Though Moyé’s book is geared for junior scientists to have an expansive view of the scientific world they have entered, its intrigue extends far beyond. The principles that are the driving force behind the book are applicable to many other competitive industries and provide audiences with a window to reassess who they are and what they hope to get out of their scientific pursuits and commitments.

Opening with a particularly eye-opening story featuring twenty-nine-year-old Carol, a newly minted research scientist on the rise, and the domineering Dr. Hendriks, the author highlights the turbulent nature of expectations from one’s supervisor to the extent that personal family time becomes nonexistent. Undoubtedly, the guide acknowledges the importance of being productive and acquiring the necessary technical acumen to thrive in a research environment. However, in order to effectively balance productivity, the work revolves around encompassing healthy character traits that allow researchers to function in harmonic balance with all aspects of life.

In a lab setting that is constantly advancing with respect to equipment, apparatus, and testing efficiency, the author astutely points out that limiting factors such as wait time and inadequate technology are long gone, putting the focus squarely on the researcher’s own speed in the conducting of analyses. As someone who was involved in a twelve-year NHLBI-funded cell therapy research project prior to his retirement, Moyé seeks to instill pertinent qualities in the reader, such as courage—both the courage to ask probing questions and to know when it is time for introspection, which may entail walking away temporarily via a sabbatical. The author effectively uses case studies to focus on ethics, accountability, and self-control. At the forefront of these are universally known names like Dr. Fauci, representing the moral excellence and character development that are the catalysts of Moyé’s work.

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