Madam Lasagna and the Dead Frog: A Novel of Life, Love, Neuroscience

It's 1982 and Roger Bansky, a recently minted PhD in neuroscience,is about to establish his own research lab. But first he wants anadventure. He travels to Woodstock, the home of the iconic concert.There, he teams up with Rosy, Tim and Leslie (with whom hehas an affair). The three clash with Wanda, the deceitful, hypersexualowner of the Chez Hendrix hotel, and Madam Lasagna, asketchy spiritualist from The Bronx. Roger's carefree weeks of sex,drugs and rock n roll lead him to question his goal directed pathas a scientist. As Roger sets up his lab, he is joined by Grace, aformer ballet dancer, who seeks a new passion after being injured,and Bakari, a talented 17-year-old African American high schoolstudent assigned to help Roger. Grace is enthralled by the researchof Reese Knightly, a prominent scientist, and joins his lab. But whenshe discovers that he is likely committing scientific fraud, she facesa dilemma: do nothing and move on with her research or exposehim and risk destroying her career. Bakari plays a major role inground-breaking research, but when his 7- year-old sister is shotin a drive-by shooting, he faces a choice between leaving school tohelp his family and pursuing science. Senior scientist Ridley Greifoversees the lives of these young people and searches for a way toencourage talented young people like Grace and Bakari to explorefutures as scientists. This novel skillfully blends the thrill of reallaboratory research in neuroscience with the struggles of a diversegroup of fictional characters trying to find purpose in their lives.