One Renegade Cell: The Quest for the Origins of Cancer

by Robert A. Weinberg

Book Overview

Cancer research has reached a major turning point. The quality and quantity of information gathered about this disease in the past twenty years has revolutionized our understanding of its origins and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0465072755
• ISBN13: 9780465072750
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Basic Books
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Excelent entry to cancer biology

There are very few books out that give the reader an overview modern cancer biology. This short book gives a clear picture of a complex and current subject. It uses historical perspective on scientific discovery to enliven the reading. It's well organized and readable without background in biology, but with enough depth to interest biologists in other fields. I also reccomend Robert Weinberg's "Genes and the Biology of Cancer", written with Harold Varmus, which covers the same material in a little more depth.

Must have: great intro and overview of current research

No prior knowledge of cell biology or genetics is required. I have gained an appreciation for the complexity of cancer research thanks to the book. I highly recommend it. You also learn a fair amount of the history of the development of cancer research. And don't think you need to read through hundreds of introductory pages to accomplish this. The book is under 200 pages. Once again: What I found great about the book is it explains very clearly the current thories on how cancer starts and spreads without requiring any prior knowledge in the field. For the scientifically oriented who are interested in the details, it has a big reference and endnote section. 5 stars for sure.

"Cancer 101"

When my mother was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, I frantically read everything I could lay my hands on to try to understand what was happening to her. As a former English major and flunker-of-high-school science classes, educating myself about the disease was a daunting task. "One Renegade Cell" explains in intelligent but clear language the theories that currently best explain how the disease begins and spreads. In my search for knowledge, I have found many books that explain cancer as though to the Village Idiot. And I have found others that explain it as though to a PhD in Biology. I am truly thankful that Weinberg wrote this rare book that can be enjoyed and understood by the rest of us.

Excellent overview for the nonscientist and scientist

As a scientist, I am familiar with most of the discoveries in cancer research discussed in the book. Weinberg nicely ties them together and explains how one exciting discovery in cancer research led to another. This is an excellent overview of what has been discovered about cancer and what is not known. Weinberg points out that many of the discoveries were from areas of research not directly related to cancer. This book should help the nonscientist understand the complexities of research and why so much time and resources have been required to uncover the mechanisms of cancer. I also highly recommend this book to students at all levels that are interested in any type of research.

The best book about cancer's causes I've ever read

A book I'd recommend to everyone. Robert Weinberg is obviously on the shortlist for a medicine Nobel, and with the acknowledged help of his US editor has produced a wonderfully lucid, exciting book about how science discovered what cancer is and how it works. The link to evolution and Darwinism (at the gene level) is perhaps surprising. but utterly crucial.This is a *fabulous* time to be alive, if you're intelligent and enthralled by knowledge!