Super interessant! Spannend, Hintergründe zu den HeLa-Zellen und etwas aus dem Leben und der Familie von Henrietta Lacks zu erfahren. Wahnsinn was früher passiert ist und einfach so gemacht wurde, heute unvorstellbar. Faszinierend was Henrietta Lacks unwissend für die Wissenschaft geleistet hat, da kann man sich im Nachhinein und für die zukünftige Forschung nur bei ihr bedanken, also vielen Dank Henrietta!
As both a biologist and a science communicator, this book resonated with me twofold. I am fascinated by the advances HeLa cells enabled, yet this book reminded me to reflect on the complex and often convoluted history that underlies our day-to-day experiments and scientific knowledge. The story of Henrietta Lacks almost reads like a real-world version of Dürrenmatt’s Die Physiker, where the consequences of scientific discovery are profound. Yet unlike in the novel, where the scientists are at least conscious of the potential consequences of their work, many of the scientists surrounding Henrietta’s case seem unaware of the human impact of their actions. Skloot illustrates how science is never isolated. Every scientific advance is deeply intertwined with culture, society, lived experience, and trust. It supported my belief that scientists must not only explain their work but also listen and understand where public mistrust comes from. They must acknowledge when that mistrust is justified and work to build respect, and meaningful dialogue. Even over 15 years after its release, this book remains a vital call to reflect on ethics, responsibility, and improving science communication.
Life is truly stranger than fiction. This is an incredible story not only about the politics of tissue research and getting informed consent from patients, but even more so for me the story of a family, that more than 100 years after the abolition of slavery still feels the effects (poverty, lack of education, sub par access medical support etc). I am amazed by the time the author has invested in this work and I think her engagement shows.
A must read if you have any sort of interest in the history of how cell research (like stem cells) and general science advancements came to be, from the exploitation common of the time.
Appalling, shocking, eye opening and moving! A must read for everyone working in biology, medicine or cancer research, everyone who ever worked with the HeLa cell line, should definitely read this and be aware of its history!
I totally enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I am not a scientist and not into science at all.But it's important to remember that behind all great inventions and discoveries there are real people involved, whole families, sad and happy stories. I won't forget Henrietta for the rest of my life, that's for sure.
I couldn't put this down. Prepare to feel the full range of human emotion while reading this book, but primarily horror, rage, disgust, and the like. An important story that everyone should know.
I pray Mrs. Lacks' family received some of this book's profits.
Rebecca Skloot saß in ihrem Biologieunterricht mit 16 Jahren und hörte dort zum ersten Mal von ihrem Lehrer den Namen Henrietta Lacks und ihren Zellen, die unsterblich waren und in der Wissenschaft für große Fortschritte geholfen hatten und immer noch halfen. Sie begann danach über Henrietta Lacks zu recherchieren, doch sehr viel fand sie nicht. Über zehn Jahre hat sie für dieses 2010 erschienene Buch recherchiert. Sie hat über 1000 Stunden mit Gesprächen mit Angehörigen von Henrietta, Medizinern, Ethikkommissionen und Wissenschaftlern verbracht. Noch mehr auf https://blog.ahukader.de
