HeLa Cells - End Justifying Means?

Thursday, May 27 2010

Have you read Rebecca Skloot's new (Feb. 2010) book, "The Immortal Life of HEnrietta LAcks?"

It's suffused with philosophical questions about right and wrong.

Is there justification for a questionable MEANS to an extremely good END -- an end that has benefitted thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of lives?

What if you knew that some relatives of the woman whose cells live on in immortality have suffered enormous anguish because of those immortal cells?

Skloot is an award-winning science writer who has painstakingly uncovered the details of Henrietta's life, death and fortunes, if you will, of the multimillion industry spawned by her cancer cells. She expertly weaves the stories of racism, poverty and neglected education with those of cell factories, genetics research and neglected "informed consent" practices.

Skloot's perseverance in uncovering the history of Henrietta Lacks is made real through her gift of storytelling. This is a book you won't want to put down.

Category: Enigmas and Tough Challenges
Filed under: Poverty, Social justice, Cancer