The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Paperback)

Staff Reviews

If you love science or medical writing, this is the book of the year for you. The story of Lacks and her largely unsung contribution to modern medicine is equally shocking and fascinating; it is a story of greed, race and inequality that shines a light on a dark corner of our country's history. Skloot is a writer of the highest order and she leaves no stone unturned. A truly remarkable read.

Henrietta Lacks was only 30-years-old when her cancerous cervical cells were harvested for scientific testing without her knowledge. A few months later, she was dead. Her cells are now worth billions of dollars but her family continues to live in poverty. Skloot caringly chronicles the immense impact Henrietta's cells had on the scientific world and on the lives of her descendants.