Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, and was named one of the Best Books of the Year by The Washington Post, Time, NPR, Slate, Entertainment Weekly, Newsday, Minneapolis Star Tribune and Kirkus Reviews.

She describes the worries shared by many scientists about finding the money to build their laboratories, conduct their experiments, and pay their staff, done via applying for grants and receiving funding from the government or private institutions.

Jahren includes anecdotes about traveling to an attraction called "Monkey Jungle" in Florida on a week-long student field trip, as well as the experience of attempting to drive from Georgia to California for a conference in less than a week, resulting in the crashing of a university van.

She leaves Johns Hopkins after the birth of her son, due in part to an incident that occurred with a supervisor when she was banned from entering her laboratory while pregnant.

She also briefly relates her struggles with her own mental health, although it is unclear within the text whether this takes the form of anxiety, depression or bipolar disorder.