Comments on: Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

By: Lilli Mandi

Lilli Mandi — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 06:11:30 +0000

Awesome? tutorial! Subscribed

By: Jack

Jack — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 01:51:21 +0000

What would you classify as major themes of this book?

By: ellie

ellie — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:33:55 +0000

Has anyone managed to buy a copy in the UK? Amazon have just sent me a message saying they can’t fulfill my order and Waterstones have a 3 week wait.

By: PalMD

PalMD — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:58:05 +0000

RR, the book doesn’t say what you think it says…

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:27:34 +0000

The book, of course, provides an opportunity to reppraise said opinion in the light of history and some actual knowledge. You say that you doubt you'll take that opportunity and in this, we are both agreed.

By: RedRuth

RedRuth — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:04:48 +0000

I thought I was very clear about my objections. The conflation of real problems (endemic racism in the US) with the issue of informed consent and how tisseue/cells are used in research. I doubt if I’ll read the book but I have read Skloot’s website. It’s nonsensical hyperbole followed by the bottom line
“And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?”
Paying people for blood/tissue donations is a bad precedent to set, most people are happy with the knowledge that they’ve helped medical research. And lets not forget that had she refused permission for her cells to be used then research would have been delayed but someone elses cells would have been cultured and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
The social ills of American society are real, this is a none issue, in my opinion.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:12:36 +0000

Abel Pharmboy says it best here

By: PalMD

PalMD — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:51:21 +0000

yes, that would help. one of the points of this book is to look at these sometimes-subtle problems, especially problems that many scientists and doctors might not have considered.

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 17:44:47 +0000

One wonders what you two actually think you’re disagreeing with. It may have escaped your attention that this is a review of a book, rather than a thorough analysis of the ethical issues raised by the story. For that, you’d actually have to read the book, particularly the last chapter, which deals with these issues extensively.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:58:41 +0000

I also disagree. The hela cells would have been taken during the normal procedures to try and save her life. Neither the doctors or the hospital have to have consent to use the tissues removed from the body through cancer treatments, whether they are Black, White, rich or poor. Thousands of black and white men and women have had their cells used for research and have saved thousands of lives.