This is the book I just finished last night and it was an awesome read. The book centers around Henrietta Lacks who died of cancer in 1951 at a very young age. Cells from the biopsy of her original tumor were taken and became one of the most important components in sixty years of scientific research. Her cells are still alive today, still being bought and used by scientists around the world. Up until recently, nobody knew where these cells originated and only referred to them as HeLa, the name given them by the original doctor who grew the cells. But this isn't just a book about the amazing science, it's also a biography of Henrietta herself and the family she left behind. This book was a well written, interesting and compassionate look at the entire Lacks history. Well worth reading.
