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I kept wanting to talk to people about this book while reading it. Alas, I have a hard time remembering names and facts I hear in audiobooks, but thank Google, I can still talk HeLa with my dad. This book is super sciencey, but it's even more about ethics in research and the history of inequality in American medical practice. Oh, and family. I wanted to face punch some disease-spreading menfolk and fist pump with some women -- and books that make me feel like that are always winners. The audiobo
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Mar 22, 2013
Ashley
rated it
it was amazing
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review of another edition
Shelves:
history,
what-i-study
This is an incredibly moving, well-written, thought-provoking, and fascinating story. I'm not sure there's much more to say about this book, it's been on everyone's "top 10" and "best of" lists for a reason. If you're at all interested in the history of medicine, bioethics, HIPPA, or just what the heck happens to that tiny vile of blood they take from you when you donate blood, this book is for you. It also includes a nice capsule history of the racial dynamics of early medical research and huma
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Really fascinating story brought to life in remarkable detail by a very talented writer. The narrative and the construction of the story are compelling. The afterword raises so many complex questions about medical ethics, scientific research, privacy, ownership, etc.
This book is a great example of how we don't always know the whole story and the humanity behind some of the greatest advancements that affect our society today. I really enjoyed the pace of this book and its constant balance of several different timelines, whether it be the story of a cell, the story of a family or the story of the writer herself.
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May 08, 2012
anne
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