The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot (author)

Paperback Published on: 07/01/2011

£9.99

15 reviews

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Bookseller Reviews

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Thought provoking

A hard and often uncomfortable read which left me emotionally wrung-out but illuminated. The shining of a light into this murky corner of modern medecine i... READ MORE

Lindsay Connors at Lancaster

Synopsis

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 forever. 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.

Publisher: Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 9780330533447
Number of pages: 448
Weight: 328g
Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 27 mm

Customer Reviews

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This is a story of death and life

When I first saw a poster advertising this book I assumed it was a new fiction paperback with an intriguing title, and I made a note to myself to find out ... READ MORE

GIJayne

Fascinating Science Book

This is a fascinating book, about an unknown black lady from America whose death from cancer changed the face of science. But it is more than that as well,... READ MORE

Half Man Half Book

More than a typical science book

This is a superb read that tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, her descendents and the cell line that was created from the cervical cancer that killed her.... READ MORE

Ecowitch

Most interesting book I've read in ages!!

Loved this book! Amazing story, and just so interesting!! Some books of this genre can get too bogged down in fact and historical detail, but this has just... READ MORE

Klanga

An emotive story, a must read book

At times it is hard to believe that this is a true story, but the author does an amazing job of giving a voice to the Lacks famiily and the unknowing heroi... READ MORE

victoria murray

A powerful indictment of medical research.

I first read about HeLa in the Sunday Express and was astounded by the scientific and medical advances which came about from the research done on these cel... READ MORE

Nocturnal bibliophile

Everyone should read this!

A very interesting book and you really feel for the family concerned.

Fiona Sharp

Brilliant!

Wow, what an amazing book! I couldn`t put it down! A gripping story of a young black woman, Henrietta Lacks`s life and death and how she changed the world ... READ MORE

Ilona

the immortal life of henrietta lacks

At university, I carried out an experiment using HeLa cells. I never gave much thought to where they came from so when I heard about this book I was eager ... READ MORE

Ali Gibson

Science for the Masses

This book has been whispering “Read Me, Read Me” to me for quite a while now but I only succumbed when a bookish friend with similar reading tastes wholehe... READ MORE

Teresa Majury

Fascinating, moving story

What a fascinating read. Rebecca Skloot has dedicated several years of her life to uncovering the story of the woman behind the HeLa cells, which revolutio... READ MORE

Denise Powell

Brilliant - read it

This book reads like a thriller but has so much important stuff to say about medical ethics, racism, class, poverty and cell research. It is written for t... READ MORE

Bookworm