Reviews with content warning for Racism - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

This book was so informative! It talks about Henrietta Lacks, her life and the life of her family, but also about so much more. It discusses racism in medicine and the rights of patients and doctors (mostly regarding tissue samples).
Before reading this book, I expected it to be very scientific and hard to read, but that honestly wasn‘t the case at all! It is easy to read and you really don‘t need to know a lot about medicine (I didn‘t either).
I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in medicine, genetics and/or the ethical code of medicine!

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julis's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

This is definitely a pop science book and there’s a lot of confused reviewers on Amazon who thought they were getting a textbook on genetics. It’s also a human interest story, ditto. Neither of these impact the quality of the book.

In 1951, doctors took a sample of cells from a tumor on Henrietta Lacks’ cervix without her consent or knowledge in order to see if these cells could be grown into an immortal cell line. It’s important to know that Henrietta Lacks was a poor black woman–and also that medical standards on consent and information were not well developed and that cancer survival rates in 1951 were low. Racism, classism, and sexism were undoubtedly involved, but it’s hard to judge how much they ultimately influenced her treatment and the treatment of her cell line.

To the surprise of all scientists involved, they succeeded spectacularly. Her cells have been used in research in gene mapping, drug tests, and disease research–notably into AIDS, polio, and cancer. Her cells changed the face of medical research.

But neither she nor her family received any reimbursement or credit for this, and there was a horrible communication breakdown between doctors and her family, resulting in research being conducted on her family without any real consent.

Skloot managed to get in contact with both the family and many different researchers and provide explanations and some sense of closure to the family, and her treatment of all involved is, on the whole, compassionate.

The book is not 100% pure science, and a fair portion of it is dedicated to the progression of the Lacks family and how they have been treated. For me, this was as fascinating and worth reading as the science chapters, but it’s important that other readers know this going in.

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competencefantasy's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.5

So I have a science degree

And would have had a chemistry PHD from a big deal institute if my health had held (and advisor was less abusive)

I teach science.

I knew none of this

None of this at all.

And I am just shocked and appalled by that.

Sure I can claim that biology is not my area.

But come on I took a senior undergraduate drug discovery course.

I should know this

Frustrated arm wave.

I mean not just *relevant* it’s fascinating.

The concept of consent for studies

Medical ethics

That we argue necessity for public good but then have inaccessible care

I probably would have talked more about the sister thing

Really easy to read writing style, not sure about some of the framing

Other Things I’ve looked at/read for this

Review by Colorful Book Reviews (This makes some points about the white reporter writing about a black family thing that I’m not qualified to comment on but did notice)

Book & Movie Review - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rachel Rae Youtube (makes some interesting points about Deborah as a source)

Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot by Starzbooks Youtube

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - A USF Faculty Discussion USF Libraries Youtube

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ericadansereau's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.5

Incredible story I couldn’t put down. I appreciated the insight into Henrietta and her family, I felt like I got to know them. The author did a wonderful job with her thorough report detailing facts about the HeLa cell line and all of the ethical and legal concerns surrounding it. Some of the book was quite shocking and disturbing to read when it came to medical care and general treatment of this family and black patients. This is such an important subject and I definitely recommend this book.

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hannahollihan's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

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