The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is in some ways similar to a book (Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by Luke Dittrich) I read about a month ago, but it seems a more cohesively written venture. It tells of the life, death and life of Henrietta Lacks a poor African American woman who unbeknownst to herself and her family made an incredible contribution to medical science as we know it today. The critical word in that sentence is unbeknownst - doctors took samples of Mrs. Lacks' cervix and sent them to be tested for scientific purposes without her consent. While in many ways the book is a historical document about research and privacy practices, it also shines a light on the state of tissue research today (circa 2009) as well as the notion of ownership of the samples once they are excised from a person's body. Very well done. Even though I am giving it four stars, it really is closer to a 4.25 or 4.5 star book (whereas Patient H.M. I think of as a 3.5).