The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer and viruses; helped lead to in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks is buried in an unmarked grave. Her family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. The story of the Lacks family is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of--From publisher description
A few words about this book
Prologue: the woman in the photograph
Deborah's voice
Part One: Life
The exam 1951
Clover 1920-1942
Diagnosis and treatment 1951
The birth of HeLa 1951
"
Blackness be spreadin all inside"
1951
"
Lady's on the phone"
1999
The death and life of cell culture 1951
"
A miserable specimen"
1951
Turner Station 1999
The other side of the tracks 1999
"
The devil of pain itself"
1951
Part Two: Death
The storm 1951
The HeLa factory 1951-1953
Helen Lane 1953-1954
"
Too young to remember"
1951-1965
"
Spending eternity in the same place"
1999
Illegal, immoral, and deplorable 1954-1966
"
Strangest hybrid"
1960-1966
"
The most critical time on this earth is now"
1966-1973
The HeLa bomb 1966
Night doctors 2000
"
The fame she so richly deserves"
1970-1973
Part Three: Immortality
"
It's alive"
1973-1974
"
Least they can do"
1975
"
Who told you you could sell my spleen?"
1976-1988
Breach of privacy 1980-1985
The secret of immortality 1984-1995
After London 1996-1999
A village of Henriettas 2000
Zakariyya 2000
Hela, goddess of death 2000-2001
"
All that's my mother"
2001
The hospital for the Negro insane 2001
The medical records 2001
Soul cleansing 2001
Heavenly bodies 2001
"
Nothing to be scared about"
2001
The long road to Clover 2009
Where they are now
About the Henrietta Lacks Foundation
Afterword
Cast of characters
Timeline
Reading group guide.
Prologue: the woman in the photograph
Deborah's voice
Part One: Life
The exam 1951
Clover 1920-1942
Diagnosis and treatment 1951
The birth of HeLa 1951
"
Blackness be spreadin all inside"
1951
"
Lady's on the phone"
1999
The death and life of cell culture 1951
"
A miserable specimen"
1951
Turner Station 1999
The other side of the tracks 1999
"
The devil of pain itself"
1951
Part Two: Death
The storm 1951
The HeLa factory 1951-1953
Helen Lane 1953-1954
"
Too young to remember"
1951-1965
"
Spending eternity in the same place"
1999
Illegal, immoral, and deplorable 1954-1966
"
Strangest hybrid"
1960-1966
"
The most critical time on this earth is now"
1966-1973
The HeLa bomb 1966
Night doctors 2000
"
The fame she so richly deserves"
1970-1973
Part Three: Immortality
"
It's alive"
1973-1974
"
Least they can do"
1975
"
Who told you you could sell my spleen?"
1976-1988
Breach of privacy 1980-1985
The secret of immortality 1984-1995
After London 1996-1999
A village of Henriettas 2000
Zakariyya 2000
Hela, goddess of death 2000-2001
"
All that's my mother"
2001
The hospital for the Negro insane 2001
The medical records 2001
Soul cleansing 2001
Heavenly bodies 2001
"
Nothing to be scared about"
2001
The long road to Clover 2009
Where they are now
About the Henrietta Lacks Foundation
Afterword
Cast of characters
Timeline
Reading group guide.
Item details
- ISBN: 1400052181
- ISBN: 9781400052189
-
Physical Description:
xiv, 381 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 21 cm
print - Edition: First paperback edition.
- Publisher: New York : Broadway Paperbacks, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., [2011]
- Copyright: ©2011
-
Badges:
- Most Copies: 2 / 5.0
- Top Circs: 1 / 5.0
- Top Holds Over Last 5 Years: 4 / 5.0
Contents / Notes
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 346-366) and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | A few words about this book Prologue: the woman in the photograph Deborah's voice Part One: Life The exam 1951 Clover 1920-1942 Diagnosis and treatment 1951 The birth of HeLa 1951 "Blackness be spreadin all inside" 1951 "Lady's on the phone" 1999 The death and life of cell culture 1951 "A miserable specimen" 1951 Turner Station 1999 The other side of the tracks 1999 "The devil of pain itself" 1951 Part Two: Death The storm 1951 The HeLa factory 1951-1953 Helen Lane 1953-1954 "Too young to remember" 1951-1965 "Spending eternity in the same place" 1999 Illegal, immoral, and deplorable 1954-1966 "Strangest hybrid" 1960-1966 "The most critical time on this earth is now" 1966-1973 The HeLa bomb 1966 Night doctors 2000 "The fame she so richly deserves" 1970-1973 Part Three: Immortality "It's alive" 1973-1974 "Least they can do" 1975 "Who told you you could sell my spleen?" 1976-1988 Breach of privacy 1980-1985 The secret of immortality 1984-1995 After London 1996-1999 A village of Henriettas 2000 Zakariyya 2000 Hela, goddess of death 2000-2001 "All that's my mother" 2001 The hospital for the Negro insane 2001 The medical records 2001 Soul cleansing 2001 Heavenly bodies 2001 "Nothing to be scared about" 2001 The long road to Clover 2009 Where they are now About the Henrietta Lacks Foundation Afterword Cast of characters Timeline Reading group guide. |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader AR UG 8 18 151442. |
Awards Note: | Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, 2010; Wellcome Trust Book Prize, 2010. |
Find similar items by subject
Genre: | Biographies. Biographies. History. Biographies. Paperback. Biography. |
Currently available copies
- 44 out of 53 copies are currently available at PINES. (Show)
- 2 out of 2 copies are currently available at Athens Regional Library System.
Holds
- 1 current hold on 53 total copies.
More Options
Show Only Available Copies
Library System: Library Branch Name
|
Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Athens Regional Library System: Aaron Heard Resource Center |
BIO LACKS (
Send Text) |
31001002867860 | NONFICTION | Available | |
Athens Regional Library System: Athens-Clarke County Library |
BIO LACKS (
Send Text) |
31001002596261 | BIOGRAPHY | Available |
Electronic resources
- Related Resource: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017.12/366197
- The Edward Potts Cheyney Memorial Fund Home Page
- Related Resource: http://www.mackin.com/BookPics/Book.aspx?isbn=9781400052189
- View cover image provided by Mackin