The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot
Publisher: Crown
Publication Date: February 2, 2010
ISBN: 9781400052172
384 Pages (Hardcover)
Nonfiction
My Opinion
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is one of those rare books that seems to strike a nerve with everyone who reads it.
First, who is Henrietta Lacks, and why were her cells so important to medical research? She was a lady who had a very aggressive cancer (from which she died). A sample of her cancer cells was taken for research, and they were unusual in that they reproduced in massive quantities and didn’t die. They grow so well that they have been used worldwide in research for many years. Corporations have made bundles of money as a result of these cells, but the Lacks family was never compensated in any way.
What is it about this book that makes it so special?
- It’s a true story of injustice.
- It’s a fascinating examination of the nuts and bolts of medical research.
- It raises questions about the ethics of companies profiting from the tissue samples that they take from you (or from the research done on those samples).
- It details a history of racial discrimination in medical treatment throughout the history of the US.
- It shows how one family was completely ignorant of how important their mother’s tissue sample was to medical research, and then creates sympathy in the reader for their many misunderstandings of what was done to their mother.
This book prompted some excellent discussions between my husband (who hasn’t read the book) and me. He had a better awareness about medical rights than I did, and I was surprised to find out that any tissue samples that are taken at the doctor’s office can be used for medical research and development, and even if someone makes a fortune off of research or medicines designed from using your sample you won’t see a dime. Most disturbing to me was discovering that a company had tried to patent breast cancer genes and then charge for any research done on them. When I looked online I was comforted to find that a New York court ruled against the company and the decision makes the patents invalid. Hopefully that ruling stands.
But what surprised me even more was how uninformed the Lacks family was when it came to basic scientific concepts. Among their many misconceptions was the belief that their mother was immortal because people kept saying that her cells were immortal since they kept growing without dying. They didn’t know what cells were, but their understanding was that part of their mother had been stolen and they were very upset that parts of her were being kept alive. It’s easy to see where their horror came from when you think of it from their perspective.
In any case, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a book that raises a lot of issues for discussion, all of which I’m sure would be great for a book club. There are so many facets to this story that will draw you in, whether you are more interested in the history of discrimination against African-Americans, or the topics of medical research and tissue sample ownership.
Rating: 5/5
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Heard so much about this fascinating story.
There have been a lot of reviews of it, haven’t there?
This is one of the books chosen for our book club for August. I am really looking forward to getting into this book. The whole story is just fascinating. It is such a shame the family couldn’t get to grips with what had actually happened.
I hope you like it!
I was touched by this story as well; glad u enjoyed it.
It is one of those stories with so many touching elements.
I did read this with my book club, and you should have seen us (I think about a dozen of us all around a table). All talking, at the top of our voices, all at once. Really fast. We just couldn’t get our opinions out there quick enough. Amazing book (incredible audio BTW), and one I think every person should read.
That’s so funny! I would love to see the ladies in my book club discuss this one – I’m sure we’d be very vocal too.
Have this one on my TBR stack.
I hope you like it too!
I don’t have an Open ID. Not sure what that means…I don’t have it.(:
I am now probably one of the few people anywhere who have not read this book. I don’t really buy the idea that anyone should be upset over cells contributing to research, but so many people feel sympathetic that maybe I should read the book to hear the author’s argument!
What upset me more was the company that had patented breast cancer genes so that people had to pay thousands of dollars for the privilege of doing any research involving those genes. I was glad to see that the courts reversed that.
Such a great book that evokes great discussion. It’s one of those books I wish I hadn’t read yet so I had the opportunity to read it again for the first time!
I know, there are so many aspects – the research, the companies, and the personal stories.
I enjoyed this book much more than I expected to. I was amazed by the poverty and ignorance on behalf of the Lacks family (through no fault of their own), the way they were treated, and the medical information in the book. I learned a lot about more than just cells by reading this book
It really does highlight how important it is to have equal access to education for those at all economic levels.
This would be a great book for a book group. I can imagine how much there would be to discuss. I recently put this on my wish list after seeing so many readers recommend it. I’ll be sure to pick this up.
I hope you get a chance to read it.
I guess this has become one of my favorite books of 2011. I listened to the audio (which I still need to gather my thoughts for a review) and am still thinking about this. You’ve summarized the right things accurately. I would highly recommend the audio as well – Cassandra Campbell does a fantastic job!
I was glad I finally got around to reading it. I’ve had it on my shelf for a while and just needed to make the time. Thanks for sharing the info about the audio version.
I agree, one of the best Non-Fiction I’d read! Some parts are rather sad. Here’s my review if you are interested http://mentalfoodie.blogspot.com/2010/05/book-review-immortal-life-of-henrietta.html
Thanks for the link!
I was touched by this one too. Reading your review is like revisiting the book — thanks.
Glad to revisit the book with you.
Great review. I read this book last month but haven’t had a chance to review it yet. Both the university where my son attends and the one where my husband teaches are using this as the common book this fall.
That’s cool! Aside from the medical issues I think most people would be surprised at how little the Lacks family knew about what was going on (both with her cells being used and the basic science knowledge).
Let me try again. My first attempt got an error message.
This book is fantastic. It really shows the ethical dilemmas of medical research. Research is important. No one wants it to come screeching to a halt, but the patients need to be able to give consent and they should understand what they are consenting to. And they have every right to withhold consent. What happened to the Lacks family is heartbreaking.
Thanks for leaving another comment – I hate it when the computer eats them!
I agree with you – truly heartbreaking!
I’ve seen this one and it sounds really good. I think I need to track down a copy.
I think it’s worth it! I hope you get a chance to read it.
Fascinating review, I must read this book. Unbelievable what happened to this woman and her family. I know little about medical research. What you have shared here really made me think and look at the medical world differently. Thanx for a great review.
I’ve had this on my list for so long and have heard so many wonderful things about it. I really should get to it.
I hope you get the chance!
I read this book this past spring and really enjoyed it. I found that the author explained the issue of medical ethics in regards to using of an individual’s cells very fascinating and I hope that medical researchers think twice about using human cells for research without the consent of the individual.
There was a lot that I was unaware of that’s for sure.
I agree with you 100%. It was one of those books that just brought up so many issues but also told a very personal story. I think it is a wonderful choice for book clubs … but you might need 3 or 4 meetings to cover all the stuff you’ll want to talk about.
Or just have four-hour meetings over dinner and dessert like my club does! It’s terrible for the waistline but so much fun!
I felt exactly the same about this book. It was just so fascinating and much of it was really surprising to me. I am so glad I read it!
Yep, definitely one of those good books that everyone seems to love.
I plan to read this book soon! I gave it to a friend as a birthday gift and am certainly planning to borrow it back so I can read it, too. Great review of a book that touches on a lot of important topics.
I do that all the time with my books! My mother-in-law always has a few borrowed that I haven’t gotten around to reading yet. She keeps telling me how good they all are, so then I have even more incentive to read them.