Every now and then, I read something other than romance! Although I usually like to get away from my normal life when I read, I can't resist a book that's set in the world of science - if it's done well.
Intuition by Allegra Goodman
(2006, Contemporary) 8/30/06
Grade: 4
After years of frustration, postdoc Cliff discovers his virus causes remission in mouse tumors. At first, everything seems perfect - but a little too good to be true? When his ex-girlfriend (and fellow postdoc) Robin discovers some questionable documentation, will his discovery turn out to be bogus? And will Robin’s career be destroyed by her insistence on the truth?
An interesting book with some flaws, but does a great job in depicting the culture of an academic research lab. Goodman creates vivid characters (maybe too many of them - she spends too much time on some minor characters) and creates a believable scenario of a questionable result that turns into a media circus when the results are questioned. The first section is rather slow, the middle a little too operatic and the end a little too quick and perfunctory, but overall, it’s great to read a book that treats science and science labs realistically and thoughtfully.
If this book had been set in a police station or a law office, I probably wouldn't have found it as interesting. But even though this was a biology lab, it rang true to this onetime chemistry grad student.
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