"Graceful essays from the pen of a keen observer who is blessed with a
wide-ranging intellect and a familiarity with molecular biology, human
origins, epidemiology, and the origins of human cancer." Robert A.
Weinberg, author of Racing to the Beginning of the RoadCancer has become
the scourge of the twentieth century. It was always part of the human
condition, but until recently it was not a common cause of death because
most people died from the infectious diseases. Now that so many of us
will live long enough to develop cancer, we need to learn as much about
it as we can. This requires some understanding of molecular biology.
John Cairns has made significant contributions to cancer research,
molecular biology, and virology. He believes that it is possible to
explain what is known about cancer and about molecular biology in terms
that are easily understood by people with little or no scientific
training. In this fascinating book, he explores the revolution in public
health, the origins and principles of molecular biology, and our
emerging understanding of the causes of cancer. Finally, he discusses
how these developments are likely to affect future generations.As Cairns
points out, the last two hundred years have altered our life
expectations beyond all recognition. Even in the less developed nations
of the world, people are starting to believe that everyone ought to be
able to live into old age and be protected from the major causes of
premature death. This change in our expectations is one of the major
benefits of technology and the biological sciences. But the resulting
explosion in the human population ultimately threatens everything we
have gained by scientific progress.