From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Rebecca Skloot

Start date: June 1, 2014

Finish date: June 30, 2014

Discussion: Group Reads Discussions

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last updated Jan 18, 2013 07:12PM

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What Members Thought

Jan 13, 2015 Nadine in NY Jones rated it it was amazing

Shelves: science, non-fiction, history, lotsa-buzz, 100-best-of-21st-c, narrative-nonfiction, womens-history, biography, history-of-science, microhistory

I started reading this early in the morning in the Syracuse airport. I read it on the plane, and those twenty minutes during the descent when they made us turn off all electronic devices, even readers, was awful. I got fifty percent through by then. Happily, I had nothing better to do for the rest of the day, so I kept reading, all afternoon and all evening. I'm not sure how I would have managed if I'd had to set it down! I could hardly stand to go to sleep that night, since I hadn't finished, b ...more

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Oct 22, 2015 alana rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, sept-11, science, history, audiobook

I kept wanting to talk to people about this book while reading it. Alas, I have a hard time remembering names and facts I hear in audiobooks, but thank Google, I can still talk HeLa with my dad. This book is super sciencey, but it's even more about ethics in research and the history of inequality in American medical practice. Oh, and family. I wanted to face punch some disease-spreading menfolk and fist pump with some women -- and books that make me feel like that are always winners. The audiobo ...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Erin (NY) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, non-fiction, read-in-2013

I quite enjoyed this book. It gave so much of the back story on such an important scientific discovery. It is amazing how much impact the Hela cells had. I did appreciate the side cases that were related as well as the story of the family, in particular Henrietta's daughter. ...more

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Feb 17, 2017 Ryan rated it really liked it

Shelves: nonfiction, 2017

While it's still a shame that this woman's descendants will never see proper recognition or compensation for the game-changing contribution Henrietta made to science...at least her full story is told, and can be retold and retold... ...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Amy Nash Parker rated it it was amazing

Fascinating look at history, both racial and scientific. Many times while reading this, I thought, surely this kind of stuff doesn't happen anymore.... if only I could be right. ...more

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