The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca SklootMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book deserves all the credit it's getting. I am thoroughly impressed by Rebecca Skloot's perseverance and thoroughness in writing this book. It is definitely a brilliant effort and a must read for anyone who has ever worked with HeLa cells.
The book revolves around an old debate about ethical ownership of discarded body cells, tissues, and organs, most notably brought to limelight by the story of a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks, who died of cervical cancer many years ago. Ms. Skloot must be admired for following up with her surviving family members who are still sour about the fact that while it was their mother's/wife's cancerous cells that have contributed immensely to the world of medicine, they still can't afford health insurance. I came to like Deborah most of all of Henrietta's living children, because of her die-hard attitude towards discovering the truth about her mother and older sister, and not just letting her bitterness for Hopkins or greed for compensation for her mother's cells, drown her completely.
Ms. Skloot describes each and every character in such detail that you end up with a feeling that you have actually met and known such a person. One episode from her book that struck me quite a bit was when during the post-mortem of Henrietta's body, the assistant Mary looks at her painted, red toenail and realizes that she is dissecting an actual person, who must have lovingly painted those nails. It made me reaffirm my decision of not pursuing medicine as a career, because I wouldn't have been strong enough.
On the topic of medical ethics and informed consent,Ms Skloot presents all the facts in a fairly neutral manner and presents both sides of the debate, allowing the reader to leave with an unbiased perspective. Personally, it left me thinking of that cheek swab I gave the nurse a few years ago for the Leukemia registry.
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