The song of the cell

The American oncologist, scientist, and author, well known to Czech readers thanks to translations of his earlier significant works “The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer” (2015) and “The Gene: An Intimate History” (2019), published by Munipress, returns with a new, captivating story. “The Song of the Cell” tells the tale of how scientists gradually discovered and, from the 17th century onwards, observed cells, the basic units of living organisms. It describes how they gradually learned to recognise the vital interconnections that create tissues, organs, and organ systems; the cellular interconnectedness that gives rise to such amazing physiological functions as immunity, reproduction, the ability to perceive, understand, repair, and rejuvenate. But it also covers what happens when cells fail and development takes a pathological turn. And finally, it explores how the continuous expansion and deepening of human knowledge about cellular physiology and pathology are leading to revolutionary changes in biology and medicine.
A fractured hip joint, cardiac arrest, Alzheimer's disease, kidney failure, arthritis, pneumonia, or COVID – thanks to the author, we can now see all of these in a completely new light and understand them as the result of the abnormal functioning of cells or their systems. This opens the way to a new kind of medicine, one based on the therapeutic manipulation of the cell, developing new drugs, new methods of treatment, and bringing new paths to healing and transforming the human body.
The engaging scientific explanations, in which Mukherjee masterfully applies his narrative talent, are interwoven with stories from the lives of past and present researchers, his own experiences, and sometimes painful memories of patients and friends lost to illness.