Cheating Cell

The Cheating Cell is a fascinating book on a subject that's gaining the prominence it deserves: cancer as an evolutionary phenomenon. Athena Aktipis works in the heart of this field and she deftly illuminates the subject for both scientists and general readers. The implications - for cancer treatment and for the understanding of our existence as multicellular creatures - are huge. - David Quammen, author of The Tangled Tree The Cheating Cell is an instant classic - a book that will transform how physicians and their patients understand cancer, how investigators develop therapies, and how we as a society can work together to reduce the global burden of this disease. Masterful, powerful, and absolutely essential reading for anyone who truly wants to understand the nature of cancer, The Cheating Cell is a tour de force. - Barbara Natterson-Horowitz, MD, coauthor of Zoobiquity This wise, erudite, and engaging book will change how we think about cancer and life itself. Brilliantly illuminating how cancer is a form of evolution gone awry within our bodies, Athena Aktipis shows that we need an evolutionary approach to not only fighting the disease but also living with it. - Daniel E. Lieberman, author of The Story of the Human Body This insightful and long-overdue book views cancer as a disease that results from the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of all multicellular organisms, from birth to death. Athena Aktipis does a masterful job of capturing the many threads of evolution and evolutionary theory that promise to enable a fundamental understanding of cancer and portend a new era of innovative prevention and treatment strategies. - Anna D. Barker, Arizona State University and former deputy director of the National Cancer Institute Cancer is more than a source of dread and tragedy - it is entwined with the nature of life and the forces that shaped it. Athena Aktipis has thought deeply about evolution and cancer, and provides an engaging and insightful explanation of why we are cursed with this malady. - Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now Trying to keep cheating cells at bay is a problem that connects humans, elephants, Tasmanian devils, and cacti alike. In The Cheating Cell, Athena Aktipis uses clear explanations and riveting examples to show how viewing cancer through an ecological and evolutionary lens allows us to better understand the disease, and can lead to more effective ways of lengthening lifespans in our ongoing battle with this most ancient of foes. - Kelly Weinersmith, coauthor of Soonish The one book to read for a true understanding of cancer and its control. - David Sloan Wilson, author of This View of Life