poignant. I adore how she describes just how futile the pursuit of science can feel, but also how noble it ultimately is as a career and passion. I love also how she points out the "providence" of her work being discovered by someone else. That seemingly divine intersection of their paths,  so that she can share and teach another to continue on her rocks in the "rushing river bend" that is scientific discovery. Swoon!

 

2. Again, Hope is killing it with the poetic descriptions of human life intersecting with plant life similes. Her passion for science is palpable throughout the book, and this "Lab Girl" quote, in particular, hit me. I was a science major for all of two semesters in college, and during that time I worked as an intern at a laboratory. While I quickly changed my major to English shortly thereafter, I can understand and relate to the idea of that seemingly cold and sterile space feeling also feeling like a home and safe place.

3. YES! This quote is everything to me, and the experiences that lead Hope to decide on this particular world view also made up one of my favorite chapters in "Lab Girl". Before working as a research scientist, Hope was employed as a pharmacy tech, mixing together the necessary ingredients of medications for hospital patients. I think this is a particularly valuable worldview, one that asks you to focus on those who need help while also acknowledging your temporary luck at the moment to be able to provide that help. I spent many hours volunteering at a hospital as a teenager and that certainly contributed to my appreciation for this worldview, as well. It is obvious reading "Lab Girl" that Hope's time as a pharmacy technician really affected her and the empathy she felt for the patients at the hospital, most of whom she did not see, was inspiring to read about as well.

 

4. Another hospital themed quote, and one that I relate to as well. In this quote, Hope is speaking of the beeping of her monitor while she was in the hospital delivering her son. I really related to the sense of security she felt in that environment, but also the constant need for that reassuring beep. I spent nearly two weeks in the hospital delivering my son, and it remains one of the scariest and most amazing memories in my life. I was terrified of something going wrong, and my missing out on this new and wonderful person that I had yet really met. But I was also constantly soothed by the beeping and structured surroundings. And like Hope states, there was no "upper limit to the amount of reassurance" I required, either. God bless the nurses, staff, and my family for sticking with me through that difficult time : )

5. It felt wrong to make it through a list of quotes from Lab Girl without including one that was about plant life. There are SO many fascinating facts about plants sprinkled throughout this book. The science related facts never felt overdone, they were well placed and usually used to speak about human nature, such as is the case in the first quote about plants and light. This fact about glucose and leaves is a favorite of mine though. How mind blowing to think that leaves are fueling my thoughts of leaves.

So those are five quotes that I loved from "Lab Girl" by Hope Jahren. These were actually pretty tough for me to choose, as there were many more moments from this book that I enjoyed. I hope that by sharing these quotes you learned a little bit more about "Lab Girl", Hope Jahren, and also me. If you've read "Lab Girl" let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!