!1: Now is the time One life, many stories.(The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)(Book review): An article from: The Hastings Center Report Order Today!
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Date Created : Nov 13, 2010 08:00:05
This digital document is an article from The Hastings Center Report, published by Hastings Center on July 1, 2010. The length of the article is 1700 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details Title: One life, many stories.(The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks)(Book review) Author: Virginia A. Sharpe Publication:The Hastings Center Report (Magazine/Journal) Date: July 1, 2010 Publisher: Hastings Center Volume: 40 Issue: 4 Page: 46(2)
!1: Now is the time The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.(Book review): An article from: The Humanist Order Today!
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Date Created : Oct 31, 2010 10:45:13
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Citation Details Title: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.(Book review) Author: Howard Schneider Publication:The Humanist (Magazine/Journal) Date: September 1, 2010 Publisher: American Humanist Association Volume: 70 Issue: 5 Page: 45(2)
!1: Now is the time Law And the Human Body: Property Rights, Ownership And Control Order Today!
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Date Created : Oct 18, 2010 11:51:21
Do you own your body? Advances in science and the development of genetic databases have added an aura of modern controversy to this long-standing and, as yet, unresolved problem. In particular, English law governing separated human tissue (including body parts and cell-lines) is unsatisfactory. Despite the enactment of the Human Tissue Act 2004 UK, it remains uncertain what property rights living persons can claim over their separated human tissue. The development of clear legal principles is necessary so that individuals can have effective control over human tissue separated from their bodies whilst also enabling the efficient use of such materials in medical research. Part I of Law and the Human Body traces the evolution of English, Australian, United States and Canadian law in relation to human tissue separated from living persons and dead bodies. This includes a comprehensive examination of the Human Tissue Act 2004 UK as well as prominent judicial decisions, including Re Organ Retention Group Litigation [2005 QB 506, Colavito v New York Organ Donor Network Inc 8 NY 3d 43 (NY CA 2006) and Washington University v Catalona 437 F Supp 2d 985 (USDC Ed Mo 2006). Analysis demonstrates that, although property rights and non-proprietary interests in separated human tissue are recognized in limited circumstances, no principled basis has been accepted either at common law or by statute for the recognition of these rights and interests. Part II of this book therefore develops and defends a principled basis in English law for the creation and legal recognition of property rights and non-proprietary interests in separated human tissue. Significantly, the analysis and principles presented in Law and the Human Body have application across common law and civil law jurisdictions worldwide.
!1: Now is the time Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present Order Today!
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Date Created : Sep 22, 2010 11:21:53
From the era of slavery to the present day, the first full history of black America’s shocking mistreatment as unwilling and unwitting experimental subjects at the hands of the medical establishment.
Medical Apartheid is the first and only comprehensive history of medical experimentation on African Americans. Starting with the earliest encounters between black Americans and Western medical researchers and the racist pseudoscience that resulted, it details the ways both slaves and freedmen were used in hospitals for experiments conducted without their knowledge—a tradition that continues today within some black populations. It reveals how blacks have historically been prey to grave-robbing as well as unauthorized autopsies and dissections. Moving into the twentieth century, it shows how the pseudoscience of eugenics and social Darwinism was used to justify experimental exploitation and shoddy medical treatment of blacks, and the view that they were biologically inferior, oversexed, and unfit for adult responsibilities. Shocking new details about the government’s notorious Tuskegee experiment are revealed, as are similar, less-well-known medical atrocities conducted by the government, the armed forces, prisons, and private institutions. The product of years of prodigious research into medical journals and experimental reports long undisturbed, Medical Apartheid reveals the hidden underbelly of scientific research and makes possible, for the first time, an understanding of the roots of the African American health deficit. At last, it provides the fullest possible context for comprehending the behavioral fallout that has caused black Americans to view researchers—and indeed the whole medical establishment—with such deep distrust. No one concerned with issues of public health and racial justice can afford not to read Medical Apartheid, a masterful book that will stir up both controversy and long-needed debate.
!1: Best Buy This book is a powerhouse! The sheer amount of research undertaken by Harriet A. Washington to shed light on the overwhelming amount of injustices inflicted upon African Americans in this country during slavery and for many, many years after is astounding. Several times while reading this book I had to shut my eyes in disgust and absolute disbelief at the level of brutality my people experienced, all in the name of science. Before reading this book I thought the only true example of blacks being used in medical research was the Tuskegee Experiment. I was not only wrong but naive. Tuskegee is only the most well known and documented. The
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand why it is that even in 2010 many African Americans are still distrustful of the medical system. After reading this book, my own sister was told she might have cervical cancer and I immediately told her to get a second opinion and to give me a list of all the medications prescribed to her so that I could do my own research into their efficacy and use for her illness. Thank goodness it was a false alarm, but the book really made an impact on me. I've realized that trust in the medical system is still an issue for African Americans.
Even though we have an African American President and we live in a time where some people don't believe racism even exists anymore, this book drives the point home the fact that as African Americans we still have a long way to go in this country. The use of black children in a study conducted at Columbia in the early 1990's is a prime example of that.
Although this book is fairly thick, you will find yourself completely engrossed in all 412 pages of it. This book is a must read not only for all medical students and professionals but everyone who cares to understand how important medical ethics are and the history of black people in scientific research.
This book will surprise you, upset you, and most importantly teach you. It is so important to understand your country's history regardless if is good or bad. A tour de force!
!1: Now is the time Woman's Best Friend: Women Writers on the Dogs in Their Lives Order Today!
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Date Created : Sep 09, 2010 12:38:08
They may be known as man's best friend, but as the writers in this poignant, funny, and dramatic collection know, there's no gender divide when it comes to canines. Whether walking down the street, gathering at the dog park, hitting the open road, or spending one too many nights together on the couch in front of the TV, a woman and her dog are an enduring pair.
These stories touch upon the many ways dogs affect women's lives. From the Great Dane who doesn't live up to her breed's identity as a gentle giant, to the dachsund who takes up residence in the family car, to all the shepherds, labs, border collies, weimaraners, golden retrievers, and various mixes in between, the stars of this anthology get at the heart of the love--and yes, love-hate-- relationships women have with the dogs in their lives.
!1: Best Buy I liked this book more than I expected too. It's stories of dogs by the women that loved them. There are women of all kinds, dogs of all kinds, and each woman has a different voice that makes the book easy to read. The stories are very different. Like an complation some stories are better than others, and some are just funny. If you love dogs like I do you can always appreciate a good dog story, told well....well. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York Order Today!
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Date Created : Aug 27, 2010 14:38:21
Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Deborah Blum follows New York City's first forensic scientists to discover a fascinating Jazz Age story of chemistry and detection, poison and murder.
Deborah Blum, writing with the high style and skill for suspense that is characteristic of the very best mystery fiction, shares the untold story of how poison rocked Jazz Age New York City. In The Poisoner's Handbook Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime.
Drama unfolds case by case as the heroes of The Poisoner's Handbook-chief medical examiner Charles Norris and toxicologist Alexander Gettler-investigate a family mysteriously stricken bald, Barnum and Bailey's Famous Blue Man, factory workers with crumbling bones, a diner serving poisoned pies, and many others. Each case presents a deadly new puzzle and Norris and Gettler work with a creativity that rivals that of the most imaginative murderer, creating revolutionary experiments to tease out even the wiliest compounds from human tissue. Yet in the tricky game of toxins, even science can't always be trusted, as proven when one of Gettler's experiments erroneously sets free a suburban housewife later nicknamed "America's Lucretia Borgia" to continue her nefarious work.
From the vantage of Norris and Gettler's laboratory in the infamous Bellevue Hospital it becomes clear that killers aren't the only toxic threat to New Yorkers. Modern life has created a kind of poison playground, and danger lurks around every corner. Automobiles choke the city streets with carbon monoxide; potent compounds, such as morphine, can be found on store shelves in products ranging from pesticides to cosmetics. Prohibition incites a chemist's war between bootleggers and government chemists while in Gotham's crowded speakeasies each round of cocktails becomes a game of Russian roulette. Norris and Gettler triumph over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry and the gatekeepers of justice during a remarkably deadly time. A beguiling concoction that is equal parts true crime, twentieth-century history, and science thriller, The Poisoner's Handbook is a page-turning account of a forgotten New York.
±1±: Best Buy With all the books I receive for review (and given that I have a library a block away from my house), I rarely *buy* a book any more. But on a recent trip, I wandered into a bookstore and had a particular title jump out at me... The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York by Deborah Blum. I found this book fascinating on multiple counts, and I had a hard time putting it down.
Contents: The Poison Game; Chloroform; Wood Alcohol; Cyanides; Arsenic; Mercury; Carbon Monoxide (Part 1); Methyl Alcohol; Radium; Ethyl Alcohol; Carbon Monoxide (Part 2); Thallium; The Surest Poison; Author's Note; Gratitudes; A Guide to the Handbook; Notes; Index
Handbook covers a 20 year period from 1915 to 1935, back when Prohibition was starting and forensic medicine was a relatively unknown concept. The coroner's office in New York was staffed with political cronies who were quite happy to write off most deaths in ways that were more expedient than accurate. This all changed when Charles Norris (chief medical examiner) and Alexander Gettler (toxicologist) took over in 1918. These two took their jobs seriously, and started to apply rigorous discipline and science to their jobs. Because of their efforts, the public was able to get a true picture as to causes of death due to shoddy medicine, cost-cutting companies, and out-right murder. In fact, the papers and research from Norris and Gettler are still considered definitive resources today.
Blum frames much of her book around Prohibition and how it was responsible for innumerable deaths. The illegality of alcohol led to increased prices for those who wanted a drink. And most everyone *still* wanted their drinks. The profits available from bootlegging were incredible, and everyone was willing to try their hand at making their own hootch. Drinking liquor made of cheap wood and methyl alcohol became little more than a game of Russian roulette as there was no way to tell just how toxic your next drink would be. Interspersed with the rise and fall of Prohibition, she also covers other toxins that Norris and Gettler traced down as killers. For instance, radium was used to create watch dials that would glow in the dark. The women who painted the dials thought little of licking the brushes to maintain their sharp tips. In fact, it was even required by the company. But after a couple of years, mysterious ailments afflicted nearly all the workers, and it was a battle to get the US Radium Corporation to admit fault and pay the workers a settlement. And even then, it was a mere pittance for all their suffering and eventual deaths.
I'm very glad that The Poisoner's Handbook was strategically placed on the shelf where I found it. On top of it being fascinating (in a morbid way), it opened my eyes to a different view of Prohibition, and how (once again) something can turn out far differently than what was originally planned.
Disclosure: Obtained From: Bookstore Payment: Purchased on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2: A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft and Career (New Writer's Handbook: A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft & Career) Order Today!
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Date Created : Aug 14, 2010 12:00:10
On the heels of The New Writer's Handbook 2007, the first in a series and winner of ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year Award in the career category, comes the 2008 edition, edited again by the experienced and industry-savvy Philip Martin. It contains entirely new material (and mostly new contributors, with a few repeats). The content will mimic its successful predecessor in structure and eclectic approach. With approximately sixty articles, sections include: Creativity, Motivation, and Discipline; The Craft of Writing; Pitching and Proposals; Marketing Your Work; Internet Skills; and Literary Insights and Last Words. The 2008 book builds on the growing interest (and marketing contacts) for the New Writer's Handbook series with writers and their networks.
±1±: Best Buy Writing is a tricky business. For many writers, striking a balance between the creative and commercial aspects of the craft is the biggest challenge of all. The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 offers over 60 articles filled with advice regarding both sides of the business. Philip Martin edited this volume and contributed two articles. It is a great resource for all different types of writers.
The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 is broken down into six sections: "Creativity and Motivation", "The Craft of Writing", "Pitching Your Work", "Internet Marketing Skills", Business Savvy", and "Last Words and Literary Thoughts". Each section features articles covering various facets of the chosen topic. The section on pitching your work should be particularly helpful for writers struggling to get their work published. Jean Ready's "Ten Ways to Land a First Assignment" demystifies the process of landing freelance work. She explains the risks for editors and what writers can do to prove they pose minimal risk. Ready even quotes a number of freelance writers throughout the article. In this article and throughout the book, the articles provide helpful, practical advice for all types of writers.
The "Internet Marketing" section will also be particularly helpful for modern writers. It focuses on blogging. There are articles about why a blog can be a great marketing tool for writers and how to make a blog successful. I also particularly enjoyed Ron McDaniel's "Evaluating Blog Results: Does Your Blog Suck or Succeed?" This article covers the different ways to measure the success of a blog. Some of the measures seemed unusual, but they worked for the author.
For all writers, the "Business Savvy" section could prove to be invaluable. A writer may be the most talented person since Ernest Hemingway, but business savvy could make all the difference in his career. This is one area that creative writing programs consistently ignore, yet business knowledge is extremely important for professional writers. It may not be the most exciting section of the book, but the "Business Savvy" section should be required reading for anyone who wants to earn a living through writing revenue.
One of my favorite aspects of this book is its variety. The articles come from all different types of writers- poets, novelists, children's authors, etc. I have to admit I was impressed by the variety of authors. One of my childhood favorites, Lois Lowry, was even included. Agent Michael Bourret contributed a very interesting piece entitled "A Day in the Life of a Literary Agent." This article provides an informative look at the other side of the writing process. It is good to know what might happen to a manuscript after it leaves the author's hands.
Overall the selection of articles provides a nice mix of information and entertainment. However, one article doesn't seem to fit. There is an article entitled "Simple Stretches for Writers" in the "Business Savvy" section. This article doesn't seem to really fit anywhere in the book. It is an interesting article that would be beneficial to anyone who sits at a computer all day, but it just doesn't fit with the rest of this section. The inclusion of this article probably would not have bothered me if the book had a looser construction. Yet, every other article seems perfectly placed, so this misstep is glaringly obvious.
The New Writer's Handbook: Volume 2 should be required reading for anyone with dreams of being a published author. It covers the creative and commercial aspects in practical terms with articles from proven authors. I learned quite a bit about the business side of writing. Philip Martin has done a masterful job of editing this "practical anthology." on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time Agents Directory Order Today!
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Date Created : Aug 01, 2010 09:51:11
Finding the right agent can be a bewildering, frustrating and byzantine process for beginners and experienced writers alike. How do you tell a good agent from a bad agent? What's the best way to approach an agent? What exactly does an agent do? In The Agents Directory, editor-turned-agent Rachel Vater answers these questions and more.
Unlike guides that have readers sifting through page after page of listings of agencies that aren't accepting new writers, won't read manuscripts, or will charge money up-front, The Agents Directory offers an exclusive guide to the best literary and script agents looking for new clients. Each listing provides detailed, up-to-date information about the type of work each agent accepts, clients he or she represents, recent sales, contact information, and the best way to submit work.
Detailed instructions for writing a query letter, complete with sample queries, help readers make a great impression on an agent. A bonus directory to writing conferences across the US and Canada provides networking opportunities with other writers, agents, and editors. The Agents Directory also includes an extensive list of writer’s organizations — invaluable resources to support a commitment to writing.
±1±: Best Buy In The Agents Directory: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book Or Script by editor-turned-agent Rachel Vater is a veritable compendium of insider information on what a literary agent does, instructions on how to tell a good agent from a bad one, and practical advice on how to approach an agent by mail or at a writer's conference. Avoiding agencies that won't accept new writers or who will charge novice writers money up-front just to read their manuscript, The Agents Directory focuses upon identifying the best literary and script agents who are looking for new author clients. Each individual listing is complete with detailed, up-to-date information about what type of work that particular agent accepts, other authors represented, recent sales, contract information, and submission guidelines. With detailed instructions for writing query letters (complete with examples), a bonus directory of American and Canadian writing conferences, an an extensive list of writer's organizations, The Agents Directory is the the ideal guidebook and instructional reference for aspiring writers wanting to get their work published as profitably as possible. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time Writer's Market Guide to Getting Published (Writers Market) Order Today!
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Date Created : Jul 18, 2010 14:17:03
Writers of all formats and skill levels--including fiction writers, freelancers, screenwriters and business writers--will find vital information in the third edition of The Writer's Market Guide to Getting Published. This book gives readers a professional overview of what it takes to get their work noticed, published and paid for. Topics featured include:
-- State of the publishing industry information
-- Tips on selling magazine articles, nonfiction books, novels, scripts and more
-- Instruction on self-publishing and print-on-demand
-- All-new information on cutting edge publicity and marketing tactics such as blogs, book trailers, social media, as well as more traditional methods
±1±: Best Buy There needs to be a lot of love for this book. As a self-published author, with aspirations of having future books published, and looking to break into various other areas of the writing industry, this book will become a tome that I hang onto and reference regularly as I continue my writing career.
The reason I grabbed this book by the wonderful folks at Writer's Market was because it was current. Published in 2010, it gives an updated look at the state of the publishing industry as well as current technology and where these things may be headed in the future. Whether you're trying to publish your novel, sell some articles to magazines, sell a screenplay, or have recently made the jump to full time freelance copy writing and need some advice on how to start your business (and ensure you aren't audited by the IRS), the Guide to Getting Published has you covered. It's a one-stop shop that you can reference throughout a career and at the time of this writing, is completely relevant.
The authors of this book don't try to use big industry slang terms and talk over your head (they do, however, provide a glossary of industry terms in case someone tries to!) and keep their ideas concise. Even the areas that I have no experience in, I gained a better understanding of after reading their designated sections.
This really opened my eyes to the publishing world, and was no-nonsense in regards to how difficult a career it can be, but it was full of encouragement and reassurance as to how rewarding it can be with a little bit of passion, persistence, determination, and talent.
The main information I was looking for from this volume was how to submit a book proposal, and the subsequent manuscripts, but I feel ready to write a killer query letter, and have a better understanding of what editors and literary agents are looking for. The web links in this book are worth the cover price alone. There are a million websites out there with information on publishing, however, these book gives you lists upon lists of the best sites so you can operate efficiently and don't have to waste time sifting through the internet muck.
The Writer's Market Guide to Getting Published comes highly recommended for any writer serious about a career and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. No one is going to do it for you, but this book will help cheerlead you on your journey.
You can bet that when I do end up selling my next book, Writer's Market will be receiving a huge thank you in the Acknowledgments section! on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Order Today!
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Date Created : Jul 05, 2010 15:38:16
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, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. 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.
Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.
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, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? 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.
±1±: Best Buy As a medical laboratory technologist who worked in the field for 40 years, including 25 years at a large teaching university hospital, I cannot stress strongly enough that THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ FOR ALL MEDICAL FIELD STUDENTS!
The medical world is full of discovery, cure, treatment, heartache but always there are opportunities to do things better. It is far too easy to slip into a world of routine where patients become 'names' or worse yet 'numbers' or are known by their diagnosis. How often do we in the medical world hear 'have you got the lab results back yet on 'my' bowel resection?' or 'heard about your new leukemia...bummer'.
ALL patients are people first; patients second. They are someone's mother, daughter, co-worker, friend, child. I used to look at a vial of blood sent to our lab to be tested and think, 'this is not just blood...it is the life fluid of someone's father...it could be MY father'. To not think this way would make me guilty of the robot-like attitude that many adopt and exhibit.
This book put a name, a face and a family to what I...no, what WE...only knew as 'HeLa' cells. These cells changed the face of medicine, research, treatment and medical ethics forever. Henrietta changed the face of medicine, research, treatment and medical ethics forever. She and her family deserve respect and recognition for their part. This book is a wake up call.
If you're a student entering medical school, nursing school or in the paramedical careers, do yourself, and all your patients for years to come, a real favour and read this book. You will never, ever refer to a tissue, vial of blood or Room #34 as 'your bowel resection' ever again. And you will be a much better medical professional for that. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time Woman's Best Friend: Women Writers on the Dogs in Their Lives Order Today!
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Date Created : Jun 22, 2010 17:21:06
They may be known as man's best friend, but as the writers in this poignant, funny, and dramatic collection know, there's no gender divide when it comes to canines. Whether walking down the street, gathering at the dog park, hitting the open road, or spending one too many nights together on the couch in front of the TV, a woman and her dog are an enduring pair.
These stories touch upon the many ways dogs affect women's lives. From the Great Dane who doesn't live up to her breed's identity as a gentle giant, to the dachsund who takes up residence in the family car, to all the shepherds, labs, border collies, weimaraners, golden retrievers, and various mixes in between, the stars of this anthology get at the heart of the love--and yes, love-hate-- relationships women have with the dogs in their lives.
±1±: Best Buy I liked this book more than I expected too. It's stories of dogs by the women that loved them. There are women of all kinds, dogs of all kinds, and each woman has a different voice that makes the book easy to read. The stories are very different. Like an complation some stories are better than others, and some are just funny. If you love dogs like I do you can always appreciate a good dog story, told well....well. on Sale!
±1±: Now is the time The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Order Today!
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Over All Rating Reviews : Great Deal : $10.00
Date Created : Jun 16, 2010 06:03:10
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, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they’d weigh more than 50 million metric tons—as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. 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.
Now Rebecca Skloot takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the “colored” ward of Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s to stark white laboratories with freezers full of HeLa cells; from Henrietta’s small, dying hometown of Clover, Virginia—a land of wooden slave quarters, faith healings, and voodoo—to East Baltimore today, where her children and grandchildren live and struggle with the legacy of her cells.
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, who was devastated to learn about her mother’s cells. She was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Did it hurt her when researchers infected her cells with viruses and shot them into space? What happened to her sister, Elsie, who died in a mental institution at the age of fifteen? 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.
±1±: Best Buy Science journalist Rebecca Skloot unravels the story behind the first immortal human cells, known by the code name HeLa. Skloot's fascination with these cells began as a teen in a biology class when her professor mentioned that what scientists know about cancer cells came from studying the cells of a woman named Henrietta Lacks. He went on to state that Henrietta died from an aggressive form of cervical cancer in 1951. Without Henrietta's knowledge or consent, samples of her tumor were cultured. Although scientists had been trying to keep human cells alive in order to study them, they had had no luck --- but Henrietta's cancer cells not only lived, they reproduced rapidly. HeLa cells continued to reproduce, dividing constantly and indefinitely; hence, they are "immortal."
Henrietta's cells are still reproducing. They are bought and sold to labs all over the world by the billions. It is said that if one were to weigh all of Henrietta's cells that have been grown since she died, the total would be a staggering 50 million metric tons. These immortal cells have been one of the most important innovations for modern science and medicine because scientists can study the effects of experiments they cannot perform on living people. HeLa cells were on board during the first space mission so scientists could study what happens to human cells in space. Because of HeLa cells, scientists know the effects an atom bomb has on human tissue. Henrietta's cells were also instrumental in developing the vaccine for polio. They have been the cells used in studies for in vitro fertilization, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, and much, much more.
Skloot's teacher off-handedly mentioned that Henrietta was African-American. But Skloot's questioning about her personal life met a dead end, and the consequent researching revealed nothing about her. She became obsessed with Henrietta, and her fascination turned into a passion that she pursued for 10 years in order to write this book.
One of Skloot's driving questions was about Henrietta's family: Did she have children? Did they know about their mother's cells and their contribution to science? She not only learns the answers to these questions, she also forms a relationship with Henrietta's daughter, Deborah. Along the way, we learn about Henrietta's life. As part of a poor tobacco farm family, young Henrietta lived with her grandfather after her parents died. She and the rest of the family worked the same tobacco fields that their ancestors worked as slaves. After marrying her cousin, David, Henrietta's life continued to be difficult. She had her first child when she was barely 14. The second child she bore had developmental challenges and was reluctantly institutionalized. Despite her hard life, the people who knew Henrietta remembered her as beautiful, outgoing and hospitable.
As Skloot skillfully weaves together the stories of Henrietta, the evolution of her immortal cells and the reactions of her family members, readers will find themselves entranced. Exploring the topic of scientific exploitation --- in which her cells have been used and sold without family knowledge or consent --- leads to a description of the historical use of African-American research subjects and to a discussion of the policies and ethics governing the use of patients' tissues. During the course of the book, we travel with the writer to Henrietta's unmarked grave, to scientific laboratories, and to a church service. We are present during a touching scene in which two of Henrietta's children examine HeLa cells.
Interspersing these human elements with scientific explanations, Skloot has fashioned a compelling multi-layered tale that will keep readers unable to resist turning pages until they reach the end. on Sale!
