Cancer Virus Hunters

"The only extensive work of which I know that provides an intellectual history of the field of cancer virology, this book will appeal to scientists and historians of science."

"Morgan describes how important the study of cancer-inducing viruses was to the development of molecular biology. It is a reversal of the story often told about how molecular biology opened our understanding of cancer. The book contains many insights into the interplay of basic science and disease-inspired investigations."

"This magisterial book should be read by everyone who wants to cure cancer."

"Perhaps no biomedical specialty has led to more Nobel Prizes than tumor virus research. Morgan has combed the archives and interviewed dozens of the field's leading figures, providing ample depth to satisfy technical readers while making the science accessible to the non-specialist. A lucid, exhaustively researched account of a vital chapter in the rise of modern science."

"Gregory Morgan's book is not only a definitive history of the search for cancer-causing viruses, but also a gripping tale about one of modern science's most consequential quests. Cancer Virus Hunters should be one of those rare cross-over books that appeals to scientists and scholars as well as to lay readers."

"Cancer Virus Hunters provides a detailed history of the study of viruses that cause cancer and how this has shaped our modern view of biology and medicine. Interweaving scientific discovery with an exploration of the scientists behind the work, Morgan provides an up-close view of how science is done and how advances in the study of multiple biological systems coalesce to conceptual breakthroughs."

"A gripping story about the pioneers who made the most salient discoveries about cancer-causing viruses, their significance for understanding cancer as a whole and the development of anti-cancer vaccines. Highly readable and meticulously researched, it will interest scientists and the curious alike."

"The study of tumor viruses prompted many of molecular biology's breakthroughs after the cracking of the genetic code—and led to the first human cancer vaccines. Through vivid biographical sketches of the key virologists and lucid descriptions of their work, Gregory J. Morgan has written a remarkably comprehensive history of the field. A great read and valuable resource for historians and biologists alike."