cover image THE LANGUAGE OF CELLS: Life As Seen Under the Microscope

THE LANGUAGE OF CELLS: Life As Seen Under the Microscope

Spencer Nadler, . . Random, $24.95 (196pp) ISBN 978-0-375-50416-7

"For years I have hidden myself behind eyepieces, objectives and condensers, separated myself from others with the accumulated glass of tissue slides," writes Nadler, a surgical pathologist and essayist for Harper's, Reader's Digest and other magazines. "I suspect that I will observe too much, sacrifice microscopic clarity for the greater clinical scope." For Nadler, the language of cells has a human voice, one that is often in pain. This heartbreaking memoir of what the author calls his "infrequent excursions into clinical life" showcases the sometimes uneasy relationship patients share with their cells. Hanna Baylan, a wife and mother, fights her breast cancer to a stalemate. Camille Begnaud, a child suffering from sickle cell anemia, exhibits bravery despite the lack of control. The chapter on Patti Fleming, a morbidly obese woman who undergoes a stomach reduction as the only way to shed weight, is especially poignant. Nadler also introduces the reader to Sam Patterson, a World War II vet and paraplegic; shows us the shared life of two Alzheimer's patients; explores how an orchestra conductor's heart disease has affected his rhythm; and accompanies a hospice volunteer into the homes of the terminally ill. As one would expect from a doctor who has spent his career behind the microscope, Nadler has keen eye for details: the light and feel of a room, the mannerisms of his patients and, of course, the personality of the cells behind each of these stories. Ultimately this is a personal story of rediscovery and return, and a moving and beautifully written tribute to the human spirit. (Aug. 28)