Incoming Seniors:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
by Rebecca Skloot:
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor southern tobacco farmer. Her cells,
taken without her knowledge, became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first human cells grown in
culture, they are still alive today, though Henrietta has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for
developing the polio vaccine, a better understanding of cancer, viruses and the atom bomb’s effects. HeLa cells helped
lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning and gene mapping. This book takes the reader on a journey
to get to know Henrietta Lacks who remains virtually unknown and buried in an unmarked grave.
The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
by Deborah Blum:
A fascinating Jazz Age tale that combines chemistry and detection: poison and murder. In early twentieth-century New
York poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime. However, with the appointment of Chief Medical Examiner
Charles Norris in 1918, together with toxicologist Alexander Gettler, the duo set the justice system on fire with their
scientific detective work. Together they became the pioneers of forensic chemistry.