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Name: p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code: Armstrong, Sue: 9781472910523: Amazon.com: Books
Price: 12.41 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (199 reviews)

Sue Armstrong

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p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code Paperback – May 3, 2016

by Sue Armstrong (Author)

4.5 199 ratings

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The story of the search for p53--the most important gene in medicine.

All of us have lurking in our DNA a most remarkable gene: it is known simply as p53 and its job is to protect us from cancer. p53: The Gene that Cracked the Cancer Code tells the story of the discovery of the gene and of medical science’s mission to unravel its mysteries and get to the heart of what happens in our cells when they turn cancerous. When all is well, this gene constantly scans our cells to ensure that when they grow and divide as part of the routine maintenance of our bodies, they do so without mishap. If a cell makes a mistake in copying its DNA during the process of division, p53 stops it in its tracks, sending in the repair team before allowing the cell to carry on dividing. Cancer cannot develop unless p53 itself is damaged or handicapped by some other fault in the system. Not surprisingly, p53 is the most studied single gene in history.

Through the personal accounts of key researchers, the book reveals the excitement of the hunt for new cures--the hype, the enthusiasm, the lost opportunities, the blind alleys and the thrilling breakthroughs. As the long-anticipated revolution in cancer treatment tailored to each individual patient’s symptoms starts to take off at last, p53 is at the cutting edge. This is a timely tale of scientific discovery and advances in our understanding of a disease that still affects more than one in three of us at some point in our lives.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“It's not the destination that's important here, but the journey. This is not only a story about the gene on chromosome 17, nor only about the nature of cancer, but also about how science works.” ―The Boston Globe

“Ms. Armstrong's book comes alive in the sections where she explores cancer's human toll . . . She also captures the excitement of researchers as they come upon eureka moments.” ―The Wall Street Journal

“A brilliant narrative that captures the essence of the scientific challenges faced by researchers in this pursuit and the progress that has been made in our understanding of p53.” ―Science

“She covers every aspect of cancer development, giving us a sense of how this evasive illness persists, even in the face of modern medicine . . . It is with hope and hard work that we can look to the future with optimism. ” ―San Francisco Book Review

About the Author

Sue Armstrong is a science writer and foreign correspondent who has worked for New Scientist and BBC World Service. Since the 1980s, she has undertaken regular assignments for the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNAIDS, writing about health issues. The author of A Matter of Life and Death: Inside the Hidden World of the Pathologist, Armstrong lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ 1472910524
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloomsbury Sigma; Reprint edition (May 3, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781472910523
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1472910523
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.16 x 0.78 x 7.42 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,223,988 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #882 in Oncology (Books)
- #900 in Genetics (Books)
- #21,645 in U.S. State & Local History

Customer Reviews:
4.5 199 ratings

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4.5 out of 5

199 global ratings

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Kab

Fascinating book

Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2023

Verified Purchase

Loved reading about the guardian of the genome. Many surprises and plot twists. It’s not just a tumor blocker! There is so much to learn about cancer. This book does a nice job of giving the reader a deeper insight.

One person found this helpful

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John Schmelzle

As advertised, focused on one gene & how it relates to cancer

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2015

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Overall, I enjoyed this book. It is as advertised, a book focused exclusively on one gene and how it relates to cancer. The author goes into great detail of how the gene was discovered and how it was originally misdiagnosed as a gene which causes cancer before its true nature was discovered.
Of particular interests was the chapter, “The Smoking Gun” which discussed the discovery of how smoking caused a mutation at a specific location in this gene. It is this mutation which make people susceptible to cancer and this discovery which eventual led the cigarette companies to admit the truth.
This was a particularly quick read. I would have preferred if the book strayed beyond the P53 gene and discuss more of the other genes related to cancer. Although well written, I am not sure there was enough information about just this one gene for an entire book. When reading the book and following through the scientific discoveries, the author would at times bring up a new scientist/researcher which she would then introduce in the book. She went into significant detail not only about the researcher’s life, but also about her interview with the researcher. She would discuss details about his house, expression property, etc. (almost like filler material). I found this to be more of a distraction and after reading this, I needed to go pack a few pages to remember what the topic of research was being discussed.
Despite this one critique, I found this book to be very good and would recommend it to anyone interested in cancer research.

25 people found this helpful

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Academic traveler

Outstanding and entertaining review of a critical gene

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2015

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Although I have been somewhat familiar with the p53 literature for a number of years, I was greatly informed and entertained by this narrative; the author does a fine job of weaving the science with the mystery of this extremely important transcription factor. The book hits on so many areas of cell and molecular biology in a very understandable and human way that I am even considering adopting it as supplemental reading for my college-level intro to cell biology and genetics course.

2 people found this helpful

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Abbey

Great for anyone interested in cancer

Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019

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She does a good job describing the complex ideas behind p53 research and this book has excellent stories about the history of p53 research.

One person found this helpful

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GKR

Writing about how the field develops and explaining the significance of steps as they happen is the best way to try to explain t

Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2015

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A very wells researched book on a complicated subject. Writing about how the field develops and explaining the significance of steps as they happen is the best way to try to explain this complex field of science and help put some of the puzzle pieces together.
Great work. loved it.

3 people found this helpful

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Bikermaniac

Good review of an important cancer related topic

Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2015

Verified Purchase

Interesting story. I am an oncologist (cancer specialist), and so I would have appreciated MORE esoteric detail. I think most careful lay readers would be satisfied with the detail provided, and will understand what was being described in the book. The degree of technical detail remind me of a Stephen Hawkins book on the cosmos.
Armstrong does a nice job of describing the history of p53, from its discovery to the present time. It helped me with perspective, and was a very interesting, if not comprehensive review.
It is absolutely true that p53 is one of the most important cancer related abnormalities in humans. Unfortunately, it is a tough nut to crack, from a therapeautic standpoint. I think people interested in one of the most important causes of cancer will enjoy this book.

7 people found this helpful

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jezebel

Excellent Primer on p53 gene

Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2018

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For the layman or anyone who just wants to understand more about how we get cancer, especially those of us touched personally by cancer.

One person found this helpful

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D

P53

Reviewed in the United States on June 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

I wish I had read this book before taking the molecular diagnostics course at Michigan State. A good introduction to this topic, non scientists should be able to understand the background material on this complex material by reading this book

2 people found this helpful

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Zoran

Revealing, but not encouraging

Reviewed in Germany on November 22, 2023

Verified Purchase

I first learned about P53 from online medical papers which helped me realize the significance of it. So I purchased the book to expand the understanding of the topic and the book certainly did help to grasp the functionality and relevance of the gene and its protein and their role in the immune system arsenal. The book does not provide any definite answers, recommendations or instructions, and it’s written more like a story of development and research, without too many technical details which are available online. Overall very informative and valuable insights in a complicated topic.

Andrew Ayling

A very,very interesting read👍

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2023

Verified Purchase

Found this book fascinating reading,educational on human disease and the brilliant job the body does at fighting off threats most of the time, the P53 tumor suppressor gene and why and how our bodily defenses react and sometimes doesn't and gets overwhelmed by random mutations in specific cells,genetics,environment and our own behaviour.
Takes a while to read and process the information(Did for me anyway) there is a lot of information in the book..
Well worth a read in my opinion and helps you to understand why things happen and go wrong.
It's a quality book,a really good read..👍

Ric

Outstanding!

Reviewed in Canada on April 10, 2015

Verified Purchase

I have read 5 books on cancer this year. Among them, this is truly a stand-out. The subject matter is explained in a way that I expect someone with basic high school biology will grasp. The writing is clear, and the structure works really well.