The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Read

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Sharon G

A Question of Ethics?

While the subject field's cells were initially (and innocently) gathered in an attempt to treat her illness, what ultimately adult presents many questions of ethics and censor on the part of the medical profession. Greed and commercialism are likewise subjects to be discussed.

Becky H

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot

Information technology seems empty-headed to go over the "plot" of this biography of Mrs. Lacks again, and so I will but say that this not-fiction work details how Mrs. Lacks and her family were lied to, misled, ill informed, taken advantage of and used by the medical community after her cancerous cells were constitute to be able to multiply indefinitely. Without compensating, or even acknowledging, the person from whom the cells were obtained, her cells were commencement given away, then sold, in society to advance medical knowledge.

The book is exceptionally well written, reading at times like a medical thriller. Merely at others, it serves as an introduction to medical/scientific ideals and experimentation. Skloot writes clearly enough so that even those who failed high school biology will get the gist of the medical experience of the Lacks family. Writer Skloot becomes a major player in the book when she engages Henrietta'south daughter, Deborah, equally friend, mentor and ally. The author'southward involvement in the story and with the cardinal players may become a topic for book groups to discuss. How "disinterested" a writer can an author be when they are and so intimately involved in their investigation that they become a function of the story. Would the book have been a bestseller if Skloot was not a role of the story? Could information technology fifty-fifty take been written?

Book groups will find the ideals of the various medical teams to be incredulous in the face of today'southward laws concerning medical privacy. Groups may want to investigate the case of John Moore, a "mod" lapse of medical ideals, mentioned briefly in the volume.

Aem

Henrietta Lacks

This story was beautifully written it kept me absorbed as I read through it. I establish information technology to be advisory and very interesting. There wasn't a time where i was reading I thought information technology was boring. The way she brought Henrietta to life on the pages was amazing. Although I will take to reread information technology to become over the part about her marrying her cousin. That was weird and I don't understand that but the book was good to read. It showed who she was and I at present empathize why nosotros used her cells in my loftier school biology class and compared them to different cells that had been dead for and then long. I observe that her cells helping out others was inspiring to the scientific discipline today.

Malcolm

great book

Rebecca Skloot touches on issues that still are burning questions in medical research today. Through the story of a family who lost a member named Henrietta Lacks - a mother, wife, and cousin - to cervical cancer. The doctors took a tissue sample without consent to create the dell culture line HeLa. Through this, Rebecca hits difficult on the problems of consents, who owns the rights to the tissues and money and the racial issues and immoral studies on blacks. Great way to bring these issues to attention to all ages and inform the general public about the problems. Great job Rebecca Skloot!

CarolK

Outstanding blend of Scientific discipline & History

This has been on my TBR list for most of 2010.I knew I wanted to read it as shortly every bit I heard it involved The HeLa Cells. Somewhere in the back of my heed I knew I had heard nearly these famous cells taken from an African American woman diagnosed with cervical cancer in the l'south. The cells were taken without her noesis and without the cognition of her family unit. The cells lived, she did not. See Henrietta Lacks.

Like the writer, Rebecca Skloot, I was curious to know more about Henrietta, to learn more about the details of the jail cell experimentation, what they have done for science and why they are important to our lives. Skloot is a science journalist and has the credentials to dig into the story and inform. I requite her a dandy deal of credit for the ten years she took to research the book and for having the perseverance to continue to contact Henrietta'south relatives who were reluctant to talk to a reporter. Edifice trust with the family was not an easy chore, but eventually Skloot was able to ensure them that her intentions were proficient. Though the story could have been told from interviews with doctors and possibly from records at Johns Hopkins, what really brings Henrietta alive in my listen is the personal stories of her kin, particularly her daughter, Deborah.

I liked the format Skloot used to write the book. You lot can hear what she says about this in the FAQ portion of her website.

Critics of the book complain that Skloot has made this a story of race. Personally, I don't run into how you can brainstorm to know Henrietta and her family without talking most race. But, aye, information technology is more than that. It'southward nigh informed consent, pharmaceutical companies making mega dollars, treatment of patients, and ethics. It is as well the story of the quest of a daughter to better know her mother, who died when she was immature. It is a story of this daughter's love for the woman she comes to know.

I am pleased that Rebecca Skloot has gear up Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which this year granted five of the Lacks descendents for their education.

There is much to think virtually after reading this book. I yet accept questions. Some of the science goes over my head, merely Skloot did a practiced task keeping this in layman's terms.

Today, due to privacy laws we would non know the name of the woman that the cells were harvested from. I'm in agreement with this only am still glad that in this instance, Henrietta Lacks was identified and that through the efforts of Rebecca Skloot that I have a ameliorate picture show of who Henrietta was. She never knew her contribution to medicine, but information technology seems to exist significant.

Karen R

Interesting and Enlightening

I recommend this to those who like history and science. The writer is to be praised for her exhaustive research into the history of HeLa cells and how they've made an touch on on lives around the world. Interesting and enlightening. However, my favorite chapters had to practise less with the science aspect but more than on the homo side of Henrietta and her extended family, who experienced offset-hand the poverty and racism in America and the abuse of African-Americans by the American medical customs. We learn how each of them dealt with Henrietta'south cells being used without their consent and the fact that the production of HeLa cells was commercialized without the Lacks family receiving a penny - most of whom remained poor their entire lives. They couldn't fifty-fifty get health insurance.

Dorothy T.

Excellent on several levels

The author spent much time and exhaustive effort to put together a true story that at times moves along like fiction, and presented characters that had me totally engaged. I loved how the science was told with detail that would satisfy professionals so told once again "in plain English" for readers like me and then that I could understand the importance of Henrietta Lacks' part in cell research. Rebecca Skloot holds nothing back--except her own occasional skepticism. This book is non to be missed!

Nancy Needler, Enquiry Subject Advocate

HeLa cell line: Would Henrietta have minded this immortality?

This book was read with enthusiasm from commencement to stop. The author brilliantly, yet informally, used family memories, historical documents, pictures, medical professional interviews, and her own interpretations to bring into light the bodily life of Henrietta Lacks. The story revolves effectually the fact that cell were taken from her cancer tumor without her cognition or consent and grown in civilization. After her death, these cells were used for scientific discovery and still remain "live". The outcome of this story on her family unit is remarkably told. On a research bailiwick advocate viewpoint, the 31 year old woman was subjected to unethical utilize of her body tissues, the multimillion dollar business profited from the selling of the HeLa line, and the Lack family unit never say a penny (let alone knew of the "immortality" of her family member). On scientific review, these cells enabled informational discoveries for the US medical community for the betterment of guild. This story is a must read!

mosesoushiney43.blogspot.com

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