This landmark book is an all-encompassing, vividly presented, and deeply grounded scientific history of the relationship between humankind and cancer—against the backdrop of personal stories of war with the “king of all diseases.” Guiding the reader through changing perceptions of this illness across different eras, methods of treatment, milestones in understanding its mechanisms, and conflicts of interest surrounding it, the author reveals the reasons for the limited success in conquering it and outlines realistic contours of coexisting with it in the future.
Against the age-old dreams of a magical cancer pill stands an enemy so cunning because it resembles, in its biological perfection, distorted reflections of ourselves.