The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks [B1364]

2010 HCDJ in nice clean condition. "The story of modern medicine and bioethics-and, indeed, race relations-is refracted beautifully, and movingly."-Entertainment Weekly. NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM HBO STARRING OPRAH WINFREY AND ROSE BYRNE. Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells-taken without her knowledge-became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years.

HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave. Henrietta's family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family-past and present-is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of. Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family-especially Henrietta's daughter Deborah. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn't her children afford health insurance? Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences.

From the many recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "I had heard about HeLa cells before, but was unaware of the story behind the donor. Great overview of some of the racial disparities in the scientific community."; "I had heard of Henrietta Lacks but wasn't sure an entire book about her would be that interesting. Boy, was I wrong! This book was a fascinating look at the personal history of Henrietta and the Lacks family, while illuminating the broader context of racial discrimination, medical abuse, and research ethics. Wow. I couldn't put it down! This is the best nonfiction I have read for awhile!"; "When I first heard about the story of Henrietta Lacks in a radio interview with the author, I said to my sister, I must read that book. An amazing recounting of the life of Henrietta until her death in 1951, which then follows her children as they tried to understand what happened to their mother. I was totally engrossed in the story. It's well researched and captivating."; "This was a truly engaging read. The author painted a vivid picture of Henrietta herself while also exploring the incredible impact of HeLa cells and their lasting contributions to the medical field. What I appreciated most was how the book humanized Henrietta, reminding readers that behind the scientific breakthroughs was a real woman with a family and a story."