I listened to this book while alternating with reading it. For a non-medical person I found the detail to be overwhelming. The names seemed to all get jumbled up after a while. I found it very difficult to follow. I believe this was written for those who already have some knowledge of the history of cancer research because otherwise it is just too much to swallow. I found my mind wandering frequently and it was an effort and a relief to get through it.

I heard the reviews and now after reading this book I have to say they were right. This is a very good read. Really enjoyed this book.

THE PATIENTS, THE DOCTORS, AND THE SCIENTIST ARE THE FRONT LINE WARRIORS BUT THE DEPTH OF OTHER LIKELY AND UNLIKELY FIGHTERS BEGINS WITH EGYPTIAN MUMMIES. BATTLES CONTINUE ON MANY FRONTS. EACH IS DEFINED WITH MATICULOUS AND UNDERSTANDABLE DETAIL. CANCER IS A PART OF OUR NATURE. WE WILL WIN SOME AND LOSE SOME.

This is a wonderfully written and engaging book, which covers vast ground in the field of cancer research and treatment. A must read for anyone interested in understanding the history and politics of the medical system and what the medical professionals and patients go through to make advances in the "cure." It is a difficult read, at times, and very emotional, and well worth the effort and time to appreciate the complexities of medicine both in the past and in current history. I found this book quite fascinating and helpful. Highly recommend.

From the beginning chapter, I was hooked. Mukherjee leads us through the history of cancer understanding and cancer treatment and does so in such a way that is mesmerizing. I'm a healthcare professional and many of the important physicians are familiar from my studies, but their journey in attempting to conquer cancer is largely untold until now. I hated for the book to end and have recommended it to all my colleagues who practice in oncology.

This is an extremely interesting book that I highly recommend. Parts of it are very technical, which is appropriate for the subject. If you are interested in medical history, I recommend you also listen to Splendid Solution and The Demon Under the Microscope.

Dr. Mukherjee has an outstanding grasp of the English language and writes in a way that is both scientifically deep but imminently approachable and personal. His stories of the founders of chemotherapy and the happenstance nature of discovery are electrifying. As a radiologist, this book has renewed my interest in the field of oncology and increased my knowledge of the action and significance of modern chemotherapy. Thank you Dr. M!

This is a superb presentation of the "facts" moving the cancer research world. Rich in detail and description, it explains clearly what is happening in the field and provides a frame of reference for the progress which has been achieved. It lets you know what's going on "under the hood."

If you want cancer generalities, read Lance Armstrong's IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE. If you want detail, read this one. Individually, they are each GREAT. Together, the combination is DYNAMITE.

The reader does an excellent job on this very fine work of literature. I started reading the paper copy, but enjoyed the narration better. Dr. Mukherjee should be in line for a Pulitzer Prize for this timely book about a raging epidemic.

I found Siddhartha Mukherjee's writing so poetic and compelling that I had trouble telling when his preface quotes ended and when his chapters began. I'll confess though that I lost steam when he launched into the section on cancer cell biology. I have a background in healthcare operations, so while I can lap up History of Science writing like water in the desert, the sections on oncogenesis left me dry.

Still, the fact that Dr. Mukherjee is a brilliant physician AND writes soul-shatteringly beautiful prose strikes me as one of those strange (unfair) lumping of talent onto a single being. Like, Tom Brady being gorgeous AND a great quarterback.