audiobook The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot in History

Review

95 of 98 people found the following review helpful. Educational; entertaining; and an overall great readBy BccalyI ordered this book to read for one of my Ethics classes. I was worried about so much assigned reading to complete in one week; but it turned out to be a book that you just can't put down.It still amazes me that this is a woman's real life story; the story of her family; and how they have impacted science and anyone who works or benefits from the use of cellular research. That means just about every single person is connected to Henrietta in one way or another.This was a great book that I'm so glad I read. I learned a lot and it kept me entertained and fascinated for days. It will really change your perspective and make you appreciate this woman's contribution to our scientific and health fields.102 of 108 people found the following review helpful. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks an instant classic – this is one of those stories that genuinely needed to be told.By S.A.N MONSANTO MONSANTOFrom the very beginning there was something uncanny about the cancer cells on Henrietta Lacks’s cervix. Even before killing Lacks herself in 1951; they took on a life of their own. Removed during a biopsy and cultured without her permission; the HeLa cells (named from the first two letters of her first and last names) reproduced boisterously in a lab at Johns Hopkins — the first human cells ever to do so. HeLa became an instant biological celebrity; traveling to research labs all over the world. Meanwhile Lacks; a vivacious 31-year-old African-American who had once been a tobacco farmer; tended her five children and endured scarring radiation treatments in the hospital’s “colored” ward.In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks;” Rebecca Skloot introduces us to the “real live woman;” the children who survived her; and the interplay of race; poverty; science and one of the most important medical discoveries of the last 100 years. Skloot narrates the science lucidly; tracks the racial politics of medicine thoughtfully and tells the Lacks family’s often painful history with grace. She also confronts the spookiness of the cells themselves; intrepidly crossing into the spiritual plane on which the family has come to understand their mother’s continued presence in the world. Science writing is often just about “the facts.” ­Skloot’s book; her first; is far deeper; braver and more wonderful.This work has the most human of stories at its core; and never deviates from that important; and often heartbreaking; humanity. When science appears; it does so effortlessly; with explanations of cell anatomy or techniques like “fluorescence in situ hybridization” seamlessly worked into descriptions of the coloured wards of Johns Hopkins hospital to Lacks’s hometown of Clover; Virginia.But The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is not a comfortable read. I visibly winced at descriptions of Henrietta’s blackened; burned skin after multiple rounds of devastating radiation treatments. I put the book down with a heavy sigh after reading about the experiments that black Americans have been unwittingly subjected to over the years. I cried twice; at events that I can’t talk about without seriously spoiling the book. But it is uplifting too; particularly in a stand-out chapter where Henrietta’s children; Deborah and Zakariyya; visit a cancer researcher to see their mother’s cells under a microscope.All of this is to be expected of a book that refuses to shy away from tackling important themes – the interplay between science and ethics; the question of who owns our bodies; and the history of racism in the US. And yet for all its grand scope; skilful writing and touching compassion; there is one simple element that makes As a final thought; I was struck by the parallels between Henrietta’s cells and her story. Henrietta’s entire family history was eventually condensed into a small sliver of cells that you could carry in a glass vial. They have achieved immortality; used by scientists throughout the world. Similarly; her entire life has been condensed into a moving tale and an exceptional book that you could read in a comfortable day. By right; it will achieve the same immortal status.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Really Interesting Read - Definitely Worth ItBy PostscriptThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a really strange; but intriguing story.Henrietta Lacks was a black woman who died of a particularly virulent case of cervical cancer in 1951. Without her knowledge or consent; the doctors treating her took a sample of her cancer cells. Those cells became "immortal" - meaning they are capable of growing in labs forever; assuming they receive the proper care. The cells are named "HeLa" (HEnrietta LAcks) and have played a vital role in curing polio; conducting genetic mapping; experimenting with cloning; and so much more. The strangest part? It's all true.Skloot weaves together a number of stories in her book:- Henrietta's life and death- The development and impact of the HeLa cells- The Lacks family's struggle to understand their mother and her role in medical history- Skloot's relationship with the Lacks' family; especially Henrietta's daughter DeborahUltimately; although the book is centered around Henrietta and her cells; it's really about Deborah and her deep need to understand her who her mother was - both as a person and as a scientific contributor. What started out as Skloot doing due diligence as a researcher; led to a real relationship with Deborah and Deborah eventually takes over the story from her mother. This may have been because Henrietta's life story is actually pretty short; despite the HeLa cells' immortality. But I also think it's because Deborah had a real philosophical and moral dilemma on her hands - what is her family owed because of Henrietta's unknowing contribution to science? Or are they owed anything at all?The story does end a little abruptly; but I chalk this up to the fact that Henrietta's story isn't really finished. HeLa cells are still being used around the world for research and they'll probably continued to be used for a long time. And all of the ethical questions raised by the very existence of the HeLa cells will not be resolved any time soon. This book is designed to make you think more than to present you with a complete story.This book got a ton of hype over the last year or so and after finishing it; it's easy to see why. The story is pretty incredible; plus the writing is strong. Despite including a lot of medical and technical terms; history; and theory; it's easy to follow and understand. The story pulls together a number of sticky and complicated aspects of American society that we're still trying to work out - the power of the medical and scientific communities; the common assumption that doctors know best; the blurriness of medical ethics; racism and classism. Deborah's quest to better understand her mother brings a really important human element to the book; which grounds all the medical talk and reminds you that the research done on HeLa impacts real people.In a nutshell: An intriguing story that will make you scratch your head and say "This really happened?" Turns out it did and it's worth reading about. Three and a half stars.