Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

So if you're ever going to go into labor anytime soon, and you want something that will be a conversation starter on the table beside you while the medical staff come in and out, read at least part of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot and take the book with you.

Or if you just want a good book, and you aren't going to have anything to do with labor any time soon, you can try it too.

The book is about the cells of the cancerous tumor of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot is a fine writer and fine researcher and the book is well-written, interesting, and it clips along at a nice pace.

Seriously? A book about a woman's cells?

You'll be surprised. It's pretty good.

Because these cells became the basis for heaps of medical research and breakthroughs.

I think it could also go on that ever-evasive quest for something clean enough for a church book group.

But anyway, I had this out on my hospital table during my labor/pitocin/edidural waiting game, and I had one nurse, one doctor, and at least one researcher (all women) come through before the baby was born. And each saw the book there and said, "Hey! That's a great book!" or said, "Do you like it? That's on my list."

Which made me seem like an intelligent mommy patient and we could talk about something other than the obvious.

It's always nice to appear an intelligent, rational mommy before the labor pains really hit and I'm pushing the baby out and screaming like a banshee.