Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


If our mother cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can’t afford to see no doctors?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

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I’ll start with the bottom line: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve read in years. Author Rebecca Skloot not only explains the science in a compelling, accessible manner, she also explores the ethics of the medical research and devotes at least half the book to the people that were touched by Henrietta Lacks and her legacy. Five enthusiastic stars! It’s hard to say where this story “begins,” because it really depends on whether you are talking about […]

Worth it for the illustrations alone, but there is SO MUCH more here.

This Book Will Make You Kinder: An Empathy Handbook by Henry James Garrett

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Embarking on reading This Book Will Make You Kinder I knew extraordinarily little. I could not say I was familiar with its author and illustrator, Henry James Garrett although his visual work is what he is most known for. I had spotted ASKReview’s review (which must be how it ended up on my to read list), but that was pretty much it. But at some point this winter, I plunked it on my library requests list without too much thought other than, I could, in […]

new aspirational character alert: mad catlady with speedboat and collection of vintage pornography

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

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…and yes, she drives that boat too fast and befriends a robot! What else could I need? Once again, I am utterly in love with the newest Becky Chambers. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, a much awaited sequel to A Psalm for the Wild-Built, was calling my name from the second that I finished the first entry. I always need to point this out, but if this isn’t the place to do then what is; I would not have found myself in the cozy companionship […]

Fine-Ish

The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions by Susan Liautaud

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Best for: People looking for some conversation-starting ethical starting points. In a nutshell: Ethics professional Liautaud explores a bunch of questions and what the ‘right’ thing might be to do in each. Worth quoting: “So I try my best to be careful about making choices that affect the people who will be living with them.” Why I chose it: I like accessible pop philosophy books. Review: And yet … I need to stop buying pop philosophy books. I’m almost always disappointed. (Except How to Be […]

The Echo Wife: Come for the thriller, stay for the ethical quandaries

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey

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I came to this novel for a domestic thriller, and I left with thoughts about science, ethics, and the nature of humanity and personhood.  Evelyn is a world-renowned scientist known for her work with clones. She’s developed a process by which you can have a fully developed adult quote cumin within about a little over three months. She’s kind of a big deal – winning awards and making waves in the scientific communities.  Personally, her life is a bit of a mess. She’s estranged from […]

Is It Really So Wrong?

Cheating: Ethics in Everyday Life by Deborah L. Rhode

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Best for: People who enjoy the academic rigor of a peer-reviewed book, but actually want to enjoy reading said book. Also, people who find the idea of cheating (in all its forms) fascinating. In a nutshell: Law professor and legal ethicist Rhode examines why people cheat, and what society can do to mitigate those tendencies. Worth quoting: “Totally honest, incorruptible people constitute about 10 percent of the population. Totally dishonest people who will cheat in a wide variety of situations account for about 5 percent. […]



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