Conville & Walsh

When Adam Wishart’s father was diagnosed with cancer, the author couldn’t find any book that answered his questions. What was the disease and how did it take hold? What is it about cancer’s biology that means it has not been eradicated? How close are we, really, to a cure? There was no such book. So he wrote it.

Part memoir, part science this book is the story of the author’s father cancer and ultimately death as an old man, while simultaneously telling the history of first the discovery of cancer, then its treatment and now increasingly its prevention.

It is the story of heroic science from the 18th century onwards when the disease was first recognised to the huge research projects around the world that have enormously extended the life expectancy of people with cancer. The mere use of the ‘c’ word is enough to terrify people - but as the book will show - that is going to change as the genetics and effective treatments become better and better understood. As the author stresses, this is a positive book and the narrative entails is full of hope. ONE IN THREE gives the reader insights into cancer biology, culture and treatment.

Uniquely comprehensive, its long view allows the reader to understand the science as it develops. Both personal and authoritative, ONE IN THREE is a remarkable book, which helps everyone - and one-third of us will contract cancer during our lives - to understand it without blind terror.