Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by
Rebecca Skloot
adult nonfiction
In general, I am not into reading nonfiction, but this book was RIVETING.
There is a LOT to discuss in this book – Bioethics and African American history being the big two. Secondary: rights of patients and the development of 20th and 21st century medicine.
This book is about Henrietta Lacks, the cells that scientists took from her and raised in a lab, and the reporter that is bringing us this story. The reporter has done extensive research: interviewing Henrietta’s family, scientists, and doctors, combing through old and new science journals that discuss the cells, and diving into archives and courthouses for records. This is an amazing and TRUE story of modern medicine.
About 1/3 of the way through I started thinking of all the people I should share this book with – especially people in the medical field. I mentioned it to my doctor this week.
These are the subject headings from our catalog.
Lacks, Henrietta, 1920-1951 -- Health.
Cancer -- Patients -- Virginia -- Biography.
African American women -- History
Human experimentation in medicine -- United States -- History.
HeLa cells
Medical ethics
Cancer -- Research
Cell culture
This is a great book to purchase and share with various friends and relatives OR to have for a book discussion.
