Rebecca Skloot
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

This genre-defying narrative combines history, science, memoir, and biography. You’ve been affected by the HeLa cells derived from Maryland woman Henrietta Lacks, called “immortal” because they thrive in the lab: they’ve been used to develop the polio vaccine, cure cancer, and fight the flu. But her family didn’t discover anything about the cells until more than twenty years after her 1951 death. Skloot unearths the incredible story of how that happened, weaving the tale of the HeLa cells together with Lacks’ personal narrative.

More info →
Buy from Amazon Kindle
Buy from Amazon
Buy from Audible.com
Buy from Barnes and Noble
The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 (The Best American Series)

The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015 (The Best American Series)

Author:

From the publisher: "This anthology of essays and articles explores topics ranging from untouched wilderness to scientific ethics—and the nature of curiosity itself. Scientists and writers are both driven by a dogged curiosity, immersing themselves in detailed observations that, over time, uncover larger stories. As Rebecca Skloot says in her introduction, all the stories in this collection are 'written by and about people who take the time, and often a substantial amount of risk, to follow curiosity where it may lead, so we can all learn about it.' From Brooke Jarvis on deep-ocean mining to Elizabeth Kolbert on New Zealand’s unconventional conservation strategies, this is a group that celebrates the growing diversity in science and nature writing alike. Altogether, the writers honored in this volume challenge us to consider the strains facing our planet and its many species, while never losing sight of the wonders we’re working to preserve for generations to come. This anthology includes essays and articles by Sheri Fink, Atul Gawande, Leslie Jamison, Sam Kean, Seth Mnookin, Matthew Power, Michael Specter and others."

More info →
Buy from Amazon Kindle