Heard about this book on NPR, and then several scientist friends mentioned that it was really good. In a time far far away I was in bench science research, and I never once thought about the origination of the cells that I used in tissue culture (daily). I did not use HeLa cells (the immortal cell line that was started when a doctor at John Hopkins – Henrietta’s cancer doctor – took some cells from Henrietta’s tumors and put them in a petri dish, hoping they would grow) – but since they were the first established cell line I knew of them.

This book was a fascinating read – it details the life and times of Henrietta Lacks (and her family) and the many meandering roads the author had to take to parse out her story. That story – of a dying woman and her cells that make companies millions while her family remains poor – is a heart-wrenching one, and this book is highly recommended.

384 pages
5/5

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