Reviews - El Emperador de Todos Los Males / The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

1.97k reviews for:

El Emperador de Todos Los Males / The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

A formally ambitious overview of a subject of which our understanding is constantly evolving. It’s such a high-difficulty undertaking I have to give it five stars. I don’t know that I found it all that clarifying or reassuring as a reader though. Just sort of fascinating.

drjeniferj's review against another edition

5.0

Simply amazing. How beautiful of a writer do you have to be to make "the biography of cancer" not only a page-turner, but understandable no less? A long book, weaving past, present, and future seamlessly. I am in awe. It will be six days overdue at the library, and more than worth every penny.

squidoozie's review against another edition

5.0

emotional funny informative reflective sad

whew. ok:

heavy subject matter, treated with immense respect. this is a combination of reference/information and personal stories; that keeps the book engaging. i found the science very accessible, despite how comprehensive the book is. meanwhile, i think this is the most i’ve ever cried at a nonfiction book.

specifically, the narrative on pg 444, as well the kid mailing $1 in an envelope addressed “to jimmy”.

i started this book in fall 2024; i put it down feb. 2025; i picked it back up june 2025. i considered returning it to the library at many points, but always reconsidered. i found the writing style’s sensitivity important to me continuing the book. tackling a heavy subject matter over of the course of a lot of pages/time, sitting with this book was sometimes challenging, but not overwhelmingly so, because of the author’s experience, sensitivity, and meaningful writing.

i think the most challenging part of this book was knowing when to take breaks from it. i always put it down when i felt like it was affecting me negatively—instead of feeling like learning. however, upon picking it back up, and eventually finishing it, i think experiencing the reading is more about personal state-of-mind than the book itself, which is excellent: artful, informative, and thorough in discussing cancer.
it makes me feel a little better to have learned a little more.

i love you makenna and a.

katmartin01's review against another edition

3.5

informative slow-paced

nachkal's review against another edition

5.0

نزدیک به دو ساله که یکی از موضوعات مورد علاقه‌م برای پژوهش حیطه‌ی زیست‌شناسی مرتبط با سرطانه. این پنج شش ماه هم درگیر یک کار پژوهشی در زمینه‌ی سرطان پانکراس بودم. درهمین‌بین به صورت اتفاقی با این کتاب آشنا شدم و خوندن این کتاب با کارهام همزمان شد.. به‌صورت‌کلی این مدل روایت از تاریخ علم و خصوصاً تاریخ علوم زیست‌پزشکی برام جذابیت خاصی داره، خصوصاً اینکه این روایت با شکلی از روزمره‌ی خود نویسنده به عنوان یک پزشک هم همراه شده بود. شاید اگر محدودیت وقت جلوم رو نمی‌گرفت کل کتاب رو تو چند روز پشت سر هم می‌خوندم. :" گذر از همه‌ی این موضوعات قسمتی از روایت شخصی نویسنده هم برام جالب بود؛ اونجایی که خودش رو در کنار پزشک بودن یک پژوهشگر معرفی می‌کنه که دوست داره قسمتی از وقتش توی Lab و با سر و کله زدن با علوم پایه‌ی زیست‌پزشکی بگذره در کنار فعالیت‌های بالینیش. و چقدر هم من حس مشترکی باهاش دارم در این زمینه.