The Song of the Cell
| Author | Siddhartha Mukherjee |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Cell biology |
| Genre | Nonfiction |
| Publisher | Bodley Head |
Publication date | 2 November 2022 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 496 |
| ISBN | 1847925979 |
The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human is a book on the history of the human understanding of cell biology, written by Siddhartha Mukherjee, an Indian-born American physician and oncologist, who is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University.
Background
Song of the Cell is Mukherjee's fourth book. He is the author of the 2011 "biography of cancer" The Emperor of All Maladies, which won the Pullitzer Prize for General Nonfiction .[1][2]
Content
The book tells the history of human understanding of the cell.[3]
In recounting the early history in the field, Murkherjee focuses on telling the stories of figures such as Robert Hooke, who first coined the term cell after viewing a small piece of cork under a microscope.[4] The book is written for a general readership and there is an emphasis on explaining the roles of cells.[5] The book also examines current concerns, such as on the use of stem cells within regenerative medicine.[6]
Reception
Song of the Cell was positively reviewed. Tom Whipple of The Times called it "a wonderfully ambitious overview of cell biology".[7] In The Guardian Suzanne O'Sullivan felt the imagery could sometimes be too simplistic, but praised the book as "a masterclass in cell function".[4] Jennifer Szalai of The New York Times was especially appreciative of the metaphors, such as "gunslinging sheriff" for antibody and "gumshoe detective" for T cell, which Mukherjee uses to explain the development of cell biology.[3] Robin McKie of The Observer called the book "free of overly complex detail" and "assured".[8]
References
- ^ Linklater, Alexander (23 January 2011). "The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "2011 Pullitzer Prizes". pullitzer.org. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ a b Szalai, Jennifer (24 October 2022). "Siddhartha Mukherjee Finds Medical Mystery — and Metaphor — in the Tiny Cell". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ a b O'Sullivan, Suzanne (2 November 2022). "Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee review – the little lives within us". The Guardian.
- ^ Lal, Pranay (19 November 2022). "Review of Siddhartha Mukherjee's The Song of the Cell: Life is cell deep". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Poole, Steven (20 October 2022). "The Song of the Cell- how stem cells are revolutionising medicine". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Whipple, Tom (5 November 2022). "The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee review — how cells explain life". The Times. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ McKie, Robin (27 November 2022). "The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee review – mysteries of the building blocks of life". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 July 2025.