In praise of How Cancer Works:

“When you read Sompayrac you feel like he is there talking to you. He has the great gift of making complex concepts accessible to the beginner. His material is completely up-to-date. This is the introductory cancer book I have been waiting for.”

Professor Albey Reiner
Microbiology Department
University of Massachusetts at Amherst

"The author…explains cancer in the simplest terms and…knows how to…maximize understanding. The book would be useful for a new nurse entering the field, a patient, or family member of a patient diagnosed with cancer as well as any reader who wants to learn more about cancer and its effects…Four stars!"

Doody’s Review

Michele Lynn Thomas, RN

Union Hospital

"A Goldilocks among educational cancer books: not too detailed for the student or lay person who wants to learn about the biology and common themes of the disease, but not too "light" on detail, theory, and first principles for the teacher who wants to design an integrated course on the topic . . . just right!"

James L. Cook, MD
  Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Medicine
University of Illinois College of Medicine

“The book is excellent. It is written in language that you do not have to be a scientist to understand and I used it in my lecture on Cancer. The RN's were delighted as it approached the subject scientifically but without needing to be a biologist or a molecular biologist to understand. The author has done outstanding work with this book … kudos to an outstanding publication."  

Shirley Garick, Ph.D.

“Lauren Sompayrac’s new book is an excellent overview of what is now known about cancer. In his characteristic engaging and lucid style, Dr. Sompayrac makes this information accessible to us all. This then is more than a very interesting book; it is a useful book that will help patients, potential patients, health care providers, and legislators understand cancer.”

Robert Mehler, M.D.

“A popular, non-trivial explanation of the risks and mechanisms of several cancers.”

Book News

"I love the way Dr. Sompayrac compares scientific matters to things in everyday life. This makes learning much easier and memorable for the beginner, and the more advanced reader gets an interesting and often very helpful new perspective."

Dr.Reinhard Waehler
  Institute of Molecular Cell Biology
  University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

"A book that truly demystifies cancer. The clarity of this volume will remove much of the fear of this disease and replace it with understanding. In addition, it will allow the reader, from professional cancer researcher to the lay public, to comprehend the importance of the many studies and articles about new treatments we read in the press every day."

Daniel G. Tenen, M.D.
Harvard Institutes of Medicine

“Dr. Sompayrac’s other books, on the working of the immune system, and pathogenic viruses, are the clearest molecular biology texts I have ever read. I refer to them constantly in preparation for my lectures, shamelessly steal his authoritative analogies, encourage my students to buy and read them, and hope beyond reason that my ability to teach with incisiveness and wit will one day approach a small percentage his wonderful writing.”

Paul Evans, PhD.

Microbiology Instructor

Prescott, AZ United States

“It is a good overview of the biology of cancer and clear but not superficial.”

Martha Janners
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Michigan Technical University

“Dr. Sompayrac’s book is unique in striking the perfect balance between up-to-date scientific accuracy and entertaining presentation. It flows so naturally and is such a fun read that one tends not to notice its great learning value. I did not put the book down until its last page and then started from the beginning again. I feel that everyone must read this book!”

George N. Dessev, Ph.D.
Retired Professor in Cell and Molecular Biology