Rebel Cell
Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life's Oldest Betrayal
by Kat Arney
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Pub Date Oct 20 2020 | Archive Date Nov 02 2020
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Description
Why do we get cancer? Is it our modern diets and unhealthy habits? Chemicals in the environment? An unwelcome genetic inheritance? Or is it just bad luck?
The answer is all of these and none of them. We get cancer because we can't avoid it—it's a bug in the system of life itself.
Cancer exists in nearly every animal and has afflicted humans as long as our species has walked the earth. In Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life's Oldest Betrayal, Kat Arney reveals the secrets of our most formidable medical enemy, most notably the fact that it isn't so much a foreign invader as a double agent: cancer is hardwired into the fundamental processes of life. New evidence shows that this disease is the result of the same evolutionary changes that allowed us to thrive. Evolution helped us outsmart our environment, and it helps cancer outsmart its environment as well—alas, that environment is us.
Explaining why "everything we know about cancer is wrong," Arney, a geneticist and award-winning science writer, guides readers with her trademark wit and clarity through the latest research into the cellular mavericks that rebel against the rigid biological "society" of the body and make a leap towards anarchy.
We need to be a lot smarter to defeat such a wily foe—smarter even than Darwin himself. In this new world, where we know that every cancer is unique and can evolve its way out of trouble, the old models of treatment have reached their limits. But we are starting to decipher cancer's secret evolutionary playbook, mapping the landscapes in which these rogue cells survive, thrive, or die, and using this knowledge to predict and confound cancer's next move.
Rebel Cell is a story about life and death, hope and hubris, nature and nurture. It's about a new way of thinking about what this disease really is and the role it plays in human life. Above all, it's a story about where cancer came from, where it's going, and how we can stop it.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781950665303 |
| PRICE | $16.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 352 |
Featured Reviews
Stephen G, Reviewer
Wonderful science writing
I loved this book. The writing is great, with a conversational tone. The science is clearly explained and Kat Arney writes with a good sense of humor, which is a real balancing act since this book is about cancer. Arney also uses lots of puns and some very clever wording. Read the footnotes: some clarify and some are just entertaining. I found it hard to put the book down. I especially liked the historical discussions. I recommend this book for anyone interested in science or medicine.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
Mary G, Reviewer
A master class in science writing and an exciting look into the world of cancer research!
Kat Arney formerly worked in science communications at Cancer Research UK - in this book, she seeks to clear up misconceptions about cancer itself and why we get it, as well as shed light on why personalized medicine hasn't yet led to major long-term survival gains. The tagline "everything we know about cancer is wrong" is a slight exaggeration, but Arney does a great job sorting through cancer research's failures and successes and introducing the reader to researchers who are trying new strategies to attack tumors. I especially enjoyed the sections about combatting tumor evolution using adaptive therapy and game theory.
Arney's writing style is wonderfully clear and witty - she does a great job introducing complex concepts without bogging the reader down with unnecessary details. I think that this book will speak to both a general and a specialist audience. I like to think I know a lot about cancer, but I still learned many new things from this book. I highly recommend Rebel Cell to anyone seeking to learn more about cancer.
Thank you to BenBella Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Anett K, Reviewer
Just what a popular science book should be
Rebel Cell by Kat Arney is a very interesting take on cancer - explaining the disease from an evolutionary standpoint and introducing novel approaches to treat patients. The author touches on the history of cancer research, describes fascinating manifestations of the disease in the world of animals and dives deep into the theory of evolution relating to cancer. The writing is immensely engaging, the scientific aspects are explained very well and are definitely accessible to a wide audience.
All in all a highly recommendable book!
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