--- product_id: 199530 title: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" price: "AR$68067" currency: ARS in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/199530-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks store_origin: AR region: Argentina --- # HBO major motion picture NYT #1 Bestseller HeLa cells' medical impact The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks **Price:** AR$68067 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 🧬 Discover the untold legacy that changed medicine—and the world. ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - **How much does it cost?** AR$68067 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.ar](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/199530-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **From Page to Screen:** Experience the story that captivated millions, now a major HBO film starring Oprah Winfrey. - • **Ethics Meets Humanity:** Delve into the powerful narrative of race, consent, and bioethics that shaped modern medicine. - • **Award-Winning Narrative:** Winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize and acclaimed by top literary voices worldwide. - • **Immortal Science Unveiled:** Explore the story behind HeLa cells that revolutionized vaccines, cloning, and gene mapping. - • **A Groundbreaking Bestseller:** Ranked #1 in Medical Research, History of Medicine & Cell Biology—join the global conversation. ## Overview The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a #1 New York Times bestseller that reveals the extraordinary true story of Henrietta Lacks, whose immortal cells (HeLa) transformed medical research. Written by Rebecca Skloot, this award-winning book intertwines groundbreaking science with profound ethical questions about race, consent, and medical exploitation. Celebrated globally and adapted into a major HBO film, it’s a must-read for anyone passionate about science, justice, and human stories. ## Description #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “The story of modern medicine and bioethics—and, indeed, race relations—is refracted beautifully, and movingly.”— Entertainment Weekly NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE FROM HBO® STARRING OPRAH WINFREY AND ROSE BYRNE • ONE OF THE “MOST INFLUENTIAL” (CNN), “DEFINING” ( LITHUB ), AND “BEST” ( THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER ) BOOKS OF THE DECADE • ONE OF ESSENCE ’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS • WINNER OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE HEARTLAND PRIZE FOR NONFICTION • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST NONFICTION BOOK OF THE CENTURY A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, Entertainment Weekly, O: The Oprah Magazine, NPR, Financial Times, New York, Independent (U.K.), Times (U.K.), Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Globe and Mail 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? Intimate in feeling, astonishing in scope, and impossible to put down, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks captures the beauty and drama of scientific discovery, as well as its human consequences. Review: Biology, Ethics, and A Great Narrative - I'm really not sure what took my so long to read Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, but I'm thrilled that I finally have. For me this book married two of my most favorite things: biology and narrative (it is a true story, but it reads with the fluidity of a novel). Skloot traces the famous HeLa cells ("immortal" cells from patient Henrietta Lacks that have been used to study countless diseases and create many cures) back to their origins, investigating the treatment of the original patient and those connected to her since then. The research the cells have allowed has prompted developments as essential as the polio vaccine, cloning, and gene mapping- they've directly and indirectly saved many lives. The resounding ethical question: was it right for doctors to take her cells without permission? Structure Skloot structures this text so that the reader is constantly being moved from Henrietta Lack's past to the author's investigation in the present. As we're finding out about Lacks and her illness, death, and the usage of her cells, we're also learning about her family and how the exploitation of her cells have impacted their lives. This book is an incredibly quick read, in part due to the overall flow. The three sections of the book are entitled "Life, "Death," and "Immortality," which parallel Lacks' existence. This process is also something that her surviving family members must deal with as well; coping with loss is difficult, but not being able to obtain true closure complicates matters even more. Narrative Style I just spent a few minutes looking at the negative reviews of this book and was amused to see many say that Skloot has a "liberal agenda" and is "self-serving." While you can absolutely detect liberal undertones (she does think that the family should be recognized, which would therefore be a stab at the pharmaceutical industry... ie big business), I thought she did an admirable job of leaving herself out of the text. We have no idea what her personal life is like, what she likes to do during her time off, or how devoting so much time impacted her finances (I often wondered). Skloot's tone is straightforward but dimpled with humor and wit. Her research efforts must be applauded as well. As Skloot begins to include Lack's daughter, Deborah, the book becomes a little more sentimental and personal, but without taking away from the overall purpose of the investigation. Ethics The ethical implication behind Henrietta Lacks' story are incredible. She was a poor, black woman with STDs and cancer in the 1950s- there was absolutely no regard whatsoever for patient choice. Researchers took her cells and once it was determined that they rapidly replicated they were eventually sold to labs around the world, the Lacks family seeing none of the profit, adding to the dilemma. Race compounds the issue, Skloot adding in additional research on other controversial policies during the time period. While legislation offers more protection now, what does that mean for the Lacks family? Is it okay for doctors to make exceptions to help thousands of others and advance medical science? How should patients be compensated when their medical records are used and generate profit? And who pays whom? It's a really complicated, emotionally charged debate that's simultaneously fascinating and mind-boggling. Science My biggest warning about this book- don't shy away from it because it so heavily deals with science. Skloot does a great job explaining everything from the basic structure of a cell, to replication, and sample contamination. I do think some diagrams would have added to the text as a whole, though. Highly Recommended I absolutely recommend this book- you will learn without feeling lectured. Besides being educational, it raises some great ethical questions (which is why so many book clubs have read it). Review: Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Henrietta Lacks - Wow. This book should be required reading for scientists and students of life. The true story of Henrietta Lacks and her family has finally been told, beautifully, in this book. The book encompasses science, ethics, and the story of a family who was terribly wronged in the pursuit of scientific research. I could gush about this book for pages but I'll try first to hit the main points of why this book is so remarkable in list form for the sake of brevity: 1. The author clearly developed a strong relationship with the Lacks family, which was absolutely critical to ensuring the story was told accurately and with the respect to Henrietta Lacks that was so deeply deserved. 2. The storytelling is amazingly moving despite the need to convey a lot of scientific information. It reads like fiction. 3. Ms. Skloot's research into the science is impeccable. 4. The book is FAIR. It presents the unvarnished truth, obtained DIRECTLY from as many prinicpal people involved in the story as is humanly possible. It would have been easier to simplify the story into heroes vs. villians, but Ms. Skloot deftly handles all sides of the story. For some detail: I have worked with HeLa cells in the past, but did not know even the barest information about the story of Henrietta Lacks until a few years ago. It simply was not common knowledge, until a few less ethical folks released her name and medical records to the public. This obviously should not have been done without the express permission of the Lacks family, which Ms. Skloot obtained. In the past, others have not been as ethical. The book covers Ms. Lacks' early life, how her cells came to be harvested, and what happened to both the cells and her family afterward. The contributions of HeLa cells to science are absolutely staggering and cannot be over-stated. The sections where the science was described were clear and accurate. With the story of Ms. Lacks' family interwoven, this book was fairly close to perfect. I found myself moved to tears several times because of the fate of the Lacks family and Henrietta's daughter's indomitable spirit. I do not think anyone but Ms. Skloot could have written this book. She worked with the family for over a decade in order to get the story right. This was critical, as the family had been wronged too many times in the past. Thank you for this astounding work of art. I will be donating to the Henrietta Lacks foundation in honor of the entire family, and I hope many others will read the book and be similarly moved. ## Features - book - Henrietta Lacks - textbook - Rebecca Skloot ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,211 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1 in Medical Research (Books) #1 in History of Medicine (Books) #1 in Cell Biology (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 31,396 Reviews | ## Images ![The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81coyP8S-ZL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Biology, Ethics, and A Great Narrative *by C***. on July 7, 2013* I'm really not sure what took my so long to read Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, but I'm thrilled that I finally have. For me this book married two of my most favorite things: biology and narrative (it is a true story, but it reads with the fluidity of a novel). Skloot traces the famous HeLa cells ("immortal" cells from patient Henrietta Lacks that have been used to study countless diseases and create many cures) back to their origins, investigating the treatment of the original patient and those connected to her since then. The research the cells have allowed has prompted developments as essential as the polio vaccine, cloning, and gene mapping- they've directly and indirectly saved many lives. The resounding ethical question: was it right for doctors to take her cells without permission? Structure Skloot structures this text so that the reader is constantly being moved from Henrietta Lack's past to the author's investigation in the present. As we're finding out about Lacks and her illness, death, and the usage of her cells, we're also learning about her family and how the exploitation of her cells have impacted their lives. This book is an incredibly quick read, in part due to the overall flow. The three sections of the book are entitled "Life, "Death," and "Immortality," which parallel Lacks' existence. This process is also something that her surviving family members must deal with as well; coping with loss is difficult, but not being able to obtain true closure complicates matters even more. Narrative Style I just spent a few minutes looking at the negative reviews of this book and was amused to see many say that Skloot has a "liberal agenda" and is "self-serving." While you can absolutely detect liberal undertones (she does think that the family should be recognized, which would therefore be a stab at the pharmaceutical industry... ie big business), I thought she did an admirable job of leaving herself out of the text. We have no idea what her personal life is like, what she likes to do during her time off, or how devoting so much time impacted her finances (I often wondered). Skloot's tone is straightforward but dimpled with humor and wit. Her research efforts must be applauded as well. As Skloot begins to include Lack's daughter, Deborah, the book becomes a little more sentimental and personal, but without taking away from the overall purpose of the investigation. Ethics The ethical implication behind Henrietta Lacks' story are incredible. She was a poor, black woman with STDs and cancer in the 1950s- there was absolutely no regard whatsoever for patient choice. Researchers took her cells and once it was determined that they rapidly replicated they were eventually sold to labs around the world, the Lacks family seeing none of the profit, adding to the dilemma. Race compounds the issue, Skloot adding in additional research on other controversial policies during the time period. While legislation offers more protection now, what does that mean for the Lacks family? Is it okay for doctors to make exceptions to help thousands of others and advance medical science? How should patients be compensated when their medical records are used and generate profit? And who pays whom? It's a really complicated, emotionally charged debate that's simultaneously fascinating and mind-boggling. Science My biggest warning about this book- don't shy away from it because it so heavily deals with science. Skloot does a great job explaining everything from the basic structure of a cell, to replication, and sample contamination. I do think some diagrams would have added to the text as a whole, though. Highly Recommended I absolutely recommend this book- you will learn without feeling lectured. Besides being educational, it raises some great ethical questions (which is why so many book clubs have read it). ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thank you for this beautiful tribute to Henrietta Lacks *by E***J on February 6, 2010* Wow. This book should be required reading for scientists and students of life. The true story of Henrietta Lacks and her family has finally been told, beautifully, in this book. The book encompasses science, ethics, and the story of a family who was terribly wronged in the pursuit of scientific research. I could gush about this book for pages but I'll try first to hit the main points of why this book is so remarkable in list form for the sake of brevity: 1. The author clearly developed a strong relationship with the Lacks family, which was absolutely critical to ensuring the story was told accurately and with the respect to Henrietta Lacks that was so deeply deserved. 2. The storytelling is amazingly moving despite the need to convey a lot of scientific information. It reads like fiction. 3. Ms. Skloot's research into the science is impeccable. 4. The book is FAIR. It presents the unvarnished truth, obtained DIRECTLY from as many prinicpal people involved in the story as is humanly possible. It would have been easier to simplify the story into heroes vs. villians, but Ms. Skloot deftly handles all sides of the story. For some detail: I have worked with HeLa cells in the past, but did not know even the barest information about the story of Henrietta Lacks until a few years ago. It simply was not common knowledge, until a few less ethical folks released her name and medical records to the public. This obviously should not have been done without the express permission of the Lacks family, which Ms. Skloot obtained. In the past, others have not been as ethical. The book covers Ms. Lacks' early life, how her cells came to be harvested, and what happened to both the cells and her family afterward. The contributions of HeLa cells to science are absolutely staggering and cannot be over-stated. The sections where the science was described were clear and accurate. With the story of Ms. Lacks' family interwoven, this book was fairly close to perfect. I found myself moved to tears several times because of the fate of the Lacks family and Henrietta's daughter's indomitable spirit. I do not think anyone but Ms. Skloot could have written this book. She worked with the family for over a decade in order to get the story right. This was critical, as the family had been wronged too many times in the past. Thank you for this astounding work of art. I will be donating to the Henrietta Lacks foundation in honor of the entire family, and I hope many others will read the book and be similarly moved. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ part examination of HeLa cell, part story of Henrietta and her family both before and after her death *by B***H on May 19, 2011* THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot is part examination of the HeLa cell, a cell taken from (not donated by) Henrietta Lacks when she was being treated at Johns Hopkins for cervical cancer. The other part of this book tells the story of Henrietta, and her family both before and after her death. During the 1950s Henrietta Lacks had a two-timing husband, five children, and several medical problems that she left untreated, including syphilis. When she learned she had cervical cancer, she also ignored that for as long as she could but eventually went to Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she could receive free treatment. Shortly before Henrietta died, Johns Hopkins took a tissue sample from her cervix. As was routine and perfectly legal in the 1950s and for many years later, no one asked for her or her family's permission. And no one acknowledged her for her "donation" when the resulting HeLa cell made possible so much medical research and discoveries. I should mention that Henrietta was black because that fact has everything to do with her children's reactions years later. Because the HeLa cell could live indefinitely, which other cells could not, HeLa was reproduced in large quantities. Johns Hopkins gave the HeLa cell to just about anyone who asked all over the world at no cost. As a result, medical research was advanced, but for years Henrietta's family was never aware of any of it. No one was deliberately hiding anything from them; but no one felt it necessary to tell them. The first the family heard of it was when Johns Hopkins wanted to test their blood 20 years later. And there began the first of many, many misunderstandings. Day, Henrietta's husband, got the call but understood that they wanted to get blood samples from Henrietta's children to test them for cancer. So they all gave blood samples, then became angry when they were never given results of the "tests." The Lacks family was angry with Johns Hopkins Hospital and University and the researchers working with HeLa cells for more than 30 years for various reasons, all misunderstandings. And they most often didn't change their minds, even when told otherwise. The author of THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, Rebecca Skloot, had the patience of a saint! She gave up years of her time in pursuit of information for this book, much of it wasted because of the family's misunderstandings. And even when things appeared to be going well, a family member might suddenly mistrust her, again as a result of a misunderstanding (that she was working for Johns Hopkins, who they also mistrusted as a result of misunderstanding). Once, one of Henrietta's children, Deborah, even went so far as to physically attack Skloot because of a (you guessed it) misunderstanding. So much of this book is devoted to clearing up misunderstandings, I found it mostly frustrating. However, Skloot did clear up the misunderstandings and, in doing so, told interesting stories within this story, for example, the actual history of Johns Hopkins, so mistrusted by not only the Lacks family but many other black people as well. Skloot also related science in easy-to-understand language. It was a pleasure to read for that reason but also because, although I was aware of the various research projects she mentioned, I had not known how a minute cell had made them possible. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - 1984: 75th Anniversary - The Handmaid's Tale --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/199530-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks](https://www.desertcart.com.ar/products/199530-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks) --- *Product available on Desertcart Argentina* *Store origin: AR* *Last updated: 2026-09-01*