The Song of the Cell
by Siddhartha Mukherjee · first published 2022
72% recommend22% neutral6% critical
Why HN recommends it
Approachable, well-written tour of cell biology that mixes history of discoveries with detailed science; suits lay readers wanting a starting point in biology, and readers of the author's other books.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A history of the cell, and the development of a multiplicity of subsequent cell sciences, biological and medical, with an emphasis on the human.
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…new tools for observation to be developed, you come up with some theories that are partly correct but only the next generations will be able to prove/disprove them. I've been enjoying listening to The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee, which details a lot how the discoveries of cellular biology only came when e.g. suitably high quality lenses, microscopes or microneedles could be manufactured. As such, many…
on “The Odin – DIY genetic engineering” ↗Siddhartha Mukherjee's books 'The Gene', 'Emperor of all Maladies', 'The Song of the Cell' all mix biology and history with lots of detail and are easy to read.
on “Ask HN: The Code Book by Simon Singh but for Other Fields?” ↗I really enjoyed this; I suggest "The Song of the Cell" by Siddhartha Mukherjee if you want more in a similar vein, the author has more books as well.
on “Ask HN: Any interesting books you have read lately?” ↗I really like The Tangled Tree by Quammen, The Song of The Cell by Mukherjee, and Utopia or Oblivion by Fuller. Just some books that are staring at me from my work desk. Edit: oh and in big history, Earth Transformed by Frankopan does a great job of being grounded,…
on “The Dangerous Populist Science of Yuval Noah Harari” ↗Fantastic read! If y’all are into this kind of stuff I highly recommend reading “The Song of the cell” by Siddhartha Mukherjee[1], it is one of the best books I’ve read that made the topic of biology approachable. [1] https://www.amazon.com/Song-Cell-Exploration-Medicine-Human/...
on “The baffling intelligence of a single cell: The story of E. coli chemotaxis” ↗…have blended together in my mind. A lot of the detail in this book went over my head, but it was well written enough to overcome my shortcoming in biochemistry. Similar in depth to Siddhartha Mukherjee's Song of the Cell and The Gene. This book was a fascinating walk through evolutionary history and the way that different organisms handle energy, and how earlier, less efficient metabolic paths were limited but sufficient…
on “Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death” ↗The Song of The Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee https://amzn.to/3Wmqz4k
on “Ask HN: I’m reading “The Selfish Gene”, what should I read next?” ↗I just finished that book, it was really good. I can't wait to read The Song of the Cell.
on “Ask HN: What is the weirdest or most surreal (recent) technology you have seen?” ↗Song of the cell is quite good, as are his other books. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is an excellent intro to paleontology. The Story of Earth is an excellent introduction to Geology.
on “Book Review: “Quantum Supremacy” by Michio Kaku (Tl;Dr Do Not Buy)” ↗…immune system is found in the gut. Serotonin is mostly created there, and dopamine has a strong production presence there as well. So many great books on this recently: I contain multitudes, Immune, Song of the Cell, etc. Gut + Immune System = Future cures to many diseases
on “Gut bacteria–derived serotonin promotes immune tolerance in early life in mice” ↗"The Emperor of All Maladies" by Siddartha Mukhejee. He is a medical doctor, researcher .. plus writes great science / medical books. This one won a Pulitzer prize. Check out his other books "The song of the Cell" and "The Gene". The books take some work to read but every page is a treat.
on “Ask HN: What did you read in 2025?” ↗I can recommend "The song of the cell" as a starting point. If you prefer textbooks, maybe "Life: The Science of Biology". I have a translated non-english copy and besides some math issues it's a nice overview, but I'm not a biologist.
on “Biology is a Burrito: A text- and visual-based journey through a living cell” ↗I second "The Song of the Cell" as a good read, as a layman I can't judge the factuality of it but as a reader it was a very enjoyable journey.
on “Biology is a Burrito: A text- and visual-based journey through a living cell” ↗Just finished The Song of the Cell, currently reading Gravity’s Rainbow (lol) and starting The Horse, the Wheel, and Language.
on “Ask HN: What are you reading these days?” ↗…the some remarkable personal stories behind the history of Statistics. If you have ever used statistics, some of the words will sound familiar and will help to understand the history behind it. 2)The Song of the Cell: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Song-of-the-Cell/... I am still reading this book but I have read his previous book, "The Emperor of All Maladies"…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2022 and recommend for 2023” ↗