Play Book Tag discussion

The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
2 stars

I wanted to love this book. I heard rave things about it. There is a crab on the front and I love crabs.

I was bored to tears.

Mukherjee is an oncologist just up the road from me at Dana Farber in Boston. He embarked on an epic endeavor to chronicle the history of cancer. It is a lot to document and the major breakthroughs were not linear, so the story is a sprawling web of medical discoveries. That is hard to write in a logical way that makes sense to the reader. He was not very successful.

The book started great. For about the first third, it was engaging, interesting, and portrayed the shocking way that cancer was treated in the not so distant past. It walked us toward the modern treatment of chemotherapy and at some point along the way it just fell apart.

I apologize to the author and to the Pulitzer committee in advance, but Mukherjee is not a good writer. He is probably an excellent medical/science writer, but he is not a good writer for the average reader. His sentences are overly complex, the writing is redundant, and it just wasn't engaging.

I still give this two stars for two reasons. First, there were interesting story arcs that would last 5-7 pages or so and tell a fairly self-contained vignette. Whenever I would hit one of these areas, then the reading would fly by. At least until I hit another wall. Secondly, I think it is an important book. I don't know of any other mainstream account of cancer's origins and treatment. Even if it could have been written better, at least the information is out there and readily accessible.

PBT group shelves: 2010, PBT 100 non-fiction, Shelfagories

Too bad, Nicole. I listened to the audio, but I used to work as a medical transcriptionist, so listening to all that medical jargon didn't bother me at all.
BC's review

Book Concierge wrote: "Too bad, Nicole. I listened to the audio, but I used to work as a medical transcriptionist, so listening to all that medical jargon didn't bother me at all.
BC's review"

I did not say that the medical jargon bothered me, I said that he was not a good writer. I too can follow medical jargon quite well :)

I thought the structure of his writing was horrible, overly complex like you would write in a medical journal where the longest sentences with the most punctuation-laden run-on sentences are rewarded with publications.

I wasn't clear in my post ... the lack of good writing didn't bother me on the audio so much because I was used to "hearing" these kinds of things on all those dictations ... LOL

My favorite snippet of dictation from my medical transcription days: "allergic to cats with runny nose"
So if the cats do NOT have a runny nose, the kid isn't allergic?

Totally agree with what you mean by the kind of writing that is rewarded with publication in scientific journals.

Book Concierge wrote: "My favorite snippet of dictation from my medical transcription days: "allergic to cats with runny nose"
So if the cats do NOT have a runny nose, the kid isn't allergic?..."

Hahaha! Good to know: healthy cat = no allergies ;)

Book Concierge wrote: "My favorite snippet of dictation from my medical transcription days: "allergic to cats with runny nose"
So if the cats do NOT have a runny nose, the kid isn't allergic?..."

LOL!

I also have the audio of this one but haven't listened yet.

As a cancer survivor (almost to my 5 year mark), I wasn't sure if it would be too much. However, since it's on the NF-100, it might be one that I give a listen, when I have a spare 21 hours :-D

JoLene wrote: "As a cancer survivor (almost to my 5 year mark)... ..."

Congrats on closing in on 5 years! I know that is a huge milestone and I hope it is the first 5 years of many many more!

This book is very clinical in its approach and is not overly emotional, is that makes a difference. There are a few personal stories, but even then I didn't think they were written in a way to really evoke lots of empathy. Though the stories about the kids still managed to kill me every time.

The two types of cancer that I felt were focused on most were breast cancer and leukemia/lymphoma, though others were mentioned.

Sorry if I contributed to you ending up with an unhappy read. I guess what impressed me for a high rating was the rare blend of historical and scientific perspectives. Just reading the glacially slow progress for treatment is pretty depressing even if the writing was up to the quality of his mentor Gawande.

I think another aspect that impacted me is that I have a close, extremely intelligent friend who does treatment at Dana Farber. She is probably the most knowledgeable person of her own disease that I have ever met. So, of course, when this book came out she immediately read it and then mentioned it to the doctors at Dana Farber.

There is actually a lot of controversy about the book among oncologists there. While there were impressed with the historical parts of the book, apparently there is much disagreement on how accurate some of the parts toward the end are, with some doctors saying it wasn't 100% accurate to others stating some aspects were downright fabricated.

She and I had a long talk about it, and she even asked her oncologist at her last appointment some of the questions I had and reported back! It was definitely a mixed review.

That's really interesting. I know that I did a lot of research when I was in treatment --- especially about nutrition. I also participated in several medical studies.

I think that the oncologists are so focused on the treatment and managing side effects that they don't always treat the body as a whole system. I was recommended to go to a separate nutritionist and get acupuncture, so they are starting to take a more integrated approach, but I did alot of my own research.

Nicole wrote: "So, of course, when this book came out she immediately read it and then mentioned it to the doctors at Dana Farber.

There is actually a lot of controversy about the book among oncologists there.."

Fascinating. A lot of well trained doctors at Dana Farber so have to give that some credence.

JoLene wrote: "That's really interesting. I know that I did a lot of research when I was in treatment --- especially about nutrition. I also participated in several medical studies.

I think that the oncologists ..."
I started this book because I have leukemia. I read only the parts about leukemia so I didn't put it on my shelf. I feel like I'm getting pretty good care as a whole person except that it makes me angry when they say I'm too old for a bone marrow transplant. Hillary Clinton is my age almost to the day and she's running for president, so it's not as though I'm ancient. As for nutritionists, etc. I've only had to say I'd like to talk to one, which I've done several times, and one has been called and appeared within minutes. Same for pharmacists. I've even had a pharmacist come see me several times when I've been in the infusion chair and questioned something. There's even an art therapist who comes by the infusion chairs and is available other times too.

Margarette wrote: "I started this book because I have leukemia"

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this, Margarette. But thankful you shared your first hand perspectives on your care, and that it mostly has been supportive. I hope your treatments are successful . . .hugs . . .

Anita wrote: "Margarette wrote: "I started this book because I have leukemia"

I'm so sorry to hear you are going through this, Margarette. But thankful you shared your first hand perspectives on your care, and ..."
Thank you Anita. I love hugs. I'm sending you one right back. I'm determined to be a survivor. Somebody has to be.

Margarette wrote: "I'm determined to be a survivor. Somebody has to be. "

I love your spirit!!! And I love hugs too, so thank you!! xo