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A review by socraticgadfly
The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human by Siddhartha Mukherjee
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
The writing has become more focused than in Emperor of All Maladies (I've not [yet] read The Cell), which makes this book more solid right there. It's a generally good, generally linear trace of the discovery of the cell, then of types of cells, and into antibiotics in part one, that last section being foreshadowing for part three.
Part two looks at cells becoming organisms, with one chapter focused on IVF and another on cellular engineering, including fetal cellular engineering. Mukherjee does dip a couple of toes into ethics issues, but perhaps more could have been done. That's especially true with — and yes, they're not cells — gain of function research on viruses and the controversy over COVID-related gain of function research. (Yes, "we" the US did assist such research elsewhere, including WIV, contra the sophistically narrow definitions of what gain of function is that Fauci and Collins have proffered. But I digress.)
Part three is an in-depth look at an organ, if one will, though most people don't consider it as that — blood. It's very good.
Part four is a brief excursus into the pandemic. It should have either been expanded or dropped, and probably dropped. That's not only because viruses aren't cells (though the human response to them is cellular, etc.), but it interrupts the flow.
Part five looks more at organs, cell differentiation and related issues.
Part six concludes with looking at what we know today about stem cells and cancer, and possible linkages. Very good, with the best of speculative thought about some lines ahead on cancer treatment.
Part two looks at cells becoming organisms, with one chapter focused on IVF and another on cellular engineering, including fetal cellular engineering. Mukherjee does dip a couple of toes into ethics issues, but perhaps more could have been done. That's especially true with — and yes, they're not cells — gain of function research on viruses and the controversy over COVID-related gain of function research. (Yes, "we" the US did assist such research elsewhere, including WIV, contra the sophistically narrow definitions of what gain of function is that Fauci and Collins have proffered. But I digress.)
Part three is an in-depth look at an organ, if one will, though most people don't consider it as that — blood. It's very good.
Part four is a brief excursus into the pandemic. It should have either been expanded or dropped, and probably dropped. That's not only because viruses aren't cells (though the human response to them is cellular, etc.), but it interrupts the flow.
Part five looks more at organs, cell differentiation and related issues.
Part six concludes with looking at what we know today about stem cells and cancer, and possible linkages. Very good, with the best of speculative thought about some lines ahead on cancer treatment.