The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

Popular science (or nonfiction) has become a genre, probably the most popular these days. See the best-sellers newspaper lists or the desks of any major bookshop and those will be plagued with the new form of nonfiction. Where before we were offered "how to guides" (how to get rich, thin, a better lover or parent) now we have perhaps better choices in the form of studies on almost everything: types of personalities, control of habits, approaches to group sociology, etc. etc. This is a healthy field, but marred recently by superficial books.This "Emperor of all Maladies", most thankfully, stays at a safe distance of this recent trend of simple and/or rushed books and is already a canonical and exemplary nonfiction treaty of one of the fiercest and more devastating of maladies. It is superb.Everything works in this volume, because the author is an eminency in his field, but he is never patronizing or condescending. He never writes as from a pulpit nor tries to impress the reader with his obviously vast knowledge of the matter at hand. Importantly, Mr Mukherjee never (not once) falls for easy sentimentalism or tries to engage through pity - and falling for this would be easy in a book about cancer. The reader feels at all times that the author is a mere guide with an authoritative voice. And yet some moments do provoke the reader to cringe, almost to suffer: the patient that consols the doctor when all the options for a cure are exhausted; the process of dealing with the empty beds in a children's ward, among others, are parts hard to finish.The prose is at all times pitch-perfect and never falters, even in a 400-plus science book. The voice of the author, and its language, are always clear, personal and sober.The book works also at another level, that of the politics of tackling such a disease. The right way to fight the malady or how to fund the enormous efforts to do so, become long and vapid discussions between bureaucrats and, at points, decades are lost because of lack of focus, pure greed or pettiness. The science is there - since the Egyptians, who spotted the malady yet reached, in 2600 BC !, a shocking conclusion: "Cure? None".This is a very good book that has already raised the bar of nonfiction.

This is probably the best piece of science writing I have ever read. Indeed, what makes it so impressive is its combination of scientific clarity with a most unusual degree of understanding of the human and social dimensions of the story. The writing is intelligent, lucid, and sympathetic, marked by an uncommon ability to convey complex phenomena in a meaningful and comprehensible way.The author's historical approach works wonderfully well, chronicling the development of both understanding of cancer (mostly the realm of scientists) and treatment of cancer (largely the realm of doctors). The book is long, as it had to be given the complexity of the tale, but I found it almost compulsive reading and difficult to put down. The author is clear-sighted and objective in his treatment of the people who played key medical, scientific, political, and advocacy roles in the past 60 years, considering them and their activities - and their successes and failures - objectively and with a fine sense of how they struggled to deal with this brutal, often mysterious, and always frustrating disease. This telling of the human story is strengthened further by his inclusion of cancer sufferers and their experiences, not for pathos or shock effect but to provide an essential additional dimension.This is a book from which I have learned a great deal, not only about cancer and how we have come to better understand it and deal with it, but also about how science and medicine function in the real world. I recommend this book whole-heartedly.

Very well writen and interesting book. Can only recommend this book.It very nicely explains the development of cancer care (in a clinical sense) and cancer research over the centuries. I liked that it also highlighted quite clearly all the failures and detours oncologists and scientists made over the years to finally arrive where we are today.Also well understandable for anyone not in the field. I would have liked a few more pictures around the cell structure to help with understanding.Small shortcoming of the paperback version (hence only 4 points): The letter size is a felt size 7. It would have been benficial to add a couple more pages and have larger lettering.

Good book worth reading who are interested in knowing cancer medical history

I was looking for some scientific information about cancer, and I stumbled upon this book. I was expecting a somewhat boring chronology of cancer research; I couldn't have been more wrong.The author makes a wonderful job in selecting stories and "storylines", and telling them in an enjoyable style (a well-deserved Pulitzer). You will travel through history and follow the fall of the humoral theory, the rise (and fall) of radical surgery, the rise (and fall) of radical chemotherapy, and the rise of the genetic theory of cancer.It turns out that following the evolution of the scientific understanding of cancer is the best way to learn about it. In addition to cancer itself, the book teaches much about science going wrong: scientific communities following dogmas and being blind to evidence against them; a premature all in battle against cancer (lacking mechanistic understandings); fabrication of data; politics and corporations hampering scientific research; the loss of connection between doctors and patients.A highly suggested read, although the book is slightly outdated now.

Es un gran libro para entender la historia de cómo hemos entendido y tratado está terrible enfermedad. También nos presenta el estado actual de la lucha contra el cáncer y el posible futuro. Muy bien escrito no por nada ganó el Pulitzer en 2011.

I liked this book very much. Despite the very tough and sensible subject, it is a compelling narration. Of course it shows the point of view of the author, but it is extremely convincing and made me understand much. For example, it makes it very clear that the real heroes of the war against cancer are the patients, men, women, children, all the suffering people. Every single little step forward defeat of the malady is their victory. The science is simplified, but accurate; at the end, one gets the feeling that cancer is a complicate monster, much more complicate than expected, and will require still more skill and struggle.Quite demanding read, but necessary, I recommend this book, it can, and should, be read by many.

Perfect for high school and undergrad students who are looking for a good read or insight into the field