Join fellow bookworms at The Gateway Diner (899 Central Ave) to discuss:

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions.

Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Henrietta’s family did not learn of her “immortality” until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists investigating HeLa began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. And though the cells had launched a multimillion-dollar industry that sells human biological materials, her family never saw any of the profits. As Rebecca Skloot so brilliantly shows, the story of the Lacks family—past and present—is inextricably connected to the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics, and the legal battles over whether we control the stuff we are made of.

Over the decade it took to uncover this story, Rebecca became enmeshed in the lives of the Lacks family—especially Henrietta’s daughter Deborah. Deborah was consumed with questions: Had scientists cloned her mother? Had they killed her to harvest her cells? And if her mother was so important to medicine, why couldn’t her children afford health insurance?

If you are so inclined, you can purchase the book from either The Book House at Stuyvesant Plaza for a 20% discount or at The Open Door Bookstore on Jay Street in Schenectady for a 15% discount. Just reference our club to get the discount (if you have any trouble, please let us know).

In order to make things easier for everyone at the Gateway Diner, please try to arrive around 6 pm to place your order. We will start the discussion at 6:30 pm.

PLEASE update your RSVP as soon as you know you will not be able to join us. This will allow someone on the waitlist ample time to read the book. That said, if you are on the waitlist, please anticipate attending (or change your RSVP if you cannot), as you will likely get a spot. Frequent violators of this request may be removed from the group without notice.

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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