#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells — taken without her knowledge in 1951 — became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually … billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance. This phenomenal New York Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.
more
Excellent, science not dumbed down but very understandable, fascinating story. We owe so much to her!
A very interesting book. I am glad that the truth has been written.
A sad story that show us where the HeLac cells came from and just how important one womens life became to the world
Compelling story.
Thought provoking indeed.
I love it!! My heart went out to the main character and all that her and her family went through.
Most unusual book that I have ever read about cancer.
I thought this was an important book for our time
The true story of how professionals in the medical research field exploited a woman’s illness for profit. Add to that the exploitation of families of color and in poverty, there is a strong sense of moral decay in how Henrietta Lacks was treated.
Interesting story of the use of patient specimens for research prior to the era of IRBs(Institutional Review Boards) which grew from the abuses at StoneyBrook and Tuskegee and elsewhere. Here, the focus is on Henrietta Lacks whose malignant tissue was grown in tissue culture, without patient or family consent, to form a so-called “immortal” cell …
Non-fiction. Very educational in an interesting way. Everyone should know about this.
It has been a few years since I read it, but as I recall, it generated interest and compassion for the family (which was cheated and not well-informed). Kind of technical, but when that gets hard to follow it is still worth it to follow the story.
This is one of the few books I will read over and over throughout my lifetime. The story is important and heartbreaking on so many levels. So grateful the injustice done to this family has at least been revealed, if not remedied.
This book was very informative and provided some different perspectives of an issue. A bit too clinical for me, but I’m glad I read it.
Informative story and such injustice to her family. Excellently written history.
I just couldn’t get into it at all.
Information we all need to know
This book shows how one person can make a difference in the medical world, albeit inadvertently. It also looks into the mysogeny and greed running rampant through the medical world. Rebecca Skloot is a masterful researcher and story-teller.
Loved the book; blech you the TV version
This is one of my favorite books of all time. Being from Baltimore and a former employee of Johns Hopkins Hospital, this book held particular interest for me. Who knew that this one case of cancer would result in such a benefit to so many. It was disturbing, however, that the family of Henrietta did not know early on that her cells were being used …