The Emperor of All Maladies

The Emperor of All Maladies (2010) by Siddhartha Mukherjee. The subtitle of this book is "A Biography of Cancer," and that is what Mukherjee has attempted. Sometimes in exhaustive detail, he traces the history of cancer in human affairs, back to the earliest known cases and forward to the latest in treatment protocols. It can't be said that this book is a joy to read; at times it is a chore. The author goes into in-depth descriptions of many of the eddies and blind alleys that doctors have pursued in their attempts to fight the dread disease. He is careful, however, to keep his discussions always within range of the intelligent layman's understanding. For this he deserves credit. When I finished this book, I felt like I had accomplished something. If I ever get cancer, I'll feel better informed than I would have otherwise. It is not, however, a fun book. Grade: B+