The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. 370 p.
A quite interesting book that raises some serious questions about medical ethics and whether people should be able to have some say over what is done with their tissues once those tissues have been removed from their bodies. Henrietta Lacks' doctor took sample cells while (unsuccessfully) treating her cervical cancer, and those cells have become the foundation of a multi-billion-dollar business, as well as a cornerstone of modern medical research. Yet her family knew nothing about that for years and years and cannot afford medical treatment for themselves. The narrative strands in the book switch from the story of Henrietta's life to the medical research and treatment field to the author's experiences with Henrietta's descendants as she attempts to write the book. Disturbing in a number of ways, but fascinating.
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