This was another recommended book by my mother. I didn't quite grasp the topic. Was it fiction? non-fiction? It is a non-fiction novel revolving around the ever-so-popular HeLa cells. HeLa was the first immortal cells created in a lab and were originally taken the cervical cancer of a women named Henrietta Lacks. HeLa cells have made millions in the scientific community and have contributed to the Polio vaccination, nuclear bombs and the cells have even been sent to space. While they are so popular and helpful, the family of Henrietta did not authorize the collection of these cells and did not see a cent of profit from their mother's cells. The book touches upon many ethical concerns and sort of outlines sciences progression when handling human collections and even addresses ownership of cells (patients don't always own things removed from their body just because its was once a part of them). I thought it was a very informative and interesting read, and I'm not much of a non-fiction reader. My only complaint is the ending and the emphasis on Henrietta's daughter Dorothy's life. It starts out strong and then kind of dulls out towards the end. But other than that, I'd recommend it to anyone with interest in science, history or a just a good read.
In my opinion:
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