2011-2012 Book of the Year

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

by Rebecca Skloot

The Book of the Year selection for 2011-12 is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.   

Henrietta Lacks was a woman whose cells were taken without her knowledge in 1951.  Those cells are considered one of the most important tools in medicine - vital in the development of medical treatments and procedures including the polio vaccine, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and cloning.  The book points out that although Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, she is virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.

In addition to the personal story of Henrietta and her family, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks addresses medical ethics, scientific discovery, alternative treatments, the birth of bioethics, and legal battles over how much control we have over the parts that make up our physical bodies.

Request a copy via CLICnet, or purchase a copy at the Concordia Bookstore.