How I Won A Nobel Prize

I loved this - it was laugh out loud funny, wicked and such an interesting commentary on the world we live in

I really enjoyed this funny, nuanced and thought provoking satire of the current political culture, academia, and science. As someone from that world it felt very familiar and even though the plot was very predictable and much of the philosophy very superficial I enjoyed the conversational writing style, the underlying tug of emotional turmoil and the clever language.

I’m not going to pretend that I understood all the physics, or that this was a book that I breezed through, but neither of those things should stop you from picking this up. I listened to the audio book, which, given the nature of some of the technical content, was probably much less effort than having to read a physical copy, which I think I might have found a little dry in places.
Lauren Fortgang does a wonderful job with the narration, striking exactly the right tone for Helen of academic indifference to/intolerance for, anything that distracts her from her scientific quest; the small matter of solving global warming.
Despite her noble and arguably altruistic objective, Helen’s morals are reassuringly fallible. This story exposes them unashamedly as we discover what she is (and isn’t) prepared to do in pursuit of her goal: a Nobel prize. She’s a fascinating character, and she’s not the only one in this cast. At times she’s battling the patriarchy whilst at others she’s colluding with it.
This story is full of moral and ethical questions and to what extent the end justifies the means. Many of the characters are hypocritical, their behaviour contradictory and often selfish.
It makes for a unique and entertaining perspective on what happens when money, power and academia collide.
I really enjoyed it!
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to an ARC.