Book Review - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot

This is a work of non-fiction. It is almost a documentary or perhaps a history book. It might also be called a biography but it is not entirely about one person, or about that person's entire life. It is more about the impact of Henrietta Lacks on her family, and on the world.

Although I am trained in the sciences and enjoy studying science, much of the science in this book was new to me. This is not to say that the book is a science book - the science, although integral to the story, is not difficult, is not the focus, and is not presented for pedagogical purposes.

This book is also partly a history or exploration (through one person) of medical ethics, and related law. With all of this introduction you might think that this book is bound to be crashingly boring, but it is a page turner. I didn't want to put it down, because it was so intriguing and informative. It was sometimes sad, but always relevant and compelling. Even as a side note, the glimpses it gave into the author's process were also interesting and worthwhile.

I highly recommend this book for any reader, but particularly for those who have at least an idle interest in science, or history, or the nature of humanity.

The book is published by Crown Publishing / Random House, and is 366 pages long. It took me more than a few hours to get through, although it was probably less than six hours. It was worth every minute.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

My daughter's teacher mentioned that they had read this book in class. I mentioned that I had never read it. She was incredulous. All I can say is that we read other books in our high school.

So, she lent me a copy and I read it. It's a good book. I understand it is the only book Harper Lee ever wrote. It is worth reading. It is a good story about growing up, and delves into themes of racism and the different kinds of people who surround you. I can see how some would possibly call this their favorite book, or a "classic". I don't think it's good enough to buy a copy for myself, but I think it should be on your "to read" list, and perhaps on your "must read" list.

The copyright date is 1960, but it seems like it is set in an earlier time, since it mentions one of the men getting a WPA job, which would put it in the 1930's. It doesn't seem dated, even now.

The copy I read was published by Warner Books, and runs 281 pages. I'm glad my daughter's teacher recommended it.