Back to work! (A Book Review)

Ok, it's been awhile since I've hit the books - well, cancer books at least. I've taken a slight vacay from the heavy reading and have been thoroughly enjoying Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger (See? I'm not just a nerd, I'm also a girl!) but as my school year approaches there is still a lot I need to learn.

So to get myself back in the mood, I'll post a couple reviews of books I've read this year. I am eager to hear if anyone out there has also read these books, so please leave your comments!

First up: One in Three: A Son's Journey into the History and Science of Cancer by Adam Wishart.

Frankly, I could not have kicked off my quest to learn about cancer with a better book for me. I had just moved to the UK from New York City, and lo and behold, Wishart is a British TV producer. I felt right at home, both in my new home and in my new book.

Wishart masterfully weaves together anecdotes of his father's cancer battle with his own fearless quest to learn about the documented history of the disease that was slowly breaking down his father's body. His ultimate take on the whole thing is this:

"We need desperately, therefore, to learn how to talk about cancer and to regard it no longer as a painful taboo. There is an urgent need to do so, because each of us will one day be touched by the disease, as one in three people will be diagnosed with it within their lifetimes. It is time to understand that cancer is becoming a disease to live with rather than only die from."

Word!

I couldn't have said it better myself.

After reading this book I felt like I had a very good understanding of the basic history of cancer - when it was first documented (a malignant tumor scar on the jawbone of Homo erectus?!); how treatments began and (thankfully) have progressed over hundreds of years; cells, radiation, and chemo - oh my! And also Nixon's "War on Cancer," alternative medicine, genetics, the latest advances in treatment and the movement towards "living with cancer" instead of dying from it. Phew! Glad someone else has done all that research so I don't have to. I'll just read your books, thank you very much.

Needless to say, I was excited to find a kindred spirit in my first foray into cancer lit. I even emailed Adam to tell him as much. He never replied, but I am determined to not let that affect my feelings for this book. I am profoundly grateful for its existence and hope to be able to both teach about cancer and encourage others to approach the disease as fearlessly as Wishart exemplifies for us all.