This highly acclaimed work (winning a Pulitzer Prize) deserves every one of its adulations. It is not only personal, erudite, and interesting; it is also inspiring and well-written.
Mukherjee attempts to present “a biography of cancer,” starting from its first mention in the historical record (a Queen of Persia). A practicing oncologist, he also ties in patient stories to advance the narrative in appropriate places.
Generally, he tells the tale of how humanity and science has wrestled with cancer over the past several millennia. Obviously, he pays special attention to the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as this is where most of the action lies. In truth, with infectious diseases well countered with antibiotics and vaccines, cancer looms as one of humanity’s greatest menaces. And as Mukherjee admits, cancer has indisputably won the war thus far.
He does provide hope because research has provided much insight in the last thirty-or-so years. With an acumen as only a practicing physician can offer, he summarizes the progress of research with personal insights and stories. He divulges the basis for cancer in DNA and what this insight provides in terms of therapy. While doing all this, Mukherjee maintains a basic narrative with the skill of a studied historian. This is a great work to read for anyone interested in healthcare and medicine.
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Copyright (c) 2010
ISBN13 9781439107959
Page Count: 571
Genre: Non-Fiction, History of Disease
www.amazon.com