Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they 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 and viruses; helped lead to in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks is buried in an unmarked grave. Her family did not learn of her "immortality" until more than twenty years after her death, when scientists began using her husband and children in research without informed consent. The story of the Lacks family 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--From publisher description.

"From a New York Times best-selling author, psychotherapist, and national advice columnist, a hilarious, thought-provoking, and surprising new book that takes us behind the scenes of a therapist's world--where her patients are looking for answers (and so is she)"--

"An extraordinary tale…of love, of unthinkable trauma, of a heroic partnership… Redefining for the world what it means to be a fighter.”—People The New York Times bestseller by Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, astronaut and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly—an incredibly inspiring story of adventure, public service, love, and overcoming tragedy. Now a documentary film titled Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down. The shooting of Gabby Giffords and nineteen others, six of whom were killed, took place in Tuscon, Arizona on January 8, 2011, in the early days of what has become a tragic and devastating escalation of mass shootings across the United States. Gabby had just begun her third term serving in the Arizona House of Representatives and was meeting with her constituents when she was shot in the head. She was evacuated to the hospital in critical condition. Her husband, Mark Kelly, a retired U.S. Navy captain and an astronaut for NASA at the time, flew directly from Houston and dedicated himself to Gabby’s bedside as she fought to survive and recover. This book chronicles the lives of these two extraordinary American figures—the careers that led them to one another; their passion for public service; and the grueling medical challenges and hard-fought journey to Gabby’s significant recovery. In 2013, Gabby and Mark launched Americans for Responsible Solutions, a non-profit and Super-Pac which would later become Giffords, an American advocacy and research organization focused on promoting gun control. That same year, Gabby received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in recognition of the political, personal, and physical courage she demonstrated in her public advocacy for policy reforms aimed at reducing gun violence.

"For as long as he has served at the highest levels of business and government, Vice President Dick Cheney has also been one of the world's most prominent heart patients. Now, for the first time ever, Cheney, together with his longtime cardiologist Jonathan Reiner, MD, shares the very personal story of his courageous thirty-five-year battle with heart disease, from his first heart attack in 1978 to the heart transplant he received in 2012. In 1978, when Cheney suffered his first heart attack, he received essentially the same treatment as President Eisenhower had in 1955. Since then, cardiac medicine has evolved in extraordinary ways, and Cheney has benefited from nearly every medical and technological breakthrough along the way. At each juncture, when Cheney faced a new health challenge, the technology was one step ahead of his disease. In many ways, Cheney's story is the story of the evolution of modern cardiac care. Heart is the riveting, singular memoir of both doctor and patient, tracking their relationship as it unfolds over many years and crises. Like no US politician has before him, Cheney opens up about his health struggles, sharing harrowing, never-before-told stories about the challenges he faced during a perilous time in our nation's history. Dr. Reiner provides his perspective on Cheney's case and also gives readers a fascinating glimpse into his own education as a doctor. He masterfully chronicles the important discoveries, radical innovations, and cutting-edge science that have changed the face of medicine and saved countless lives. Powerfully braiding science with story and the personal with the political, Heart is a sweeping, inspiring, and ultimately optimistic book that will give hope to the millions of Americans affected by heart disease"--

A Recommended Read from: The Los Angeles Times * Town and Country * The Seattle Times * Publishers Weekly * Lit Hub * Crime Reads * Alma From the author of The Real Lolita and editor of Unspeakable Acts, the astonishing story of a murderer who conned the people around him—including conservative thinker William F. Buckley—into helping set him free In the 1960s, Edgar Smith, in priso[Bokinfo]

In words and drawings both candid and human, Stan Mack follows his eighteen-year relationship with Janet Bode, a lighthearted fling that beat the odds to become an enduring love affair. The only thing they couldn't beat was cancer. As Janet and Stan confront the jagged terrain of cancer, then navigate the twilight of terminal illness, two portraits emerge: of a woman who faced her cancer the same way she lived her life, with guts and charm; and of the man who held her close and shared her struggle. For anyone who can't resist a beautifully told love story, for anyone who is touched by someone suffering from serious illness and looking for emotional and practical guidance, and for anyone who appreciates a life lived to the fullest, Janet & Me will resonate long after the last page is turned.

By the time Jack was fifteen, he was addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs, was hanging out with rock stars in LA and living a life that any teenager would aspire to. And then, The Osbournes turned him into a global celebrity. But as much as Jack enjoyed his fame, underneath it all, he was still an awkward teenager, using his sense of humour as a shield. And, with fame and money came a greater access to drugs - his addictions took a firmer hold on him and his behaviour was soon out of control. In 21 Years Gone, Jack writes with brutal frankness about his descent into addiction and the low point he reached when Sharon was diagnosed with cancer. Scared that his mum might die, Jack retreated further into his alcoholic shell, hating who he was, hating what he did. Every night he would get into bed and pray for God to take his life. When Sharon realised what was happening, she told Jack he had to go to rehab - and slowly he turned his life around.Discovering a passion for extreme sports, he went from overweight and unfit to the lean young man he is today - courtesy of such adventures as running with the bulls in Pamplona, fighting a Thai martial arts expert known only as 'The Man' and scaling El Capitan, one of the world's toughest climbs. By turns funny, disarmingly honest and moving, 21 Years Gone is the amazing story of young man who has confronted his demons and defeated them.

A powerful memoir from Natalie Goldberg—the woman who changed the way writing is taught in this country—sharing her experience with cancer grounded in her practice of writing and Zen Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home begins at the grave of Katagiri Roshi, Natalie’s Zen teacher, in Japan. Twenty years after Katagiri’s death and Natalie’s return to New Mexico, she is permanently settled in Santa Fe with her partner, Yukwan. Except that, as Buddhism teaches us, nothing is permanent. Natalie learns that she has CLL, a potentially fatal form of blood cancer. For two years, Natalie dances with her cancer—visiting doctor after doctor, attempting treatment after treatment. Nothing helps; in fact, one of the treatments only feeds the cancer and encourages its growth. Then Natalie’s partner, Yukwan discovers that she, too, has cancer—breast cancer—as well as an off-the-charts oncotype score that requires her to have surgery immediately. The cancer twins, as Natalie calls herself and Yukwan, now must each navigate her own illness, carve out her own cancer territory. Each can provide only limited emotional and physical energy for the other. And, somehow, they both need to find a way to stay together, to stay in love—and to heal. As the title expresses, Let the Whole Thundering World Come Home is so much more than a cancer memoir. Through a direct and grounded narrative, Natalie illuminates a path through illness: that we need to be in love with the lives we have, to embrace the dark and the light in our lives. For Natalie, writing and painting represent the light, and her cancer takes her deeper into her art practices. Balanced with a Zen practice that helps to her face death, this book is a moving meditation on living life in full bloom.

"A year-long journey by the renowned psychiatrist and his writer wife after her terminal diagnosis, as they reflect on how to love and live without regret. Internationally acclaimed psychiatrist and author Irvin Yalom devoted his career to counseling those suffering from anxiety and grief. But never had he faced the need to counsel himself until his wife, esteemed feminist author Marilyn Yalom, was diagnosed with cancer. In A Matter of Death and Life, Marilyn and Irv share how they took on profound new struggles: Marilyn to die a good death, Irv to live on without her. In alternating accounts of their last months together and Irv's first months alone, they offer us a rare window into facing mortality and coping with the loss of one's beloved. The Yaloms had numerous blessings--a loving family, a Palo Alto home under a magnificent valley oak, a large circle of friends, avid readers around the world, and a long, fulfilling marriage--but they faced death as we all do. With the wisdom of those who have thought deeply, and the familiar warmth of teenage sweethearts who've grown up together, they investigate universal questions of intimacy, love, and grief. Informed by two lifetimes of experience, A Matter of Death and Life is an openhearted offering to anyone seeking support, solace, and a meaningful life."--Publisher.

The inspiring story that touched people all over the world, The Council of Dads is the life-changing portrait of a group of friends who offer wisdom, humor, and guidance for how to live our lives with meaning and joy. Faced with one of life's greatest challenges, New York Times bestselling author Bruce Feiler reached out to six men who helped shape him and asked each one for a piece of advice for his daughters: how to live, how to travel, how to question, how to dream. Feiler gathered their life lessons, along with a few of his own—"Always Learn to Juggle on the Side of a Hill," "Hug the Monster," "Take a Walk with a Turtle"—into a heartwarming, deeply enriching book that has inspired readers everywhere to start their own Councils of Moms or Dads. Full of warmth and wisdom, The Council of Dads is a singular story that offers lessons for us all—helping us draw closer to our friends, be more resourceful as parents, and celebrate what's important in our lives.

NBC News correspondent Betty Rollin, glamorous, successful, and happily married, had it all -- and then she learned that she had a malignant tumor in her breast. Written with wit, warmth, and soul searching honesty, First, You Cry is the inspiring, true story about how one woman transformed the most terrifying ordeal of her life into a new beginning. Now with a new introduction and epilogue, this unique memoir serves as a fascinating retrospective of the twenty-five years since Rollin's first mastectomy and, given the continuing threat of breast cancer, tells a story that will inform all women as it touches them with its honesty and even, humor.

"Conservative legend David Horowitz opens up about his storied personal life and remarkable family. Now 75 years old, Horowitz reflects on the good and bad fortune that has touched his life and muses philosophically about love, happiness, and his own mortality. "--

"One hot midsummer morning, crime novelist Howard Engel picked up his newspaper from his front step and discovered he could no longer read it. The letters had mysteriously jumbled themselves into something that looked like Cyrillic one moment and Korean the next. While he slept, Engel had experienced a stroke and now suffered from a rare condition called alexia sine agraphia, meaning that while he could still write, he could no longer read"--Jacket flap.

In this dual autobiography, father and son discuss their war experiences in Vietnam, how the tragedy of cancer--caused by exposure to Agent Orange--has affected their lives, and how their courage and love for each other helps them with their struggle.

From the legendary producer and author of The Kid Stays in the Picture—one of the greatest Hollywood memoirs ever written—comes a long-awaited second work with all the elements of a star-studded blockbuster: glamour and conflict, giddy highs and near-fatal lows, struggle and perseverance, tragedy and triumph.

A New York Times Bestseller! Just weeks before her wedding, four of Rachelle Friedman's friends threw her a bachelorette party. At the end of a perfect evening of dancing and celebration, they decided to take a moonlight swim. One of her friends playfully pushed her into the water . . . two feet too far from the deep end. That chilling moment changed their lives forever. Rachelle broke her neck and was paralyzed from the chest down. She would never walk again. The Promise is a powerful memoir of resilience, love, and loyalty. On the night of the accident, the five girls made an unspoken agreement to never reveal the name of the friend who had pushed Rachelle into the pool—and their bond has remained unbroken. As Rachelle undergoes a physical battle for her life, her friend struggles emotionally to prevent one moment in time from defining her forever. It's the story of true integrity; it's also about finding the incredible strength inside each of us we never knew we had. Also a love story, The Promise chronicles Rachelle and Chris's relationship, their struggle with her paralysis and rehab, the physical challenges of intimacy, and ultimately, their fairy-tale wedding.

Shortly before his 44th birthday, John Diamond received a call from the doctor who had removed a lump from his neck. Having been assured for the previous 2 years that this was a benign cyst, Diamond was told that it was, in fact, cancerous. Suddenly, this man who'd until this point been one of the world's greatest hypochondriacs, was genuinely faced with mortality. And what he saw scared the wits out of him. Out of necessity, he wrote about his feelings in his TIMES column and the response was staggering. Mailbag followed Diamond's story of life with, and without, a lump - the humiliations, the ridiculous bits, the funny bits, the tearful bits. It's compelling, profound, witty, in the mould of THE DIVING BELL & THE BUTTERFLY.

Journalist Dina Rabinovitch had just turned 40 when was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2004. At that point she didn't know a thing about the disease. By the time of her death in autumn 2007, she was an expert. Her experience of the condition and its treatment, from diagnosis through mastectomy to remission and reoccurrence is recounted in this down-to-earth memoir, covering everything from trialling the last anti-cancer drugs to what to wear that's stylish after surgery. Warm, lively, at times irreverent, Rabinovitch's brave story of juggling a hectic career and a large, extended family while living - and dying - with cancer is essential reading.

"Allen Shawn is afraid of heights, water, fields, parking lots, tunnels, and unknown roads. He avoids subways, elevators, and bridges. He is afraid of both closed and open spaces and of any form of isolation--yet this is a memoir of enormous bravery. He is the son of New Yorker editor William Shawn and brother to playwright/actor Wallace Shawn. His twin sister is autistic. His father led a double life that introduced strict taboos to his household. Shawn examines these influences, his father's and mother's phobias, and his own struggle with agoraphobia with generosity, wit, and insight, interwoven with both Freudian psychology and cutting-edge brain research, attempting to decipher the psychological and biological puzzles that have plagued him for so long

The father of the young actor best known for his performances in "Deadwood" describes his son's congenital heart defect, the young man's theatrical achievements, and the family's effort to find life-saving medical answers.