#the immortal life of Henrietta lacks

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

[impulsivedecisionsat3am]

man i’ve been procrastinating reading my book for so long i forgot what an interesting book it actually is

[dr-whoopsie-daisy]

I started reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks months ago and had to step away for a while because someone I know was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

I picked up the book again today. I got to chapter 27 where a German virologist discovered the cause of cervical cancer was HPV-18 and HPV-16 (90% of cases) and how studying Henrietta Lacks' cells lead to the HPV vaccine.

I just received my last HPV vaccine (it's a 3 injection series over 6ish month) a few days ago.

It feels very strange to be so connected to this book. I'm a patient actively benefiting from research done on her cell line. I'm also a doctor who had informed consent drilled into my brain from day one. Not just informed consent but making sure the patient *understands* their rights to information, the diagnosis, treatment options, the ability to refuse any and all treatments, the right to a second opinion. On and on.

Page after page of this book is laying out patient privacy violations, broken ethics, a lack of record keeping, and complete disregard for the next of kin. That's the point though, all of this was legal from the beginning until the 80's and 90's in America.

It's a lot to grapple with. Research doctors injecting patients with cancer cells, taking blood from the Lacks family but never bothering to tell them why. The millions of dollars made from cultivating her cells.

I don't understand why this wasn't required reading for any of my classes for my biology degree, my medical ethics minor, or at any point in my doctoral program.

Informed consent was taught as the forgone conclusion but in reality had only been enforced federally for medicine and research for 30-40 years before I started my doctorate.

Many of my professors were old enough to have been in research programs before these laws were written.

[hoorayiread]

The Ethics of Learning Ethics

I want to be a good person. I want to positively contribute to the world and encourage others to do the same. I also just want to know what the world is like outside of myself. Thus, I read nonfiction.

A few years ago, I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. It's a book that discusses the ethical issues that have cropped up again and again in the advancement of modern medicine, and it is full of great information. However, it's main premise revolves around the story of Henrietta Lacks, a Black woman whose cancer cells were cultured without her consent. This line of cells has led to numerous scientific advancements that have generated millions, if not billions of dollars for research companies while the Lacks family lived in poverty. The book then goes on to research that family, obtaining interviews and even befriending some of the family members. And Skloot talks about how awful it was that Henrietta was exploited in that way.

Then Skloot proceeded to not pay the family. She admits this in her book. She gives some kind of justification for it, but it's been bothering me ever since I read it.

(Robin Tynan wrote an article for Medium titled "Your unconsious bias is showing-- a critique of 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' by Rebecca Skloot," if you want more info)

Currently, I am reading Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. Coincidentally, I came accross a video from Gene Lee on Tiktok, where he mentioned that very same book. He mentioned it in passing while criticising how academics are often very sheltered from the consequences and lived experiences of everyday poverty. After this, I decided to look for articles that took a more critical look at Evicted to see if I couldn't find a more well-rounded look at the issues it tackles, but the only ones I found came from landlord websites and people that felt poverty was an individual matter rather than a systemic issue (I found a right-wing website that blamed poverty on unwed mothers. Do you care if I don't cite that source?).

One issue I think I'm facing is a lot of this information I'm finding comes from white people (Gene Lee is Black, but every other person I've mentioned has been white. And I am, too). I need a diversity of sources but, hey, what would you know? Systemic racism exists! I do have some authors of color coming up on my to-read list, including another non-fiction book written by a Black woman, but still.

Then again, one cannot fix the world by reading books alone in their room.

[proceduralbob]

Sonny had a quintuple bypass in 2003, when he was fifty-six years old—the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious under the anesthesia was a doctor standing over him saying his mother’s cells were one of the most important things that had ever happened to medicine. Sonny woke up more than $125,000 in debt because he didn’t have health insurance to cover the surgery.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot

[thatwritererinoriordan]

Finally, a little justice for the family of Henrietta Lacks

[watermelinoe]

reading really does make you calm down

[thechanelmuse]

My Book Review

"There isn't a person alive who hasn't benefited from my mother's cells." I read this book almost 2 months ago. Nineteen books later, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is still embedded and fresh in my brain. Still feeling a range of emotions because of the subject matter, Henrietta’s back story, the branch of stories within the main rooted story that highlights her children, the absolute rare and unique nature of Henrietta’s cells, and the voice of Deborah Lacks. This book could've only been told this way.

I've known about Henrietta Lacks and her unforgettable family for years, but kept putting this book off for obvious reasons. Hauntingly unsettling. Just one of many pages within the medical exploitation of Black Americans. Henrietta's stolen cellular language speaks in the form of indefinite replication outside of the body as the sole provider used in cure and treatment discovery that impacts the world. She existed before I was born and she'll continue to exist after we all pass on. How can something be traumatizing, infuriating, and fascinating all at the same time...

[shiveringsoldier]

This is such a big victory and something that should have happened a long time ago. I’m so glad that her family is finally being compensated

[amysstarlesslife]

thinking abt henrietta lacks

[styafiya-blog]

What questions about your life are you Struggling From a Ghetto Mindset

Questions about your life and who you are when someone interview you that typically question asks born in a poor family and grow up amazing America many traditional way from the island's culture mentained in carribeain America children because when island people have children in America they pass on back home knowledge I learned that from my fiends experience with my own family people from every culture established different types of behaviors because of there roots some of they don't listen to the music mother and father used did I notice many of them will stick to the cooking dressing if they are from religious family they will sticks it and pass it on to there America children a young carribeain youth they arrived in United States to start their lives all over again in the education system when he go to schools sometimes the child that born in carribeain America family becomes she or she best friends.

This article explores some often overlooked facts I took a little time to investigate on my own. Many traditional Caribbean families become Americanized. Sometimes I have to check myself to see where I am coming from, what I must do and not do, and not every action speed I take part in. People tell me I am old school. Not every human behavior exists in the world. Holding on to your roots from the inside out is very important. You can adopt other cultures' lifestyles, and you also remember letting go of your traditional culture and forgetting who you are. Every generation from all cultures has different types of thinking. The poor experience mother and father have back in their country, and they know the way that sad process of poverty in Caribbean America affects children, is the real backbone of poverty characterized by changing between me and you. Many of them received higher education and stuck with students alone, just as all races of American decoration are independent

[theambitiouswoman]

Book Recommendations 📚📒

Business and Leadership:

"Good to Great" by Jim Collins

"The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries

"Zero to One" by Peter Thiel

"Leaders Eat Last" by Simon Sinek

"Outliers: The Story of Success" by Malcolm Gladwell

Success and Personal Development:

"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey

"Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck

"Atomic Habits" by James Clear

"Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth

"The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg

Mental Health and Well-being:

"The Power of Now" by Eckhart Tolle

"Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy" by David D. Burns

"The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brené Brown

"The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook" by Edmund J. Bourne

"The Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Workbook" by Matthew McKay, Jeffrey C. Wood, and Jeffrey Brantley

Goal Setting and Achievement:

"Goals!: How to Get Everything You Want—Faster Than You Ever Thought Possible" by Brian Tracy

"The 12 Week Year" by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington

"Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink

"The One Thing" by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan

"Smarter Faster Better" by Charles Duhigg

Relationships and Communication:

"How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie

"The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman

"Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High" by Al Switzler, Joseph Grenny, and Ron McMillan

"Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life" by Marshall B. Rosenberg

"Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus" by John Gray

Self-Help and Personal Growth:

"The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck" by Mark Manson

"Daring Greatly" by Brené Brown

"Awaken the Giant Within" by Tony Robbins

"The Miracle Morning" by Hal Elrod

"You Are a Badass" by Jen Sincero

Science and Popular Science:

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

"The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

"Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

"A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

"The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins

Health and Nutrition:

"The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II

"In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan

"Why We Sleep" by Matthew Walker

"Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall

"The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan

Fiction and Literature:

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee

"1984" by George Orwell

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald

"The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger

"Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

[literaryvein-reblogs]

can you do a blog about the main types of book genres there are if you haven't already? and how to know what you're writing?

Types of Book Genres

Mystery. Follows a crime (like a murder or a disappearance) from the moment it is committed to the moment it is solved. Mystery novels are often called “whodunnits” because they turn the reader into a detective trying to figure out the who, what, when, and how of a particular crime. Most mysteries feature a detective or private eye solving a case as the central character.

Thriller. According to the New York Public Library, thrillers gradually build anxiety and suspense. Examples of thrillers include “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn, “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris and “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides. ⚜ Psychological Thriller

Horror. “Carrie” by Stephen King, “The Haunting of Hill House” by Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allen Poe’s work are all under the umbrella of horror. These works are intended to frighten audiences and elicit a feeling of dread, according to the CDE.

Historical Fiction. Historical fiction takes place in a historical setting, the CDE notes. Some examples of historical fiction include “The Prophets” by Robert Jones, Jr. and “The Four Winds” by Kristin Hannah.

Romance. Romance Writers of America (RWA) noted that romance refers to optimistic and emotionally satisfying stories that focus on a central love story. “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood and “Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston are both romance novels.

Western. Primarily set in the American Old West between the late 18th century and late 19th century and tell the stories of cowboys, settlers, and outlaws exploring the western frontier and taming the Wild West.

Bildungsroman. Translates to “novel of education” or “novel of formation,” chronicles a character’s journey from young innocence to worldly adulthood. This is a specific type of coming-of-age story in which the character gains knowledge and experience, even as innocence is lost.

Speculative Fiction. Refers to genres not based in reality, including work with magical, supernatural or otherwise imagined elements. Essentially, speculative fiction is the opposite of mimetic fiction. The category includes subgenres like fantasy, science-fiction, dystopian fiction and more, Witcover noted.

Science Fiction. This genre often involves science and technology of the future. Science fiction is frequently set in space or a different universe or world. It often uses some real theories of science.

Fantasy. According to the California Department of Education (CDE), fantasy "invites suspension of reality." The genre encompasses stories that wouldn't happen in real life, often set in another world or including magical elements.

Dystopian fiction. Imagines a future place in cataclysmic decline.

Action and Adventure. The tension of the protagonist’s journey in an adventure story creates a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping storyline. Dramatic car chases, secret missions, and violent fight scenes often pop up in famous action stories. Great action writing draws in your audience, getting their adrenaline pumping as they turn the page.

Nonfiction (Memoir: Stories from an author’s life that offer a firsthand account of events are called memoirs. According to Reader's Digest, some highly-recommended memoirs include “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou and “Spare” by Prince Harry. ; Autobiography: a nonfiction (true) account of someone’s life. It is written by the subject of the autobiography; Biography: tell the story of a notable person’s life, written by someone other than the subject. Some examples are “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer, which tells the story of the adventurer Chris McCandless, and “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot.)

Food and Travel. Cookbooks, food history books, travel guides and travel memoirs all fall under this category that includes “The Omnivore's Dilemma” by Michael Pollan and “My Life in France” by Julia Child.

Humor. Strong humor writers have a way of spotting the patterns of life and bringing them to the surface at exactly the right moment.

Young Adult. YA books are intended for readers between 12 and 18 years old, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Some examples include “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

Children's Fiction. Many classic examples of children’s literature are picture books, including “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak or “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” by Mo Willems. Scholastic noted most picture books are intended for children up to seven years old.

Knowing your Genre. The world of literature abounds with different genres.

Although every literary genre has its own trends and defining characteristics, the divisions between these categories aren't always clear. Whether you’re picking another book off the shelf or plotting out your new novel, learning more about genre can help you decide what comes next.

If you want to become a writer, there are a number of reasons to learn about genres, according to Paul Witcover, associate dean of the online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).

“I feel it’s important for writers to have an understanding of genre because it will impact how their books are marketed, as well as how they are perceived by publishers,” he said. “But I also think writers can be too concerned with genre.”

Although he encourages writers to learn about the subject, Witcover noted a tendency for overly rigid ideas about the distinctions between genres. “Concepts of genre are more fluid than writers may believe,” he said. It's important to keep that fluidity in mind.

Genre is determined by need and audience expectation. Its set functions are determined by its social need.

Broadly speaking, the fiction world is divided into 2 segments: literary fiction and genre fiction.

Literary fiction typically describes the kinds of books that are assigned in high school and college English classes, that are character driven and describe some aspect of the human condition. Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winners tend to come from the literary fiction genre.

Genre fiction has a more mainstream, populist appeal. It traditionally comprises genres such as romance, mystery, thriller, horror, fantasy, and children’s books.

Some genre writers straddle a line between genre-focused commercial fiction and the traditions of literary fiction.

Traditionally, there are 4 broader categories of genre:

Fiction: Imagined or invented literature is called fiction, Writers & Artists noted. Examples of fiction titles include “1984” by George Orwell and “Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng.

Nonfiction: According to Writers & Artists, nonfiction refers to fact-based works. Some nonfiction titles include “The Body Keeps Score” by Bessel van der Kolk and “I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai, and “Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking” by Marcella Hazan.

Poetry: Britannica defines poetry as “literature that evokes a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or a specific emotional response through language chosen and arranged for its meaning, sound and rhythm.” Poetry incorporates poetic elements and encompasses the work of writers like Maya Angelou, Robert Frost, Amanda Gorman and Richard Siken.

Drama: Dramatic literature refers to texts of plays that can be read for their literary value as well as performed, according to Britannica. Dramas include stage directions and specific formatting not found in prose or verse. Some of the most studied dramas are Shakespeare’s plays, like “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet.” You might be familiar with other dramas, too, like “Death of a Salesman” and “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller or August Wilson’s Century Cycle of 10 dramas depicting the Black experience in the U.S. throughout the 20th century, including “The Piano Lesson” and “Fences.”

Although most writing falls into at least one of these 4 categories, the edges are a bit blurred, and there can be overlap.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ More: Writing Notes & References

It seems the general advice is to learn about the different genres first, and try to see which elements your story has that align with them. Perhaps start with the broader categories first, then narrow it down to the major genres, until you identify which specific subgenre your story fits. And it's fine if they overlap, as this happens with most novels. Hope this helps!

[girlbloggercher]

how to be 'that girl'

first of all, what is 'that girl'? later.com says: " “that girl” is a social media lifestyle trend that refers to women who prioritize wellness, productivity, beauty and mindfulness. " this is true, to a degree; to be 'that girl', you shouldn't prioritize beauty. that is, unless you are prioritizing inner beauty. also, the website describes it as a trend, which isn't technically wrong, but being healthy and productive shouldn't stop for you when the trend dies down. it should be forever.

so, how can you become 'that girl'?

STEP 1: productivity

i know it can be hard to be motivated to clean your room, read, study, etc. but you don't need motivation, you need discipline. make yourself do it because you need to do it and you know it. keeping to-do lists can also be helpful.

STEP 2: exercise

please keep in mind that when i say exercise, i don't mean to lose weight, i mean for your mental and physical health. there are countless studies proving that exercise can increase dopamine. weightloss is just a side effect. you should get atleast 10 minutes of exercise daily. but 1 hour is also recommended.

STEP 3: self-care

the term 'self-care' is extremely vague. it can range from skincare to movie nights to general maintenance. whatever you do to please yourself and take care of yourself, do it.

STEP 4: knowledge

you don't have to be in school to learn. it can literally be as simple as searching up a new word everyday. you can also read nonfiction books. my favorite nonfiction book is 'the immortal life of henrietta lacks'. it's especially great if you love science.

STEP 5: screen time

i understand that being on your phone is literally addictive, but you have to cut back. tiktok has feature where you can set a screen time limit. but other apps probably have this too.

STEP 6: eating

like i said in step 2, this is not for weight-loss, but instead health and the effects of it on your brain. you can look up the nutrients that each meal should have to be considered healthy. you should drink 1-2L of water a day.

[isfjmel-phleg]

Books that I own that I should get to this year if possible:

Alternative Alcott and Work by Louisa May Alcott

Various books by Margery Allingham

Shirley by Charlotte Bronte (have owned this for over a decade but been too daunted by its length to tackle it)

More Annotated Alice

Various books by Agatha Christie

Man and Wife by Wilkie Collins

Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens (another scary brick)

Various Dostoevsky books

The Last Courts of Europe: Royal Family Album 1860-1914 by Jeffery Finestone

Cousin Phillis and Other Tales and Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell

Between Walls and Between Cases by W. R. Gingell

The Child from the Sea by Elizabeth Goudge

Various works by Nathaniel Hawthorne (I got interested in trying to read his works while I visited MA. I had to read The Scarlet Letter in high school, which was unpleasant thanks to our curriculum's pharisaic approach to literature, but I want to revisit it and encounter others as an adult and draw my own conclusions)

Various books by nineteenth-century author Mary J. Holmes (picked up at an antique store including Millbank, which is referred to in the Little House books)

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other Tales by Washington Irving

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (gift from a friend)

Year of the Griffin by Diana Wynne Jones

The Last Empress by Greg King

The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi (a secret pal gift from someone who read my remark on the form that I found it hard to describe my taste in books succinctly, got hung up on the puzzling word "succinct," and scoured the internet for Succinct Books, bless her heart)

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer

Voices in the Night by Stephen Millhauser

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (picked up in a shop because I thought the title was funny; I am not planning to dive into the associated series)

The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe

Robin: Tim Drake Compendium One (or, as I call it, The Tim Tome)

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Splendors and Glooms by Laura Amy Schlitz

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot (picked this up at a booksale because my sister had had to read it for multiple college classes and I was curious)

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by Bernie Su (picked up at a booksale forever ago)

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain

Various Jules Verne books

The Friendly Persuasion by Jessamyn West

Doomsday Book and Blackout (and All Clear and Cross Talk if I can acquire them) by Connie Willis

The Sinclair's Mysteries series by Katherine Woodfine

Zero Hour: Part One (and Part Two if I can snag it when it's released later this year)