NEVER GIVE UP

The inspiring story of a passionate scientist whose persistence pays off.

A childhood on a farm in a Hungarian village might not seem a promising path to immunological fame, but Kati Karikó (b. 1955) strides undeterred toward her dreams. Her curiosity is empowering, and she knows that discipline (like choosing the Science Olympics over a vacation) is nonnegotiable. Asking unexpected questions, she embarks on a long-shot quest: enabling bodies to heal themselves via messenger RNA. Other (male) scientists deride the goal, but she is not discouraged, even when it means personal sacrifice. A chance meeting suggests a new approach, and it works. Karikó takes her research to BioNTech. Then Covid-19 breaks out, but Pfizer/BioNTech are able to quickly make millions of doses of reliable vaccine thanks to Karikó’s unswerving focus: As we’re told early on, “Making one small change could have a huge impact.” The restrained but realistic illustrations use lots of matte color, subtle linework, changes of perspective, and clever layout to provide visual interest and convey complex information. Quotes from Karikó and others in her field—including Anthony Fauci—are interspersed throughout. Karikó is White; background characters are diverse. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

An engaging look at scientific dedication and the timely development of effective vaccines.