When Geoff Butcher spent two years in Nigeria, teaching science in Lagos, he was moved by the number of people, and especially children, that he encountered who were suffering from the effects of malaria. This inspired him to change career in order to combat this serious and prevalent disease. He has since spent forty years at the laboratory bench with the ultimate aim of developing a vaccine. This book is a light-hearted account of his life - his research, which took him to various institutions in London, as well as to Canberra in Australia, and finally to Imperial College, London; and his other adventures which include encounters with snakes and soldier ants, what to do on strike, living in an asbestos hut, emergency fostering, and how not to pass a driving test. It is easy to read for non-scientists too, who may wonder what goes on in laboratories, and what can happen if you are not very careful.
MEMOIRS OF A FEEBLE CABBAGE traces not only the developments in the fight against malaria, but the life of a scientist who is dedicated to family and driven by his faith.