Customer Reviews:
 This is wisdom indeed June 20, 2008
Sue Armstrong (Edinburgh, Scotland)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This really is a page-turner, a compulsive read, which is an extraordinary feat for a book about the AIDS epidemic (and I speak as an 'insider' who is punch drunk with writing and reading about this topic). Pisani shoots from the hip, always, which is challenging and stimulating, but she always pins her arguments down with good quality and compelling data. Even when I was happy to find myself saying mentally, "Yes but..." (because it's nice not to feel you are being led by the nose by a good talker!) I found the author answering my queries, settling my doubts, a little further on in the text. I think it's a great book, and an important one -- it forces us to confront our failures in preventing the spread of HIV, so often because of squeamishness, prejudice or lack of courage to acknowledge who is really at risk and why, and unpreparedness to spend the huge dollops of money where it is most needed.
Genuinely enjoy getting the facts straight June 19, 2008
T. Elisabeth Wennevold (Norway)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am seldom found without at least one book close at hand, and end up trying to give books away in order to keep my shelves from collapsing. But I'm not ready to give this one away, I intend to read it again in a while. What I might do, however, is to order a few extra copies and have them delivered to people I know. Why just this one? Because it is one of those books that you come across once in a while, that works on more than one level. It is a book that keeps me turning the pages, with the energy that comes from a genuinely engaging story. Then there is the authors solid knowledge of the topic, and her ability to present it in an accessible way. This is a writer who knows her tools: she knows how to structure a presentation and how to juggle angles to keep it interesting, all in a style that gets the message across clearly and simply, with a strong personality and sense of humour. But the main reason why I want to gently blackmail my friends into reading it by buying it for them, is the information it contains and the message that it spells out. It is an important book. It untangles the facts about HIV and HIV prevention from the myths, which is good. It also shows clearly how ideological/religious/political/economical agendas often play a bigger role than science, which is depressing ... but essential to know. Getting the facts straight, about the infection and about the HIV/AIDS industry, is vital. And in my mind, Elizabeth Pisani is exactly who you should turn to for those facts
Superb! An excelent book for the layman or scholar June 3, 2008
David C. Hackney (Philadelphia, PA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Dr. Pisani is a rarity in that she is a scientist who can write! She is a former journalist turned epidemiologist (aka "epi")working in AIDs research amd prevention. Her book will interest not just those readers concerned with AIDs, but anyone who wants to understand the effect politicians, bureaucrats and competing NGOs(Non-government orgaizaions) have on public health. Often only scientists and academics can grasp the process and explanation of scientific research. Dr. Pisani explains it so clearly that the general reader will understand as well. However, she hasn't "dumbed down' the research process or data analysis. Through out this excellent book she shows a deep respect for the intelligence of her reader. No matter what opinion someone has regarding AIDs and its victims, this book will help improve understanding of the disease, its transmissions, the risks of being infected, and how its spread could be slowed or even stopped. The title may be shocking, but sometimes it take a shock to get many of us to pay attention. Buy this book! Once you start reading you will likely want to continue until you reach the final page!
Witty, no nonsense read June 2, 2008
Ex Doc (London)
This makes a subject - HIV prevention and its politics - which is sensitive, both politically and socially, accessible and dare I say, funny. The author communicates complex ideas and statistics with the same refreshing lack of stuffiness she brings to describing sexual networks and practices. If you are considering field work in epidemiology, medicine or any life science, this is a must read as it will show you the potential traps and pitfalls theory, without local knowledge will lead you towards.
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