Siddhartha Mukherjee: The emperor of all diseases. A biography of cancer.

Original title: *The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer* Author: Siddhartha Mukherjee Year of first publication: 2010 Genre: Nonfiction Description: *The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer* is a book by American oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee. The title perfectly captures what we will learn from it. It contains a detailed history of the fight against a disease that, for many, is tantamount to a death sentence. Born in India, the author won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for this book. With true journalistic precision, the author describes the history of the fight against the disease, beginning with its identification by Imhotep and ending with modern advances in oncology. He devotes particular attention to figures such as Sidney Farber and Mary Lasker, as well as others involved in the “war on cancer.” Muhkerjee, who is both a clinician and a researcher, examines this conflict from many different perspectives: that of the scientist, the clinical oncologist, patients and their families, as well as politicians and lobbyists. The language he uses is simple and accessible to everyone, making the book appealing not only to those in the medical field but also to others—it reads like a brilliantly written thriller. What makes it unique is that, in addition to the titular biography of cancer, the author also presents the stories of many people—those who lost their battle with it, as well as those who managed to win. It is a book worth recommending to everyone, especially medical students.