... in which we learn of the history of oncology.
This book was one of the most highly praised non-fiction works of 2010; it made numerous top ten lists made by respectable sources, and its author went home with the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for non fiction. As such, I went in with high expectations.
Written by a doctor who is both a practicing oncologist and a cancer researcher, the book has two separate narratives woven together. The dominant thread is the story of how scientists' understanding of cancer has evolved. Beginning with the ancient Egyptians, and moving through time all the way up to current medical practices, Mukherjee does a nice job of showing not only how oncology has evolved, but also how medicine as a whole has changed in the last 4000 years. In some parts, he focuses on the people who were behind each breakthrough or new practice, and in other parts, he focuses on the science itself. I haven't had any classes remotely resembling molecular or cell biology since I was in high school, but I found the science parts to be really clearly laid out for readers who are not biologists or doctors by training.
The second thread involves Mukherjee's own patients. Stories of them are woven into the main narrative, showing how some of them have benefited hugely from centuries of dedicated research, and how scientific knowledge has fallen short for other patients. Human anecdotes are usually easier reading than scientific history, and in this case, Mukherjee's personal recollections did a nice job of breaking up the long science passages and reminding the reader of the reason for all of the work on the part of scientists and researchers.
