mkinne's review against another edition
5.0
This book won a Pulitzer for a reason: it is an excellent read about the history and treatment of cancer, with anecdotes from the author's practice (he's an oncologist) sprinkled throughout. It is very well written and accessible to a layperson (and even engaging!) while remaining accurate and is fairly comprehensive, with Mukherjee acknowledging where he sacrificed detail or narrative paths he did not follow and why he chose not to follow them. I admit I got bogged down somewhere in the middle with discussion of the politics & studies that happened 60s and 70s (entirely my fault - twitter & Facebook have shortened my reading attention span considerably & I'm actively trying to read more books to combat that). But I'm glad that I persevered because Mukherjee does cover more recent advancements in cancer research and predicts where treatment is headed.
When my Dad was diagnosed with and died of pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2008, Randy Pausch, a professor at my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon, was succumbing to the same disease. Everyone and my brother told me to read or listen to his Last Lecture. (Patrick Swayze was also battling pancreatic cancer - both men received their diagnosis earlier than my Dad and both outlived him.) I could not - and still have not - watched or read the Last Lecture. But a book with actual scientific information about cancer? This I can handle.
When my Dad was diagnosed with and died of pancreatic cancer in the spring of 2008, Randy Pausch, a professor at my alma mater, Carnegie Mellon, was succumbing to the same disease. Everyone and my brother told me to read or listen to his Last Lecture. (Patrick Swayze was also battling pancreatic cancer - both men received their diagnosis earlier than my Dad and both outlived him.) I could not - and still have not - watched or read the Last Lecture. But a book with actual scientific information about cancer? This I can handle.
boomerdell's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
hgranger's review against another edition
3.0
I tried to finish this book twice, but there is just so much information and I finally had to admit it was simply too comprehensive for me. Cancer is a terrifying and diverse group of body invaders and I learned a lot. The historic (anthropological) evidence of cancer through the ages was fascinating, and the research journey is inspiring. The book is well-written and I honestly don’t even see where the author could have cut anything out since he set out to write a biography of cancer, but it did feel wordy and unfortunately boring at times. Perhaps more personal stories interspersed with the research information— those were definitely bright spots in the book. Or maybe just a few fewer details about the nitty grittys of research, but like mentioned, I wouldn’t even know what to cut out. So conclusion is, too long for me but a very comprehensive biography of this terrifying/ fascinating disease family that we still don’t understand completely - although so much progress has been made and there is definitely hope to be found.
kimjay's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
4.75
Incredibly written and detailed - from the history of treatment, an evolution in how we understand the disease itself, to interweaving stories of real patients, I was constantly amazed at how many topics are woven together into this book.
ikon_biotin_jungle_lumen's review against another edition
5.0
I began reading this book exactly one week before I was made aware that a family member was dying from brain cancer. What began as a semi-abstract exercise become suddenly that much more personal. Even before that revelation, I felt that this would be a life changing read. The Emperor of All Maladies is a deeply uplifting and fascinatingly informative work, one which I am sure I will return to more than once.
Within these pages, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee achieved something truly remarkable. As David Rieff said, it is “that rarest of things—a noble book.” Cancer is a subject which any author should approach with fear and trembling. It spans all of recorded human history and affects every living person, whether directly or indirectly. The Emperor of All Maladies is not a morality tale, but a mortality tale. The subject matter is handled with deep human compassion, searing clarity, artful metaphor, and—most importantly—layman-interpretable data. Every person who lives long enough will be forced to ask himself, “what if it comes for me?” In the grip of that terrifying question, I would commend this book to every living person.
I’m frankly astounded, and not a little moved, by both the perfect tactfulness and cogent scientific accuracy in these pages. How does one go about telling his reader that, by the odds, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be embattled by cancer at some point in their lives? Despite this, there was not a single point in time during my reading that I felt fear at that thought. This is partially due to my worldview which provides both peace and eternal hope, but also largely due to Mukherjee’s skillful hand. This is a man who cares deeply for his patients (as a practicing oncologist) and for all of humanity afflicted by the emperor of all maladies. He artfully weaves a story of human and medical history going hand in hand.
The book’s subtitle, “a biography of cancer,” puts a thought-provoking context on the disease—how does it compare to a human life? Cancer is “a distorted and virulent version of ourselves,” the mania of cells which know neither when to die nor when to stop reproducing. It grows, it adapts, it hides, it multiplies, it fights back. When was it born, and when, so we hope, will it die?
Within these pages, Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee achieved something truly remarkable. As David Rieff said, it is “that rarest of things—a noble book.” Cancer is a subject which any author should approach with fear and trembling. It spans all of recorded human history and affects every living person, whether directly or indirectly. The Emperor of All Maladies is not a morality tale, but a mortality tale. The subject matter is handled with deep human compassion, searing clarity, artful metaphor, and—most importantly—layman-interpretable data. Every person who lives long enough will be forced to ask himself, “what if it comes for me?” In the grip of that terrifying question, I would commend this book to every living person.
I’m frankly astounded, and not a little moved, by both the perfect tactfulness and cogent scientific accuracy in these pages. How does one go about telling his reader that, by the odds, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be embattled by cancer at some point in their lives? Despite this, there was not a single point in time during my reading that I felt fear at that thought. This is partially due to my worldview which provides both peace and eternal hope, but also largely due to Mukherjee’s skillful hand. This is a man who cares deeply for his patients (as a practicing oncologist) and for all of humanity afflicted by the emperor of all maladies. He artfully weaves a story of human and medical history going hand in hand.
The book’s subtitle, “a biography of cancer,” puts a thought-provoking context on the disease—how does it compare to a human life? Cancer is “a distorted and virulent version of ourselves,” the mania of cells which know neither when to die nor when to stop reproducing. It grows, it adapts, it hides, it multiplies, it fights back. When was it born, and when, so we hope, will it die?
guilhermedla's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
alfaabame's review against another edition
5.0
Such a beautifully written book detailing the history of cancer and how we reached the current medical advancements that once seemed surreal.
jbmorgan86's review against another edition
5.0
I've been reading this book off and on for months. Though it was often difficult to get through, it was the most informative and one of the most interesting non-fiction books I've ever read. Its no wonder that it won a Pulitzer!
Essentially, the author states that the more he struggled to fight against cancer as an oncologist, the more it seemed like cancer was becoming personified. Therefore, this book is a "biography" of cancer. It traces the history of cancer and treatment of it from ancient times through today. There are many interesting anecdotes and facts throughout the book. The author mixes in some of his personal experiences in the cancer battle, so its not a dry encyclopedia-like reading. I'm definitely glad I picked up this book.
Essentially, the author states that the more he struggled to fight against cancer as an oncologist, the more it seemed like cancer was becoming personified. Therefore, this book is a "biography" of cancer. It traces the history of cancer and treatment of it from ancient times through today. There are many interesting anecdotes and facts throughout the book. The author mixes in some of his personal experiences in the cancer battle, so its not a dry encyclopedia-like reading. I'm definitely glad I picked up this book.