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**Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2023**

A NEW YORK TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, MAIL ON SUNDAY and GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR

From the dawn of life itself, every being that has ever lived owes its existence to the cell.

‘Will leave you in awe’ Guardian

The discovery of this vital form led to a transformation in medicine but also in our understanding of ourselves – not as bodies or machines but as ecosystems. It has also given us the power to treat a vast array of mortal maladies…and even to create new kinds of human altogether.

Rich with stories of scientists, doctors and the patients whose lives may be saved by their work, The Song of the Cell is a stunning ode to the building blocks of life and the cutting-edge science harnessing their power for the better.

‘Profound…As big a topic as life itself’ The Times

‘Medical magic’ Daily Telegraph

‘Vast…important…optimistic’ Mail on Sunday

Publisher Review

Brilliant ... medical magic ... written with compassionate warmth and humour * Daily Telegraph * Wonderfully ambitious... Cell biology is complex and as big a topic as life itself; I'm not sure a writer could cover it better * The Times * If you are not already in awe of biology, The Song of the Cell might get you there. It is a masterclass * Guardian * Vast, important ... optimistic * Mail on Sunday * Some of the writing in The Song of the Cell is so lovely that you can get caught up in its music * New York Times * A confident, timely - and most importantly, biologically precise - exploration of what it means to be human * Observer * Part mystery, part adventure story, The Song of the Cell is an irresistible foray into the frontiers of medical science [and] a reminder of the power of human ingenuity that is likely to leave readers both enlightened and hopeful. * Jennifer Egan, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Visit from the Goon Squad * A passionate, expert guide ... Mukherjee's ambition has once again paid off, creating an encyclopaedic exploration of how we got to this point - and sketching out the questions we must ask about the future * Financial Times * A remarkable achievement - a fascinating and highly readable crash course on the complexities of cellular physiology and of life itself * New Statesman * For anyone who wants to understand the building blocks of their own bodies - which everyone surely should - this is an informative and entertaining introduction * Economist * Deeply researched, The Song of the Cell is an extraordinary journey through the history of discovery to the most innovative cellular medicine practiced today and the promise of what lies ahead. -- Paul Nurse, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine 2001 Audacious...mesmerizing...reliably engaging... Mukherjee enthusiastically instructs and... delights - all the while hustling us across a preposterously vast and intricate landscape * Wall Street Journal * An extraordinarily gifted storyteller... The author's ideas about the near future of medicine are both convincing and inspiring. This is another winner from Mukherjee. * Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review* * A lively, personal, detailed, often moving account of the cell in medical history and its promise in the present * Heromag * A lively, thought-provoking book... Mukherjee comes across not only as a brilliant researcher but also as a deeply empathetic human being * Literary Review * A masterclass in cell function that will leave you in awe of biology -- Suzanne O'Sullivan * Guardian * This complex portrait illuminates cells' roles in immunity, reproduction, sentience, cognition, repair and rejuvenation * Nature * One of the most admired doctors in the world * The Times * A tour d'horizon of cell theory... part history lesson, part biology lesson and part reminder of how science itself actually proceeds * Economist, *Books of the Year* * Brilliant * The Times * This complex portrait illuminates cells' roles in immunity, reproduction, sentience, cognition, repair and rejuvination, malfunctions such as cancer, and treatments such as blood transfusions, drawing on author Siddhartha Mukherjee's varied experience as an immunologist, stem-cell scientist, cancer biologist and medical oncologist * Nature * The book is, at root, a call for a more integrated biology ... What gives The Song of the Cell its persuasiveness in calling for that new vision is precisely that it comes from a clinician steeped in the traditions of genomic and cell biology, and who has seen both the power and limitations of those approaches to produce actual cures * Lancet * What truly elevates the book are Mukherjee's accounts of his experiences as a clinician and the stories of the patients he has encountered. Some are moving, and all are reflective and insightful * Philip Ball, Lancet *