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stephaniesteen73's review against another edition
5.0
Highly recommend this book...very engaging even for a "non-science" person like myself. Great writing, absorbing narrative. The parts with the patient stories are the absolute best, and are mixed in to keep the narrative fresh. Glad there are committed oncology researchers and doctors out there but it is crazy how much still needs to be understood.
itsmelaurenc's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
hannahboice's review against another edition
5.0
This is my first time reading it in the audiobook version and it’s just as good as reading it the first time
neledoro's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
nmupp1324's review against another edition
5.0
10/10
This book is so masterfully written! I wish he went a little more in depth about the current research of cancer prevention. His other two books are just as good, but this one takes the cake for sure. It interweaved history and biology in a really interesting way that made all the information more memorable. There was so much information, I think I'm going to come back to reread this in the future. Him adding stories about his patients was so touching. Can't wait for another book from him.
This book is so masterfully written! I wish he went a little more in depth about the current research of cancer prevention. His other two books are just as good, but this one takes the cake for sure. It interweaved history and biology in a really interesting way that made all the information more memorable. There was so much information, I think I'm going to come back to reread this in the future. Him adding stories about his patients was so touching. Can't wait for another book from him.
bozonbozonski's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
gadicohen93's review against another edition
4.0
Hmm. My friend told me earlier today that I wasn't gonna like Don Delillo because he was "more style than substance," or something like that. I can honestly say that I took one star off this book because it was more substance than style.
What I mean is, I liked this book a whole lot. Information frothed over the top of pages like high tide; I learned so much. I understood almost everything. The humanity of it all really burst through. But I also zoned out some parts of the book, mostly because the writing was so clear, so straightforward, that I just got lost in the history and the science and couldn’t help but gaze down at the page numbers, flip through to see when the next chapter was coming up, then return wearily to the passage I’d found a tad tiresome.
The writing was so clear. It was too clear. The author (who I must say is some divine all-powerful creature, regardless of my momentary criticism) took the tons of research he’d complied and fitted it into a writing canvas that riveted at times, but also seemed repetitive at others. I can’t really blame him that much though, because the history of cancer IS quite repetitive: Scientist sees cancer, scientist studies cancer, scientist thinks of solution, scientist experiments with solution, solution becomes universal, etc. Obviously with some exceptions.
I loved the human anecdotes sprayed throughout. I loved the ending. I loved the tone. This book is so important. I’m basically bound to get cancer someday, I think, with my family history, my perpetual sunburns, my Ashkenazi Jewness. I remember I used to fret about the disease back in middle school ever since this boy a grade above me died from brain cancer. The thought of it haunted me for a while, and there was a period where I’d just walk up to my mom and tell her I felt scared. At least now I know that cancer is not entirely a mystery, and that we’re on the road to uncover the part that remains so.
What I mean is, I liked this book a whole lot. Information frothed over the top of pages like high tide; I learned so much. I understood almost everything. The humanity of it all really burst through. But I also zoned out some parts of the book, mostly because the writing was so clear, so straightforward, that I just got lost in the history and the science and couldn’t help but gaze down at the page numbers, flip through to see when the next chapter was coming up, then return wearily to the passage I’d found a tad tiresome.
The writing was so clear. It was too clear. The author (who I must say is some divine all-powerful creature, regardless of my momentary criticism) took the tons of research he’d complied and fitted it into a writing canvas that riveted at times, but also seemed repetitive at others. I can’t really blame him that much though, because the history of cancer IS quite repetitive: Scientist sees cancer, scientist studies cancer, scientist thinks of solution, scientist experiments with solution, solution becomes universal, etc. Obviously with some exceptions.
I loved the human anecdotes sprayed throughout. I loved the ending. I loved the tone. This book is so important. I’m basically bound to get cancer someday, I think, with my family history, my perpetual sunburns, my Ashkenazi Jewness. I remember I used to fret about the disease back in middle school ever since this boy a grade above me died from brain cancer. The thought of it haunted me for a while, and there was a period where I’d just walk up to my mom and tell her I felt scared. At least now I know that cancer is not entirely a mystery, and that we’re on the road to uncover the part that remains so.