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The Emperor of All Maladies
- A Biography of Cancer
- Narrated by: Fred Sanders
- Length: 22 hrs and 18 mins
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The Emperor of All Maladies
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Publisher's Summary
A magnificent, beautifully written "biography" of cancer - from its first documented appearances thousands of years ago through the epic battles to cure, control, and conquer it to a radical new understanding of its essence.
The Emperor of All Maladies reveals the many faces of an iconic, shape-shifting disease that is the defining plague of our generation. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance but also of hubris, arrogance, paternalism, and misperception, all leveraged against a disease that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out "war against cancer". Mukherjee recounts centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories, and deaths, told through the eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful adversary. The audiobook is like a literary thriller with cancer as the central character.
From the Persian Queen Atossa, whose Greek slave may have cut off her diseased breast, to the 19th-century recipients of primitive radiation and chemotherapy to Mukherjee's own leukemia patient, Carla, The Emperor of All Maladies is about the people who have soldiered through toxic, bruising, and draining regimens in order to survive - and to increase the store of human knowledge.
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What listeners say about The Emperor of All Maladies
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- JORGE ENRIQUE GARCIA
- 2023-06-03
Informative
A wealth of information about cancer with historical references and engaging narrative. Great book, although I feel it could have been shorter without losing the core messages.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Galadriel
- 2021-04-24
Masterpiece
This book is a comprehensive review of the history of cancer. It is well written, detailed, packed full of knowledge, and enjoyable to listen to. Mukherjee is a talented writer who does not fail to educate and entertain. The knowledge he shares is never irrelevant - it is always high yield and relevant to understanding the nature of cancer and the challenges scientists have faced in battling this disease.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2020-09-17
An absolute must read!
Sprawling in scope, yet somehow anchored to the personal, The Emperor of All Maladies is Dr. Mukherjee’s magnum opus. Taking on the history of cancer could have been dull and dreary task. Instead, it is a very accessible and inspiring read, clarifying key ideas and concepts without making the reader feel intellectually inferior. The book seems to mimic Mukerjee’s own journey with his patients—and of their own as well—at times hopeful, and at others more sullen. I could not put this book down—nor, I suspect, will you.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dani
- 2018-04-07
A tough one to get through, but super worthy.
I had a hard time finishing this one, even though it was captivating and interesting all the way through. I took a break after Mukherjee described the horrors of radical mastectomies; his telling actually affected me like a gory horror movie would, even though his words were carefully chosen to be as compassionate to the patients/victims as possible. I then had to take another break when two family members near to me passed of cancer and cancer-related disease within two weeks of each other. Although his narrative was generally hopeful (everyone must die, but we needn't die of this disease), it was too much to be faced with its realities both in my personal and literary life.
In the end, I did finish and I am very glad to have read it. Here's hoping that, in the inevitable eventuality that I am myself a cancer patient, that I am able to face my struggle with the dignity Mukherjee's patients are portrayed as having. Here's to science! Here's to doctors! And above all, here's to the patients, victims and survivors!
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2018-09-19
One of the best books I’ve ever read. The author employ of English is superb, stellar.
This simply one of the best books I’ve ever read. I not only have it on Audible, but I have purchased 3 hard copies for my friends. The book is simply too good not to share. His treatment (no pun intended) of the history of cancer is spellbinding.
A must read.
David Beatty
#Audible1
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- wertu234
- 2020-08-22
a bit long, but worth it
well narrated. a good overview of the history bit cancer. Makes the scientific discoveries and actors very engaging. A bit long, but worth it
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Rob
- 2018-06-21
A must-read for all medical students
Soundly researched, credible and profound. The author is a master of English as well as oncology. An excellent reading by Fred Sanders
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nick
- 2021-11-09
Nonfiction at its best!
This sometimes overly detailed history of humanities struggle against cancer illustrates how human society has reacted and adapted to cancer. Infused with the personal stories of those involved the book charts the developments of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy as a desperate response to cancer. It vividly describes the unimaginable degree of suffering endured by cancer patients and the horrible ethical choices presented to physicians. However, it equally tells a story of humanities successes against impossible odds and how despite it's incredible complexity we have gained ground against cancer.
The battle against cancer has had many casualties and not unlike a war novel this book contains difficult sections. For me, the descriptions of the children's leukemia wards during the initial development of chemotherapeutics remains one of the most haunting things I've ever read. How those physicians rationalized their clinical judgments was unsettling. Its a rare thing for a non-fiction author to generate this degree of emotional investment in the reader. This book is one of few exceptions and it stays with you, for better or worse, months after reading it.
Despite some pacing issues, The Emperor of All Maladies remains one of the best non-fiction books I've ever read. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to better understand the relationship between humans and cancer.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- melissa redl
- 2021-11-29
Informative, interesting & hopeful
A great book for anyone with cancer who is searching for meaning behind their diagnosis or for people just interested in how this entity came to be so ingrained in our society. I am considering listening a second time, despite the length of the book, due to the plethora of facts given & enjoyment of the narration.
Highly recommended.
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