O imperador de todos os males

Uma biografia do câncer

Paperback, 648 pages

Portuguese language

Published July 29, 2012 by Companhia das Letras.

ISBN:
978-85-359-2006-2
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5 stars (2 reviews)

Em 2010, mais de 7 milhões de pessoas morreram de câncer em todo o mundo. Nos Estados Unidos, uma de três mulheres e um de dois homens desenvolverão essa doença durante a vida. Em alguns países, o câncer será a causa de morte mais comum, superando as doenças coronarianas. Mas, afinal, o que é essa doença? “Quem” é o câncer? O primeiro registro da doença é um papiro egípcio do século VII a.C. No entanto, são raras as referências ao câncer antes do século XIX, já que as pessoas morriam de flagelos para os quais existe tratamento hoje, como tuberculose, cólera, varíola, peste ou pneumonia. Com o prolongamento da vida humana, o câncer foi levado para o primeiro plano, tornando-se a doença mais temerosa da civilização moderna, o que justificou, na segunda metade do século XX, a intensificação da batalha épica da medicina contra um mal cuja causa era desconhecida. …

21 editions

The Perfect Guide to your Altered Self

5 stars

This is the book that made me realize I wanted to practice medicine.

I was handed this book in my senior year of high school by the veterinarian I shadowed at the time after expressing interest into the pathology of cancer. He had told me that this book would change the way I see the body, and he was absolutely correct. Mukherjee covers the difficult concept of cancer with dignity and a vast respect for those who have suffered under its weight. It was the ways in which he described his interaction with his patients that made me realize clinical medicine was the future I desired.

Mukherjee has an excellent talent for breaking intricate topics in to digestible concepts for all to understand. You do not need a vast array of previous information to understand this book.

Years later, as I'm preparing to head off to medical school, I still …

Review of 'The Emperor of All Maladies' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I very much enjoyed reading this book as it was informative both on the level of science and the pain that cancer patients go through. I appreciated the pains the author took to track down the historical details of cancer treatment. I also liked that he does not lose sight of human suffering and hope when talking about exciting developments in science.

I can talk about minor issues with the book, like how some sections are too US-centric, and how sometimes the author tries a bit too hard to spice up the descriptions of the science and scientist. But none of the above reduces the value of the book, so I wholeheartedly recommend this book.