Kern spent most of her career in laboratory management, where she learned, "A good leader lifts others up rather than tearing them down." This insight is for leaders on the sports field, in a laboratory, or even principals in schools. Laboratory workers will obviously identify the most when reading this book. Office culture can sour when employees are under pressure, and science labs are often pressure cookers. However, the author helps put it all in perspective, reminding scientists why they are all there and that, ultimately, they share the common goal of performing good science safely.

Kern writes about transferable skills being assets. For example, when discussing maintaining laboratory equipment, she writes, "The skills I learned as a farm girl in Wyoming had prepared me for the lab bench in Georgia." The point is, everyone has transferable skills to bring to the workplace. The author shares similar good advice throughout her memoir, but she also tells some stories that paint some unusual and hilarious mental images. "Part of my responsibilities involved collecting fecal samples. That process required donning an arm-length glove, stretching from fingertips all the way to the shoulder, before reaching in to collect the necessary material from the backend of the cattle." This chapter alone is worth the price of admission. It's a good story, phenomenally written.

Readers might reasonably expect this book to be intended only for scientists or laboratory technologists. However, the life lessons are for every manager, every human, in fact. The book is chock-full of examples of how treating people with respect will move both them and the person offering respect forward.

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