The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of CancerThe Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
Score Modern
What it's about
Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist, set out to answer a patient's question: what exactly is she fighting? The result is a "biography" of cancer, from a description in an ancient Egyptian papyrus, through the brutal radical surgeries of the early 1900s, the first chemotherapy for childhood leukemia, the long fight against tobacco and the 1970s "war on cancer", to today's targeted drugs. Along the way he follows the doctors, patients and activists behind each breakthrough, and his own patients during his training.
Why it's worth reading
It turns a frightening subject into a thrilling story of brilliant, stubborn people, and it explains the science so clearly that you'll actually understand how cancer works. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
You'll love it if you liked
The Making of the Atomic Bomb
The Code Breaker
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert OppenheimerGood to know
It's long but broken into short sections, so it's easy to read in pieces. If cancer has touched your life, some chapters will be hard, and many readers say it also brought them understanding.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics98 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #1 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #1 of the 198 history books we rank
- #5 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #13 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
More by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Quick answers
Is The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer worth reading?
Yes. It turns a frightening subject into a thrilling story of brilliant, stubborn people, and it explains the science so clearly that you'll actually understand how cancer works. It ranks #13 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 93.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer about?
Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist, set out to answer a patient's question: what exactly is she fighting? The result is a "biography" of cancer, from a description in an ancient Egyptian papyrus, through the brutal radical surgeries of the early 1900s, the first chemotherapy for childhood leukemia, the long fight against tobacco and the 1970s "war on cancer", to today's targeted drugs. Along the way he follows the doctors, patients and activists behind each breakthrough, and his own patients during his training.
How long does it take to read The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer?
About 14 hours (571 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer won?
Pulitzer Prize (General Nonfiction) winner (2011).
What should I read after The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer?
If you liked it, try The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes, The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson or American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin.