The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is one I find intriguing...Henrietta Lacks was a poor Southern tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without her knowledge and used for medical research. In fact, sixty years after her death, Henrietta's cells are still alive today as they were the first "immoratal" human cells grown in culture. Her cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine, cancer and virus research, and led to important advances in cloning, in virtro fertilization, and gene mapping - all unbeknownst to Henrietta's family, which violates all sorts of ethical and informed consent practices.
Definitely one on Mrs. Fournier's to-be-read list!