The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Product details
Web ID: 15624542Ratings & Reviews
1 customer image
10 reviews
My summary
Below are spoilers and my summary from Littler Books. I hope you find it helpful! 1. Henrietta was born in Roanoke, Virginia on August 1, 1920. She was a black woman who worked on a tobacco farm and later at Bethlehem Steel in Sparrows Point, Maryland. She and her husband, Day Lacks, had five children. 2. In 1951, after detecting a lump on her cervix, she underwent intensive radium treatments at the Johns Hopkins ward for colored women, intended to combat her epidermoid carcinoma. Unfortunately, these efforts proved futile. On October 4, 1951, Henrietta Lacks passed away. 3. Biologist George Gey extracted tissues from her without informing her or getting her family's consent. Gey cultivated the cells using his roller-tube technique, mimicking blood flow. Lacks' aggressive cancer cells grew rapidly, doubling every 24 hours, becoming the first human cells to survive outside the body for an extended period of time. Kubicek, Gey's assistant, distributed the breakthrough “immortal HeLa” cells to researchers worldwide. 4. Scientists established a cell factory to mass produce Henrietta's cells for polio research. Other than their “immortality”, her cells were also: a. Economical: testing on HeLa cells was cheaper than testing on animals b. Sustainable: HeLa cells thrived in a culture medium, ensuring continued growth unlike other cells constrained by surface area c. Transportable: they can survive long travel distances 5. Eventually HeLa cells were being used to study many other diseases as well. 6. HeLa cells were the first cells to be cloned and commercially cultured for profit. 7. While Henrietta's cells became widely renowned, her and her family's story remained largely overlooked. 8. Henrietta's family remained oblivious to the extraction of Henrietta's cells and their importance and profitability. a. “I've tried to imagine how she'd feel knowing that her cells went up in the first space missions to see what would happen to human cells in zero gravity, or that they helped with some of the most important advances in medicine: the polio vaccine, chemotherapy, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization. I'm pretty sure that she -- like most of us -- would be shocked to hear that there are trillions more of her cells growing in laboratories now than there ever were in her body.” 9. In 1999, during a conference on the cells at Morehouse Medical School, the author discovered the family's reluctance to discuss Henrietta. They, and many black Americans, have a deep mistrust of the medical industry, stemming from its historical exploitation of minorities. a. There are many documented instances of unethical medical experiments on black people for medical advancements. b. The Tuskegee Study, carried out from 1932 to 1972, aimed to observe the progression of untreated syphilis. In this study, researchers did not obtain informed consent from the participants -- 600 black men -- and did not provide treatment, even though it was available. c. “Black scientists and technicians, many of them women, used cells from a black woman to help save the lives of millions of Americans, most of them white. And they did so on the same campus -- and at the very same time -- that state officials were conducting the infamous Tuskegee syphilis studies.” d. In the 1800s, white slave owners fabricated stories of the "night doctors" in white sheets kidnapping black people to deter escape attempts. This is the origin for the Ku Klux Klan's white cloaks. e. Johns Hopkins was located near a poor black community. 10. The author, a white woman, attempted to reach out to the Lacks family but was stood up, prompting a journey to Clover, Virginia, Henrietta's hometown, to learn more about the family. 11. Following Henrietta's passing, her family grappled with hardship. To support the household, Day worked two jobs, and their son Lawrence left school to care for his siblings. Deborah, Henrietta's daughter, at ten years old was abused by Henrietta's cousin. Deborah later married an abusive husband at 18. Even though curious about their mother's fate, the children respected their father's wish not to delve into the matter. 12. Despite the contributions of HeLa cells to numerous scientific breakthroughs, their widespread use posed a significant threat to research endeavors. 13. In the 1960s, a Sloan-Kettering cancer researcher injected patients with HeLa cells without sufficient explanation or consent. Prompting objections from colleagues and press attention. 14. Geneticist Stanley Gartler discovered that HeLa cells, because of their ultra-survivability, had contaminated various cell lines, raising concerns about the validity of many extensive studies. This raised the necessity of the ability to identify HeLa's presence, leading scientists to seek Henrietta's family for help. 15. Doctors obtained blood samples from Henrietta's surviving children, facilitated by Victor McKusick and his colleague Susan Hsu. However, the family did not fully understand the significance of this procedure. Deborah, Henrietta's daughter, now concerned about her own risk of cancer, initiated a dialogue with Johns Hopkins doctors and learned more about the HeLa cells. 16. When scientists took Henrietta's cells and marketed them, it was legal. 17. The HeLa case reflects broader concerns about privacy and profits from cells. a. John Moore, an Alaskan pipeline worker, had his cells marketed without his knowledge or consent by cancer researcher David Golde. Moore sued, and the case reached the California Supreme Court. The Court determined that a patient's discarded samples are not his personal property, and he does not have the rights to the profits from products or research originating from his cells. b. Ted Slavin, a hemophiliac who produced valuable antibodies for hepatitis B, was informed about the potential commercial value of his cell line and thus profited from his cells. 18. Many argue patients have a fundamental right to know how their cells will be used, as they could be for controversial applications like abortion or weapon research. 19. Henrietta's cells' cultivation and commercialization without her or her family's consent, coupled with her family's financial struggles, highlighted enduring power imbalances between black and white communities in the U.S. a. “She's the most important person in the world and her family living in poverty. If our mother so important to science, why can't we get health insurance?” 20. The author and Deborah became close friends. Deborah faced health issues and continued to struggle financially. In 2009, Deborah died in her sleep.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Maddie’s Reviews: The Immortal Life of Henrietta L
In one of the most profoundly beautiful non-fiction books I have ever read, Rebecca Skloot tells the story of the first “immortal” human cells. But this is not just a story of science—it is the story of a remarkable woman whose life was tragically cut short, her cells unknowingly taken and spread across the world for research, and her daughter’s determined search for the truth that had been hidden from her family for decades.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Pros and Cons
A 3.5 for me, the most annoying part to me was being jolted out of the story when the author inserted herself into it. And the jumping around in time got confusing for me. My friend said this is a book about the author writing this book and I agree, I wanted to know more about Henrietta but we barely got anything. I think there’s progress in her receiving recognition for all her cells have done for science but we still have a long way to go.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Decent book
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot was published on February 2, 2010. The purpose of this nonfiction, science writing novel is to tell the story of Henrietta Lacks who was a cancer patient during the 1950s and how the cells from her tumor were used for science and medical evolution. The book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, who was a black woman with 5 kids who lived in Baltimore during the 1950s. Henrietta was diagnosed with cervical cancer at John Hopkins Hospital. While receiving treatment, Scientist George Gey, without Henrietta’s consent, discovered cells from her tumor that were immortal. This means he could create an endless amount of cells that would not die off. These cells were eventually mass-produced and used all over the world by other scientists and doctors. These cells allowed for endless research on genetics and diseases. Rebecca Skloot reached out to the family in 1999, and helped members of the family understand Henrietta’s story and what her cells had done for the entire world. I thought this book was very successful in its purpose because before I had read this I had absolutely no idea who Henrietta Lacks was or what HeLa cells were. But now after reading the book and learning more about her story and who she was, I understand what she has done for the world. For example, My science teacher mentioned the hospital where Henrietta received treatment, and how they unethically did experiments on innocent people. I asked her about Henrietta Lacks and this led to the entire class having a discussion on who she was and what HeLa cells are. The author included imagery throughout the book which helps to describe the situation one step further. I feel that the author did a great job of this while telling the story of Henrietta growing up and while she was receiving treatment. For example, in the beginning of the book Rebecca Skloot describes Henrietta’s living situation and explains the layout of the house that she grew up in. Skloot using imagery helped me as a reader understand how Henrietta grew up and what the living conditions were like. I would rate this book 6.5/10. I thought that the story was very interesting and I felt compelled to continue reading to learn more, but the general topics discussed felt pretty slow and dull. My favorite part of the book is when the author, Rebecca Skloot, comes in contact with the daughter of Henrietta and they both get really excited that she is going to write a book about Henrietta’s story. This stood out to me because you learn that the daughter, Deborah, had experienced other people who just wanted money from Henrietta’s story. But Rebecca was very genuinely interested in ethically telling the story of her mother, so it was a special moment of mutual relief and excitement. I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested specifically in science. I found this book a little bit slow because the author includes lots of little science stories that occurred throughout this timeline. I also had a decently hard time following the story because the author switches from time periods a good amount during the beginning of the book.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
deserves the widest possible audience
One of the most important and memorable books I have read as an adult, and one which educated me on a number of things about how modern medicine has developed. In very approachable language, Skloot tells the personal story of an average Southern black woman who had the misfortune to become sick with cancer at a time when open prejudice was still prevalent. When tested, her cells reveal stunning properties, and these cells are then harvested and sold to scientists for research, all without the knowledge of the patient or her family. The narrative moves between the personal account of Henrietta's life and the journey her cells take in the scientific community and the medical treatments they eventually enable. While many individuals and companies became rich because of the breakthroughs and treatments developed, Henrietta and her family never saw any financial benefit and lived in poverty. Skloot brings Henrietta Lacks to life and at the same time shines a light on the deep injustices and moral conundrums brought about by the use of her cells. This book is a worthy tribute to a woman whose cells inadvertently benefited thousands of other people. It also opens the door to discussion about what rights people should have over their own bodies, especially with new developments using DNA analysis. This book deserves the widest possible audience.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
I saw the film, during a black history celebration and felt it was wonderfully done. I decided to pick up the book and I'm so glad I did. This book touches on the short life of Henrietta Lacks, and what it was like to receive health care as an African American in the early 1950's. Skloot, did a wonderful job writing the real story of Henrietta Lacks, who she was and why her name will live on in infamy. This novel touches on the power of science and cellular reproduction, early medical ethics,the discrimination and treatment of African Americans and their families in early healthcare. When you read it to the end, you discover that Henrietta Lacks is truly a hero. Her Immortal cells continue to be replicated since 1951, and are still used as part of life saving measures and treatments to this day..
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Ten top ideas in the book
1. Henrietta Lacks, a poor African American woman from Baltimore, unknowingly contributed to one of the greatest medical breakthroughs in history when cells from her cervical cancer were taken without her knowledge or consent in 1951. 2. The cells taken from Henrietta, now known as HeLa cells, were the first human cells to grow and divide outside the body, making them invaluable to medical research and the development of countless medical treatments and vaccines. 3. Henrietta's family was largely unaware of her contribution to medical science until many years after her death, and they struggled to come to terms with the fact that their mother's cells had been used without her knowledge or consent. 4. The story of Henrietta Lacks raises important ethical questions about the use of human tissue and informed consent in medical research. 5. The book also explores the history of racism and discrimination in medical research and healthcare, and how these issues have affected the treatment of African Americans and other marginalized communities. 6. Rebecca Skloot's own journey to uncover Henrietta's story and build a relationship with her family highlights the importance of listening to and respecting the perspectives and experiences of others. 7. The book emphasizes the need for greater transparency and communication in medical research and healthcare, and for ensuring that patients are fully informed about the ways in which their tissues and data may be used. 8. The impact of Henrietta's cells on medical research and treatments has been profound, including contributions to the development of the polio vaccine, in vitro fertilization, and cancer treatments. 9. The book also explores the emotional and psychological toll that Henrietta's story has had on her family, and the challenges they have faced in grappling with her legacy. 10. Ultimately, the story of Henrietta Lacks is a testament to the power of individuals to make a significant impact on the world, even if they never fully realize the scope of their contributions.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I loved this book
I had to read this book for school and I really liked it. Skloot highlights Henrietta and her family and explains the scientific part of her cells as well.
Recommends this product
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com