In 1951, one woman's unwilling contribution to medical science ushered in a new era of research and changed countless lives for the better. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot uncovers the woman who made such an impact on medicine, but went unknown for decades. Until Skloot's book revealed her, many only knew … Continue reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks: A Review
When important movements have broad applications, it can be difficult to craft condense, pro-position arguments. That's where We Should All Be Feminists comes in. At just 48 pages, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's essay on the ubiquitous necessity of the women's movement is a defense concise enough to slide into anyone's hand. It's difficult to understate the … Continue reading We Should All Be Feminists: A Review
Hidden away for decades, Rosemary Kennedy has become a symbol for WASP-y secrets, inspiration porn, gender equity, and disability studies. In Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter, Kate Clifford Larson lays out the series of events that led up to her fateful operation and later death, set against the backdrop of American politics and Camelot's myriad … Continue reading Rosemary: A Review
North Korea has built a nigh-impenetrable facade. Those who manage to gain access tell the same tale, in which they are escorted around Pyongyang to churches, stores, restaurants, and landmarks populated with state-employed actors. If you were ever curious about what goes on behind these scenes, look no further than Barbara Demick's Nothing to Envy: … Continue reading Nothing to Envy: A Review
In the early 2010s, Korean-American journalist Suki Kim taught English at North Korea's Pyongyang University of Science and Technology. In Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea's Elite, Kim recalls the events of those few months. The story is incredible. For more than 70 years, while its southern … Continue reading Without You, There Is No Us: A Review