The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: Racism, Exploitation and the Lack of Medical and Research Ethics “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” is a biography that was embraced by the critics and general readers alike. The book remained on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list and New York Times paperback non-fiction bestseller list for over 11 and 18 months respectively (Nisbet and Fahy 2). It relates the story of an African American woman, Henrietta, who had several medical conditions including syphilis and cancer and who experienced mistreatment at the hands of her doctors. Because this was during the time of segregation and Jim Crow laws, her physician treated her like an object instead of a person that needed his help. They took her cells for conducting medical research. When they found out that Henrietta’s cells were special they never gave her the credit she deserved.