The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

I've been and have had my children vaccinated against a plethora of physical evils. I've known people (particularly a few very, very dear to me) who have struggled with cancer and infertility. I wear make-up and have experienced no ill-effects from doing so. What is it that each of these things share? Henrietta Lacks. In Rebecca Skloot's first published book, she delves into the life, illness, and death (and resulting medical advances) of a woman named Henrietta Lacks. In early 1951, this wife and mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She died as a result of this disease only 8 months later. Shortly after her diagnosis, cells from Henrietta's tumor were taken from her without her or her family's knowledge or permission. These cells, inexplicably, grew in lab faster and survived for a longer period than any cells before (or since) and went on to be used in countless areas of medical and biological research. Her surviving husband and children, living near-poverty, often unable to afford to tend to their own medical conditions, were not aware of Henrietta's contribution to science until about 20 years later. While most of humanity has benefited from HeLa (the name given to her cells), those closest to her seem to have been robbed of much of the benefit. BOTTOM LINE: Ms. Skloot's research, both on the scientific and personal level, is astounding. While I found myself, at times, a little bit lost in the medical jargon and concepts, the overall story is amazing.