A well-written account of a nonstandard but plausible theory of oncology.
A history of cancer research that advocates for understanding the disease through a metabolic rather than genetic lens.
In this debut health book, Christofferson draws on noted scientific histories, published papers and his own interviews with individuals involved in cancer research to present an argument in favor of treating cancer through understanding the role of cellular metabolism. While acknowledging that the metabolic theory of cancer has been rejected by the scientific establishment for most of its century of existence, the book presents a convincing argument for taking a new look at the work of scientific renegades whose work suggests that a combination of diet modifications and drugs may be a far more effective treatment than genetic treatment, and far less expensive. The tone is evenhanded, from a history of the evolution of cancer treatment to a description of 3BMP, a treatment with high potential that has not yet received approval for human trials. Personality conflicts and corporate financial interests both appear among the challenges that have kept the metabolic theory out of favor, but Christofferson largely refrains from editorializing, with lapses that demonstrate a touch of naïveté: “The continuum of science has little room for ego.” The fast-paced, journalistic writing makes even the more technical sections easy to follow, though the metaphors that drive much of the prose can be overdone: Scientific progress “is a torch carried by human beings, it lurches, stumbles, wanders into dead ends, and then finds its way back out”; cancer “is the Bobby Fischer, the George Patton, the Mozart, the Houdini, and the Einstein of maladies.” An appendix explains the diet modifications involved in the metabolic treatment of cancer, with a sample meal plan contributed by a nutritionist. While the book doesn’t remove all doubts about the validity of mainstream science’s understanding of cancer, it does raise useful questions and points to specific research that could provide definitive answers and effective management of the disease.
A well-written account of a nonstandard but plausible theory of oncology.Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2014
ISBN: 978-1500600310
Page Count: 296
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Dec. 24, 2014
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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