Over the holidays, I finally got a chance to read the award-winning book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. The touching yet thought-provoking book easily lives up to its rave reviews.
Now author Rebecca Skloot and publisher Random House are collecting stories from readers and researchers about how the book has affected their view of science. A few of the comments are posted on Skloot's website, including the following:
As a cancer researcher who has HeLa cells in my lab freezer, I enjoyed reading the book and learning about the life and family of Henrietta Lacks. Like the author Rebecca Skloot, I also learned about HeLa cells in a college biology class. We were told that the cervical cancer cells came from “a black woman named ‘Helen Lane’”. We were even given a copy of a poem that began, “This is the story of Helen Lane. She is gone, but her cells remain.” For years after that class, I’d often wondered about “Helen Lane” as I grew her cells in my lab. Reading the book “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” brought the story to life for me.
For those who have read the book and, like me, are craving more information about Lacks' remarkable story, check out this 1:2:1 podcast with Skloot.
Previously: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks wins Wellcome Trust Book Prize, Will Henrietta Lacks now get her due? and Immortal cells: Henrietta Lacks lives on and on
Via PLoS Blog
