Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Author: Rebecca Skloot
Format:  hard cover, 384 pages

Subject: medical ethics, cell research
Setting: Baltimore, MD, Clover VA
Genre: non-fiction science reporting
Source: public library
Challenge: Support Your Public Library


I didn't think I'd get this read  so soon.  I put it on reserve at the library and was told I was 48 in line for 37 copies.  Then three days later, it came in.  I thought I was  just going to leaf through the pages but found myself engaged right away.  It's set mostly in my hometown of Baltimore, and is so well written and such a compelling story, that I had to read it straight through.  It's the story of a poor black woman, Henrietta Lacks,  whose cervical cancer tumor was so unusual that doctors at Johns Hopkins took samples before they began treating her with radiation back in 1951.  She died within the year, but her cells from the tumor turned out to be some absolutely fantastic ones that are almost impossible to kill and are incredibly easy to reproduce and use in medical research.  Her cells are known to scientists as HeLa (the first two letters of her first and last name).

Her family never knew about the procedure or about these incredible cells growing and being used all over the world.  HeLa cells are reportedly responsible for Dr. Salk's success in developing the polio vaccine for instance.  Today, her descendants are so poor they can't even afford to go to the doctor.  It's an incredible story of a reporter wanting to find out about the cells, the family, and the research.  It's well written, fairly easy to understand, and a must read.

The reporter has established an educational trust for the benefit of Henrietta's descendants.

Review: Mysteries of the Middle Ages:

Thomas Cahill's series Hinges of History started with a bang with the publication of How the Irish Saved Civilization in 1995. This is the 4th in the Series, and it is a beautiful ART book. I love history. I love to read history books, although many tend to be dry and academic. Cahill is not academic, but this book could never be used as a text book. It is supplementary reading; it is not even quite history. It has an agenda that is actually stated in the subtitle: "The Rise of Feminism, Science, and Art from the Cults of Catholic Europe." However, it is not until the last chapter that we are bombarded with his personal angst with 20th and 21st century Roman Catholicism. To say there's an ax to grind is putting it mildly. Raised and educated as a Catholic, his bias and love for, and now his anger (however righteous one might view it) about Catholicism has almost turned him into a modern day Dante. Reading the last chapter, I was waiting to see to which circle of hell he consigned present day leaders. And......while I am no fan of George W. Bush, Cahill's thinly veiled vitriol (he claims he was referring to Phillip the Fair)--in his ending diabtribe, the last paragraph of the chapter "The Politician's Emptiness" was aimed directly at W.

...the acquisitive, dissembling, violence-prone politician...who could lie to himself and lie to others...give orders to torture the helpless and banish the innocent while on his way to church, hold men prisoner indefinitely without charging them...refuse to acknowledge the mercenary motives of his closest advisers, abrogate international treaties, pollute whole ecosystems while pretending to do otherwise, and declare his vicious wars just, necessary and blessed by God.

Certainly, the study of history should lead us to lessons learned. Cahill's lessons learned are quite biased however. At least he admits that he left out huge chunks of Medieval History (this book covers approx 900-1300 A.D.) of the period--he has one "Intermezzo" (it doesn't even rate being called a chapter) for "Entrances to Other Worlds..The Mediterranean, The Orient, and The Atlantic." Aside from being the proximate cause of half of Europe spending an inordinate amount of time, money and manpower on the Crusades, the Muslims get short shrift for any contributions they may have made. OK OK...he stated on the cover he was studying Catholic cults. The Iberian peninsula, the British Isles, and anything not centered in the Holy Roman Empire, especially present day Italy, is given only glancing mention. My mother always told me that if I couldn't say something nice, not to say anything at all. So if we put down the Hinges of History book, and read the subtitled book, this is an exquisite discussion of the early Renaissance in Italy. Beginning with the lucious endpapers of deep blue and sparkling gold showing the Ceiling of Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, through the numerous maps and charts helping the reader keep track of the myriad of players in the political doings of the times, to the 57 (!!) color illustrations of works of art of the period, this is a gorgeous feast for the senses. It is almost like reading an illustrated manuscript of the period. Even the font is spectacular. This book deserves to be picked and read if for nothing else than the sensual experience. Each chapter (until the last two) presents a piece of his explanation of the influence of the Catholic church on modern day feminism, science and art. Hildegard of Bilgen, Heloise & Abelard, Francis of Assissi, Thomas Aquinas and Dante receive star billing. In fact, I wish I'd read this before embarking on my earlier read of Dante this year. Cahill has a classic education, and certainly takes great pains to present his theories in very readable, easy to understand prose. It is not dumbed down, never boring, neither does it exhibit blatant snobbery. While I normally prefer my history books with more specific citations and references than Cahill offers, I'm not left with the impression that his research is lacking. It is interpretive research at its best. He presents suggestions for further reading based on his assessment of what he thinks his readers might be interested in. If we look at this as a history book, it's maybe a 3 star. If you look at it as a narrative of very specific theories, well-researched and supported, exquisitely presented, it's a 5 star.

Review: The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

Forget Baking Cookies--This is Neat Stuff for Kids! I wish I'd had a book like this when I was growing up. It would have been worth at least 5 Girl Scout merit badges, 2 or 3 science projects, and lots of feel good fun. I got an advanced copy as part of LT's Early Reviewer program, and for once feel like I've hit the jackpot. Young granddaughter (8 1/2 yr old) will be arriving for her annual summer vacation with Tutu and we are really going to have a great time with this one. Much more fun than baking, or even roasting marshmallows. This is a well organized, interesting, appealing book directed at youngsters from about age 9-15. Parents, grandparents, scout leaders, teachers, and even baby-sitters will also love it. Topics covered include recycling, water and air pollution, wildlife preservation, climate change, keeping the earth green, and energy conservation. But forget the topics, it's the layout that is so terrific. Each section begins with a quick multiple choice question called "Take a guess." It sets the tone for short presentations on the topic: Did you know? What You Can Do, Amaze Your Friends (what kid can resist that?) and See for Yourself. "What You can Do" includes projects for both home and school, things to do alone, or with a group. It's full of games, quizzes, experiments, and puzzlers. It is easy to read, doesn't talk down to kids, and still manages to be interesting enough for all of us grandmas. And to put frosting on the cake, it has an incredibly well researched list of web pages for more information. Grab one when you see it...we can all pitch in and help save the planet, and have fun doing it.