Rebecca Skloot

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, yes 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.
(back cover)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

With an introduction by author of The Tidal Zone, Sarah Moss Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. Born a poor black tobacco farmer, her cancer cells – taken without her knowledge – became a multimillion-dollar industry and one of the most important tools in medicine. Yet Henrietta’s family did not learn of her ‘immortality’ until more than twenty years after her death, with devastating consequences . . . Rebecca Skloot’s fascinating account is the story of the life, and afterlife, of one woman who changed the medical world for ever. Balancing the beauty and drama of scientific discovery with dark questions about who owns the stuff our bodies are made of, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an extraordinary journey in search of the soul and story of a real woman, whose cells live on today in all four corners of the world. Now a HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.

Fiona Ee

Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization and gene mapping.

Kyle Sawatsky

Kelly

This is just an all-around important read. Even though it's nonfiction, it reads like a novel. I simply could not put it down. Read this if you have any interest in the history of medicine and genetics, even if you're not an expert.

Vishwa

Written in what is describe almost as documentary style, where the author is chasing truth and writes in first person as she discovers things about the subject's life, I found the angle quite interesting. It weaves the narratives of the author, the subject (Henrietta Lacks), her family, and her cells together nicely. Slow at times, worth the read for the historical insights and implications on healthcare ethics with respect to race, patent law, and poverty and strife.

Anna Bold

Kathy Jedrzejczyk

Overall this was an incredible story. It made me sad, happy, excited, depressed, curious, etc. An emotional rollercoaster, that's for sure. This book is very well written. It takes the reader through the history of this family and how poorly they have been treated. It makes me wonder about all the other cells/body parts out there that have been used for research that no one knows about. This is only one lady, but there must be hundred's of other sacrifices people have made to make all these drugs and innovations that we have today.

Belle

The last quarter of the book dragged, but otherwise I found this surprisingly good at holding my interest. Skloot does a good job of explaining the history and science involved, and bouncing back and forth between the family's story and the effect of HeLa cells on medical history made it more interesting than if just one of those stories took up the whole book.

Sonja H

I totally enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I am not a scientist and not into science at all.But it's important to remember that behind all great inventions and discoveries there are real people involved, whole families, sad and happy stories.
I won't forget Henrietta for the rest of my life, that's for sure.

Vilde

Just from reading the description to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, I was fascinated by the HeLa cells, and I had to pick up the title. Already from the first couple of words, I knew that I was reading something really, really special. Skloot has managed to write a very captivating and intimate account. 

Henrietta Lacks, the origin of the HeLa cells is naturally at the center. The most important and prominent thread thorough The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is to commemorate the existence of Henrietta Lacks, who was one of the most important persons for the Lacks family – and seemingly just a (nameless) donor for the rest of the world. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is also a somewhat brief account of the advances of science due to the HeLa cells, the ethical and legal side to scientific research, the appalling conditions of the Lacks family and the blacks.

For all that the HeLa cells has meant for the scientific field, we should all remember the person that made all this possible, and commemorate her. And for the Lacks family, who lost their wife, mother, aunt and friend; and were left without proper information nor consent of what the scientific field did.

Ivan Zarea

This was an incredible ride. If you're ever curious about any non-fiction, this is it.

Courtney Rodgers 

This is a beautiful biography meets science book. The story telling is heartbreaking at points. Some of the more scientific parts of the books lost my interest a bit, though. This book raises a lot questions about bodily autonomy, race, class, and scientific advancement.

Melissa Schwartz

This was an important read. It definitely got technical at times and wasn't always an easy read but I learned so much about genetics, race, and other important topics from this book. I look forward to watching the HBO film and researching some more in the future

Sarah Escorsa

A fascinating, thought-provoking book. I've never liked science much but this book managed to get me interested in cell research and genetics, which is no small feat! ;) I think the strongest point of the book is the ethical questions it raises about informed consents, genetic research and the profits that can be made from anyone's cells. It amazes me that, to this day, anyone's tissues can be used for research without the person's knowledge or censent. To me, the weakest point in the book is the biographical part. It was high time someone wrote a book about Henrietta Lacks and how her cells where "exploited" by scientifics worldwide but half-way through the book the author starts writing about Henrietta's children & grandchildren and there is little to read about Henrietta's story and its implications after that. What also bothered me was the way the author made herself a character of the book. I just don't understand her motivations for doing so. What feels particularly strange here is that despite Skloot's involvement I still can't figure out what she thought of Henrietta's family. It sometimes felt like she wanted to like them but didn't manage to, she sometimes sympathizes and other times she seems to feel terribly annoyed. I think Skloot either wrote too much or too little. Since she decided to involve herself in the story she should have made it clear what her standpoint and feelings were. I think she should have focused more about Henrietta, cell research and bioethics. Now that would have made a really captivating book!

Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling numerous medical and scientific discoveries.

Flavia Louise

This book is a great mixture of science and humanity.
I recommend it to everybody but especially people in the sciences.

Ellie Younger

This book tells the story of cells so influential to our lives, and the discoveries of modern technology- cells that are never talked about. The mixture of biology and family history gives education as well as emotional connection. A great book!

MaKenzie Trapp

I read this book for school; that’s partly why it took so long too finish. I really enjoyed this book && would highly recommend this book too someone else!

Jane McCullough

I couldn't put this book down. It was well-written, engaging, and informative. The writer had a perfect balance of history, education, human interest and a bit of her perspective as well. It crossed so many things: race, biology, medicine, personal history, and just plain humanity.

KADY BURNS

Really enjoyed this book. It is one of the few non fiction books that I have just needed to sit with after reading.

Caroline Lewicki

I really enjoyed "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks." It was informative, interesting, and touching to see Rebecca and Deborah's journey to learning more about Henrietta's life, before, during and after the development of HeLa. 

The book covers a wide range of issues and topics, a positive and a negative in my opinion. All the pieces of information Skloot gives her reader provides a better overall story to piece together Henrietta's Life. There were quite a few characters who I lost along the way and had to flip back to figure out who they were in relation to Henrietta, but you come to learn that each of these people plays a pretty important role in Henrietta's life and the span of her cells. 

(view spoiler)[ One of my major issues is that Henrietta's descendants still live in poverty, even after the publication of the book and subsequent HBO film. While reparations from Hopkins are well deserved, and quite frankly in my opinion, owed to the family, it's interesting to me that Skloot simply sets up a scholarship for Henrietta's descendants. She had direct contact with a great deal of Henrietta's family and while they're the only ones who can take advantage of the Henrietta Lacks Foundation scholarship, I wish more could be done for these people.  (hide spoiler)]

Overall, an incredibly interesting and engaging read. It is science heavy, but not beyond the scope of understanding. The race, science, and privacy issues raised in the life of Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cells will make you think and appreciate the laws in place now to protect your information.

Jamie

The story of HeLa's cells and the stories of Henrietta's descendants are all very interesting, but Skloot spends too much time talking about herself in a book that is dedicated to someone else. If you're looking to find out about HeLa or Henrietta Lacks, I would recommend a different source.

Melody Izard

This is a book that deserves care, dignity and much thought before it is reviewed. But I have finally decided unless I don't just plop one right down soon - I won't review it at all. And if my review might possibly cause someone to add this gem of a read to their reading list - well I must move forward and just get it done.

This is a book of science. Man oh man what I didn't and still don't know about cells and the study of disease and the world of the pharmaceuticals and the ethics of medicine could be a book or maybe a series of books that no one would care to read. Rebecca makes science so very interesting and scary and confusing and mystical. 

And right smack in the middle of this world of science we get the Lacks family. And marching barefoot in step with this amazing human tale we get the world of journalistic research and how much immersion is required to really get the whole and pure story.

And at the end of the book we still realize that there are so many unanswered questions. The world of medical ethics is a multi-sided sharp thing that dares you to try to label it black or white. 

Read this book. There. That is really the most important thing in this review.

Jennifer Dieter

This was an interesting read that brought up a lot of morality questions when it comes to science. I wanted more about the science and less about the family, but I still really liked it.

Steven Ovadia

Very well written. Class and race are mentioned extensively but never really discussed explicitly, which was especially noticeable in the epilogue.
A tad overwritten at times, but on the whole, a great read.

Omar Fernandez

Intriguing, this book really made me think more deeply about generic research, the opportunity to profit, and how experimentation in humans should be more carefully moderated and human subjects compensated.

Laurel Ann Smith

This book was fascinating! For the first 1/3, I couldn't put it down and would talk about it to anyone willing to listen! 

After that, there is a lot more science and repetitive stories dealing with Deborah and Henrietta's family, which I can appreciate because it paints a clear picture of who they are, but it took a little more effort to get through. 

Overall, absolutely worth the read. It teaches about medical ethics, civil rights, mental health and so much more.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

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