Review | The Emperor of all Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

2013-04-05 · by ·

Emperor of all MaladiesIn the author’s note to The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, Siddhartha Mukherjee  notes that “Cancer is not one disease, but many diseases.” It anticipates Mukherjee’s history, a look at cancer starting in the ages and proceeding forward to the modern day. It’s a 4,000 year history, and Mukherjee tells it well.

The tale, spun almost novel-like at points, includes doctors, chemists, children, victims, and survivors, each a story in its own weaving into the greater narrative about one of the greatest diseases to ravage our race and that has eluded cure or solution.

I owe a shout out to my good cousin Adam, but for whose gift to me of the book I might not have read it. It’s a fascinating medical history, but completely accessible to the lay reader.

Attack of the Books! is participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge, a month long quest to post every day. Each day should match a letter of the alphabet. Today is the letter E.

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About Daniel

Dan Burton lives in Millcreek, Utah, where he practices law by day and everything else by night. He reads about history, politics, science, medicine, and current events, as well as more serious genres such as science fiction and fantasy.

Comments

  1. Jenny says
    2013-04-05 at 1:28 PM

    Interesting! I’ll put this one on my list. Thanks for the recommendation.

    Jenny at Choice City Native

  2. Katie says
    2013-04-05 at 3:31 PM

    This sound like an interesting book, I will look for it.
    Katie atBankerchick Scratchings

  3. Amit Agarwal says
    2014-03-14 at 9:50 AM

    I picked the book after reading the profile of the author. He did not disappoint. A story told with the objectivity of a surgeon yet sensitivity of a close friend. A person who has spent his life at war with this enigmatic and deadly disease the afflicts without discrimination and kills without conscience. At no point did the book slow down. The notes were taken to the end as is the usual norm. I was not able to go through them and that was a substantial part. Looking forward to another book by Dr. Mukherjee.

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