Wisconsin Idea
Go Big Read, UW–Madison’s common reading program, got off to a vigorous start this fall. More than 5,000 copies of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, were given away in September at the Chancellor’s Convocation for New Students. In addition, all students in participating classes received complimentary books. The book has proven valuable in classrooms across the campus; it was used in 53 courses during the fall semester, from Afro-American studies and history to plant pathology and sociology. This semester, 21 courses are participating in the program, including a course in kinesiology, where the discussion will look at cultural barriers in access to the health care system.
Following upon the success of an “Evening with Rebecca Skloot,” held at the Kohl Center in October, Go Big Read events for the spring semester include a lecture in March by Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates, and a day of panels and discussions at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery in April.
“There is lots of excitement about the book,” says Jeanine Mount, associate dean of Academic Affairs at the School of Pharmacy. “There is so much in it: culture, race, health disparities, doing science, research and ethics.”
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was named a Notable Book for 2010 by the New York Times and the Best Book of 2010 by Amazon.com.
For more about Go Big Read activities on campus, visit www.gobigread.wisc.edu.