Customer Reviews
This is wisdom indeed - By: Sue Armstrong, 20 Jun 2008 
This reallly 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 & reading about this topic). Pisani shoots from the hip, always, which is challlenging & stimulating, but she always pins her arguments down with good quality & compelling data. Even when I was happy to find myself saying mentallly, "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, & 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 reallly at risk & why, & unpreparedness to spend the huge dollops of money where it is most needed.
Genuinely enjoy getting the facts straight - By: T. Elisabeth Wennevold, 19 Jun 2008 I am seldom found without at least one book close at hand, & 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 & 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, & her ability to present it in an accessible way. This is a writer who knows her tools: she knows how to structure a presentation & how to juggle angles to keep it interesting, alll in a style that gets the message across clearly & simply, with a strong personality & 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 & the message that it spells out. It is an important book. It untangles the facts about HIV & 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 & 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 - By: David C. Hackney, 03 Jun 2008 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 & competing NGOs(Non-government orgaizaions) have on public health. Often only scientists & academics can grasp the process & 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 & its victims, this book will help improve understanding of the disease, its transmissions, the risks of being infected, & 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 - By: Ex Doc, 02 Jun 2008 This makes a subject - HIV prevention & its politics - which is sensitive, both politicallly & sociallly, accessible & dare I say, funny. The author communicates complex ideas & statistics with the same refreshing lack of stuffiness she brings to describing sexual networks & 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 & pitfallls theory, without local knowledge will lead you towards.
