| View Larger Image | How Cancer Works | Paperbackby Lauren Sompayrac (Author)
| List Price: | $37.95 | | Price: | $20.60 | | You Save: | $17.35 (46%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Paperback | | Publisher: | Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc. | | Edition: | 1st Edition | | Page Count: | 120 Pages | | Publication Date: | December 30, 2003 | | Sales Rank: | 165,155th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product Description
This book is the essential cancer primer! Following the model of his successful previous books, How the Immune System Works and How Pathogenic Viruses Work, Lauren Sompayrac here explains the basics of cancer: what it is, what it does, and what is being done to try to cure it. In nine clear and concise "Lectures," Dr. Sompayrac conveys the essentials of what we know about human malignancies, using his trademark style of every day example, metaphor, anecdote and humor. Focusing on ten of the most common cancers, the book shows -- step by step -- what conditions and events are necessary for tumors to form and grow and what has been learned about stopping that process. This brief book, which can be read in a few sittings, will provide you with a broad basic understanding of our most feared disease. The ideal text for science, medical, and nursing students, practicing physicians and nurses, and all others who need a readable overview of this complex topic. |
CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 7 reviews)
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Basic, but maybe just what you are looking for by Paul N. Hengen (Alameda, California)  4 Stars
January 08, 2008
This is a very clear book that explains cancer genetics in layman's terms, with many good analogies for non-scientists to understand the basic principles. The bad points: (1) The two-tone blue and grey printing makes it difficult to read at times because the blue has much less contrast than black lettering. This is extremely annoying. The book could have been printed entirely in black ink without loss of figure quality or the needlessly emphasized text (2) The figures are far too simplistic and monocolorized in blue with some bits of grey. These could have been produced far better (3) The book has an unnecessarily large page format so that it doesn't fit with my other books on the shelf (a minor problem) (4) The author uses the word "Indeed" ad nauseam (5) It is too expensive for the amount of information (buy a used copy). Overall, it is a very informative quick overview of cancer. I found the book very readable and learned much from it even though I am a geneticist working in the field of cancer research.
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too little for the price by Ayn Rand (Illinois, USA)  2 Stars
March 31, 2007
This book was purchased for non-credit class on the subject of cancer. I feel it is written for an introduction to the subject but does not give the class much to discuss. I would have preferred a text with much more content.
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Well structured review as well as entertaining by Guy Smith (San Francisco, CA USA) 4 Stars
December 03, 2006
First, in the interest of full disclosure, I'll note that I am Dr. Sompayrac's cousin. But don't let that dissuade you -- I have no trouble giving a bad review of a work if I think it deserves such (see my review of "What the Anti-Federalists Were For" as an example).
Like his previous work "How Pathogenic Viruses Work", Lauren has done a very good job is tacking a complex science and distilling it into a very readable book. His approach to the topic (breaking down normal and abnormal cell division, how DNA mutations arise, relating the multiple mutations required for malignancy, etc.) make the topic understandable to even laymen (which I am one).
For non-professionals seeking to understand cancer (and we all know or loved someone who has had it), this book brings a great deal of perspective. Lauren lists common forms of cancer (leukemia, breast/prostate, lung, etc.) in ways that help us understand the differences in types of cancers, how they may be caused, and why cures are difficult to architect.
Though not as entertaining as his "virus" book (which was more interesting due to the nearly endless variety of viruses and their survival mechanisms), his "cancer" book was equally well thought-out, and almost as well written.
I would recommend this work for two audiences: pre-med students and those considering a career in medicine, and laymen who are hungry for knowledge about cancer. If you survived high school biology and genetics-101, very little of this book will be over your head.
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Just right..... by R. Lucius (Springfield, Vermont United States) 4 Stars
July 31, 2006
I have found this an excellent resource for learning the basics of cancer. This is not difficult but gives you enought science that it doesn't insult your intelligence. I would recommend this to someone that wants to learn the basics of cancer.
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Understable and accessible cancer research by M. Pumar (Barcelona, Barcelona Spain)  5 Stars
April 28, 2006
Excellent book. It provides an overview of the latest advances on cancer research trying to explain its very complex nature. It does so in a clear and direct way. It is amazing how a deep book on such a complex subject can be made so easy to read.
The concepts are explained step by step. The most representative cancers are throughly explained for the layman.
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SIMILAR PRODUCTS |
| How the Immune System Works (Blackwell's How It Works)
by Lauren M. Sompayrac (Author)
Understanding the immune system is crucial for both medical and bioscience students, with new research revealing yet more secrets year on year. Many books offer in-depth introductions to the subject, but How the Immune System Works remains uniquely popular for its personable and practical overview of the nuts and bolts of the immune system.
This third edition provides a perfect introduction to the essential principles of the immune system, covered in humorous but highly informative...
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| How Pathogenic Viruses Work
by Lauren Sompayrac (Author)
A clever, accessible overview that uses a survey of 12 of the most common viral infections, to teach the fundamental principles of human virology.
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| One Renegade Cell: The Quest For The Origin Of Cancer (Science Masters)
by Robert A. Weinberg (Author)
For everyone whose life has been touched by cancer, One Renegade Cell tells the story of the search for the ultimate causes of this dreaded disease. "One Renegade Cell…offers a breathtaking picture, both wonderful and frightening, of the fantastic intricacy of aberrant cellular functioning." -New York Times "Part primer, part history and part meditation. [One Renegade Cell] succeeds on all counts." -Wall Street Journal One of the leading cancer researchers in the...
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| Biology of Cancer
by Robert A. Weinberg (Author)
The Biology of Cancer is a comprehensive, authoritative, up-to-date textbook written by a major researcher in the field. It clearly presents the principles of cancer biology in an organized and accessible fashion. The information unfolds through the presentation of key experiments which give readers a sense of discovery, and provides insights into the conceptual foundation underlying cancer biology.
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| How the Endocrine System Works
by J. Matthew Neal MD FACP FACE (Author), Lauren M. Sompayrac (Series Editor)
Introduces the necessary fundamentals of the endocrine system in health and disease. The book uses nine brief and concise lectures supported by clear illustrations to help the reader get through a course in endocrinology. Organized in a very readable format Important concepts are highlighted in blue to help information recall Includes glossary featuring terms used throughout the text
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