Deficiency

Books on Health: Smart Approach to H.I.V.
(December 9, 2003)

It is hard to be optimistic about an incurable disease, but the author of this supportive resource, a writer who has had H.I.V. for 25 years, manages to do it. "Now that I'm healthy," he writes, "I'm far more worried about getting in a car accident on the Los Angeles Freeway than I am about getting sick from H.I.V."

Mr. Grodeck, an online editor for the RAND Corporation, guides readers through the first seven days after diagnosis, the next three weeks, and the rest of the year.

Combining the human element with essential information about treatment options, choosing the right doctors, the importance of diet and exercise, holistic alternatives and sex, the book transforms a complex disease into one that can be understood and managed.

In his discussion of treatment options, Mr. Grodeck takes a level-headed approach.

While noting that the new generation of medicines, taken together in various combinations, can slow or even halt the virus, he cautions that so-called alternative therapies do not improve the course of H.I.V. and that some are dangerous and can make the infection worse.

"If you like gambling," he writes, "you'll love herbal medicine. Most herbal or plant-based medicines haven't been properly tested, so they are risky." Moreover, he says, people taking prescription drugs should "be careful about taking herbs and supplements."

"Herbs and supplements do not work for treating H.I.V.," Mr. Grodeck concludes, "but some forms of alternative medicine help with symptoms of anxiety and depression."

The First Year: HIV is a guide specifically written for those newly diagnosed with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), by HIV-positive patient advocate Brett Grodeck who himself has lived with the virus for the past fifteen years. In accessible and plain terms ideal for the non-specialist general reader, individual chapters cover support group resources, advice and strategies for making the needed changes to one's lifestyle, words of wisdom and caution about discussing the issue of one's HIV status with friends and co-workers, the latest medical research, the option of having HIV-negative children even if one is a HIV-positive man or woman, and more. If you or a loved one is having to deal with the medical and social issues of being HIV positive, then this is the book you should begin your personal research with.

The writing is easy-to-read, with a tone that's friendly and down-to-earth. It's like a good support group in a book, with quotes from the author's personal experiences and that of other people living with HIV. Chapters are only three to five pages in length. Technical matters, such as resistance testing, are put in easy-to-understand terms. Even people way past the first year will find it useful.

Dr. Dan Berger, a columnist for Positively Aware (see "The Buzz"), contributed greatly to the book and wrote the foreword. In addition to medical issues, the book covers topics such as disclosure, depression and where to go if you've been discriminated against.

--October issue of Positively Aware

Make no mistake: this book can be very tough sledding. Reading about the sad, often lonely, always uncomfortable deaths Scannell's patients suffered would be tough for any but the most hard-hearted reader to take. How could anyone not cry when reading about the dying man who wanted nothing more than to end his life in the midwestern home he grew up in, yet was forbidden to do so -- and therefore died alone, far away -- because his parents feared his son's illness would turn their small community against them? Yet it is against this backdrop of sadness and isolation that Scannell writes about her tender, compassionate, and often very creative ways of caring for her patients. Through her eyes we can see that, even when there is no hope of extending life, the lives of the dying can still be valued and enriched in the time they do still have. On a personal note, although I haven't lost nearly as many friends to HIV/AIDS in the last 20 years as some have, I have still attended far more than my share of memorial services and have said goodbye (or worse, not had the chance to say goodbye) to a handful of friends who I sometimes still cannot believe are really gone. I remember all too well the dark days Scannell writes about, and am grateful that advances in medicine since the mid-90s have helped reduce the terrible loss of human life. But the lessons Scannell offers are timeless and independent of person or illness. I don't recommend this book if you are currently coming to terms with a loss, because it may prove to be too painful. But if you are starting to lose your faith in mankind and need a dose of humanity, reading a few chapters of Scannell's book can offer a healthy reorientation.

This is one of the most touching, beautiful books I have ever read. Scannell shares her life with her readers and honors the memories of her AIDS patients through her her series of "anecdotes." Each chapter is a different story, or memory, making it easy to read over a span of a week or more, or even in a day. In it, she touches upon a variety of issues like healthcare, sexuality, gender, death, family, and fear and she talks about her evolving from a good doctor (i.e. seeing the patient's physical needs) to a compassionate doctor (treating the patient holistically and considering their emotional needs).
In the last chapter she reflects on her five years of experience on an AIDS ward and how it helps her cope with her discovery that she has cancer.
When I read this book, I felt like she was next to me in person telling me these stories. I laughed; I got sad; I felt hopeful. This is a testament to human life, and I would recommend this easy read to anyone.

What a wonderful set of truths Scannell reveals in her experiences of caring for dying patients. Honest, raw, funny experiences that shed light into a world few of us can ever know. How great, too, that she "expands the traditional narrative" of physicians' lives.

The only book on the subject availible, and long overdue. Elaine DePrince writes from the heart, with a sharp eye for contradictions. Though it is a personal story of pain and loss, anyone who reads it can not come away without a sense of outrage. It is a story that should have been writen ten years ago about a forgotten group forced into the battle against HIV?AIDS unarmed and unprepared, but continues to fight back to the last man and woman if necessary. Every health care worker, doctor, and politician should read this, and if it doesn't scare them silly, they are not paying attention.

This book serves well as both the intimate story of a family whose lives have been profoundly altered by AIDS, and an expose of the events that allowed this deadly disease to invade them.

While the average American probably believes, as I did until recently, that the infection of thousands of hemophiliacs with the AIDS virus was an unavoidable tragedy, DePrince uncovers the awful truth that for many, if not most, hemophiliacs, infection with AIDS and the deadly hepatitis C virus was not only avoidable, but that the government and hemophilia profiteers (like Bayer "The Aspirin People") chose not to act to produce a safer product in favor of bigger profits.

DePrince also reminds us that the tragedy experienced by the hemophilia community isn't an isolated incident. Many millions of Americans are exposed to blood products each year, sometimes unknowingly, which means anyone at anytime could find themselves facing infection with HIV, HCV, or perhaps some unknown virus making its way into the blood supply today. Blood safety is an important issue to everyone - not just those who rely on blood products regularly. DePrince also advocates for the passage of the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act which provides compassionate payments to victims of this disaster along with important improvements to blood safety.

Read this book as if your life depended on it.

The only book on the subject availible, and long overdue. Elaine DePrince writes from the heart, with a sharp eye for contradictions. Though it is a personal story of pain and loss, anyone who reads it can not come away without a sense of outrage. It is a story that should have been writen ten years ago about a forgotten group forced into the battle against HIV?AIDS unarmed and unprepared, but continues to fight back to the last man and woman if necessary. Every health care worker, doctor, and politician should read this, and if it doesn't scare them silly, they are not paying attention

While I have long been interested in the mineral magnesium - because of personal health problems as well as my professional training in hospital dietetics - I have found no other book on the subject that describes in layperson language the complexity of magnesium metabolism and the many health problems related to magnesium deficiency, as well as does THE MIRACLE OF MAGNESIUM.

Laypeople need access to this information because most physicians fail to see the connection between magnesium deficiency and, for example, heart disease - America's No. 1 killer! Why? Physicians learn comparatively little about the body's essential minerals in medical college and only recently has an ACCURATE test for measuring body magnesium been made available. Most physicians depend on the serum test for magnesium, not dependable for measuring the ACTIVE form of magnesium. Dr. Dean explains that mineral testing has evolved from taking whole blood measurements to testing for cell minerals to testing for mineral ions, the active component of minerals working at the tissue level. She writes: "Every year for the past forty years" the two dedicated scientists who developed this test "have produced on average a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles on magnesium and ionic magnesium testing. Their research convinces even die-hard skeptics...of the clear need for magnesium supplementation and the absolute requirement for ACCURATE testing."

Health problems Dr. Dean lists as having been successfully treated with magnesium therapy include HEART ARRHYTHMIA, SEIZURES, HYPOGLYCEMIA, COLITIS, HEAVY METAL TOXICITY, ASTHMA, MIGRAINES and NERVE PROBLEMS. I have been diagnosed with each of them -- most before it was known they can be magnesium-deficiency symptoms.

Two years ago I was stricken with periods of rapid heartbeat - a form of HEART ARRHYTHMIA. At first I thought possibly my new anticonvulsant might be causing me to lose potassium since taking extra potassium slowed my fast pulse and when I no longer took potassium my frightening sieges of rapid pulse would periodically reoccur. So I asked my nutritionally-oriented physician if he could test for potassium "leakage". Luckily he knew that for potassium to function it needs sufficient magnesium, and he ordered a 24 hour urine test for potassium, magnesium and other minerals. The test indicated I was excreting excessive amounts of BOTH potassium and magnesium. Follow-up tests showed that while the magnesium in my white blood cells was LOW that the potassium in my red blood cells was NORMAL. Obviously not enough magnesium was reaching my cells. At that point my physician prescribed INTRAVENOUS magnesium, and the night following my first shot I slept better than I had in a long time!

Several months later, following publication of her book, I noticed that Dr. Dean had written: "....magnesium is responsible for maintaining normal potassium and sodium concentrations INSIDE HEART MUSCLE CELLS." She also said that a magnesium deficiency can result in one's having not only arrhythmia, seizures and convulsions but also muscle weakness. MUSCLE WEAKNESS! I recalled that muscle weakness is one of the four major side effects known to be caused by my new anticonvulsant -the anticonvulsant I started taking shortly before I was stricken with rapid-pulse arrhythmia! At the time, I only related muscular weakness to leg and arm muscles. But after reading what Dr. Dean wrote I wondered, "COULD LOW MAGNESIUM BE WEAKENING MY HEART MUSCLES?" It seemed to me that a heart muscle that was too weak to produce a strong beat might beat much more rapidly, trying to pump more blood.

Elsewhere in the book I read, "Magnesium expert Mildred Seelig tells us that the side effects of many drugs may be associated with magnesium deficiency because MAGNESIUM BECOMES DEPLETED WHILE THE BODY IS TRYING TO DETOXIFY DRUGS."

My physician had told me the anticonvulsant I had previously taken - marketed for many years and, therefore, better evaluated - depleted magnesium. Upon reading Dr. Seelig's statement I began to suspect that my new anticonvulsant might be causing my low magnesium level and the low magnesium, in turn, might be weakening my heart muscles and triggering periods of rapid pulse arrhythmia.

In addition to receiving magnesium IVs and taking oral supplements I have paid close attention to Dr. Dean's suggestions for maintaining a healthy magnesium level. For example, she lists which foods and which brands of bottled waters have the highest levels of magnesium, which foods can block its absorption and which foods require extra magnesium for digestion and metabolism.

Just a year ago, following a 24 hour Holter test that recorded my periods of arrhythmia, my cardiologist recommended Digoxin for treating it. Because my arrhythmia had responded to taking potassium, I asked if - before trying any prescription drugs -- he would consider my first trying nutritional supplements that have been successfully used to treat arrhythmia. Unlike three other cardiologists I had consulted, he was enthused about exploring this comparatively new field with me.

His trust in me and my faith in what Dr. Dean had written were rewarded. Following my recent treadmill test, my cardiologist wrote:: "On the standard Bruce treadmill she has an excellent aerobic capacity of 10.1 METS. She completes 53 seconds of stage 3 with a maximum heart rate 158 and no arrhythmia...Recovery is rapid to heart rate 83 within six minutes and her examination and treadmill test electrocardiographically are normal before, during and after exercise."

Jerri Spalding Fredin, 78 years young
September 2003

As a nurse I am required to have 24hrs of CE credits, to renew my license. We can choose from various subjects and titles to accomplish this. I am a Medical/Surgical nurse which basicly deals with every possible ailment out there, so my choice is endless. However, we have noticed a new interest in some of our doctors for monitering the Magnesium levels on their patients. Magnesium is a mineral that got very little attention. I wanted to know why and this book just happened to be one of the selective readings I could choose from.
All I can say is what a fabulous choice! I am willing to bet that anyone reading this book will feel they are reading about themselves. It is astounding the effect magnesium deficiency has on our bodies. As I look at my patients now- it all makes sense.
This book is simple to read and understand. You do not need a medical background. It explains how magnesium deficiencies cause or contribute to certain conditions that we all have experienced, such as: fatigue, muscle cramps, heart palpitations, headaches, sleeping problems and so much more. Then it gives you directions on how you can prevent or solve it before it gets worse. It also shows how magnesium has an important role in heart disease, strokes, Alzheimers, and more.
Dr. Carolyn Dean's book is a very inexpensive investment in your health and will save you not only your money in the long run!

My husband was rushed to the hospital with all of the symptoms of a heart attack. He was in the hospital for two days and had many tests performed , but one test he did not have was the ion magnesium test. The hospital could find nothing wrong with him and sent him home. I was not satisfied with this(what if another attack happened) and I started doing my own reasearch. I knew that magnesium was a relaxant so I looked up magnesium and the heart. I came across Dr. Deans new book, THE MIRACLE OF MAGNESIUM. I figured that my husband was having arterial spasms and when my husband took this information to his doctor, the doctor agreed that yes, most likely this was the problem. My husband is now on magnesium therapy and has not had anymore spasms to date. Thank God for this book, as it is a wealth of information! The word needs to get out on the many benefits of taking magnesium. I too am taking magnesium now. I suffered from PMS and had a tendency to feel kind of blue or down at times. Well I am happy to say that I no longer feel this way! I highly recommend this book to everyone! In good health, Lynn

We have waited for a voice within the gay community to relate what AIDS has done and continues to do to our souls. Andiote bares that soul to the scrutiny of a verteran journalist and writer. He descibes the gay community's response to the AIDS epidemic. He outlines the growth the community made in the process. He isn't afraid to criticize where appropriate.

He tells the stories of the heroes of and the commentators on the epidemic. He delves, for example, into the internal machinations of a community trying to deal with safer sex and outlines both successes and failures. He indentifies the ongoing crisis and politics of promoting behavior change in the most intimate aspect of our lives. Through this type of no holds barred reporting that Andriote conveys the impact of AIDS on a community struggling to free itself from past and present disease related definitions.

Andriote's research is thorough, interviewing two hundred activitist and paritcipants. These individuals tell the story of a gay movement catapulted to the forefront of America's consciousness. He starts well before rhe empidemic and couches it in the context of a liberation stuggle. He tells the insider's story.

Victory Deferred will supplant Randy Shilt's And the Band Played On as the dinifitive story of one community heroically responding to the health crisis of the century.

John-Manuel Andriote has accomplished a momumental task in this historical and moving account of the AIDS epidemic. He has done an exhaustive study of the progression of this disease and has intervied people from the trenches to the board rooms.

As a journalist he has kept a focus on reporting the facts, as a gay man he has infused each chapter with the passion that comes from loosing so many friends and loved ones.

He has a keen eye to connect so many different facets and factions and does not hold back in speaking the truth as he has discovered it. AIDS has certainly not only just changed gay life in America, it has changed life in America.

I give this book five stars and know that it will be a work that I will refer to over and over in the years ahead.

Mr. Andriote's excellent book is a must read for anyone interested in the major events that have shaped the last three decades of the 20th century. It is an excellent and thoughtful overview of the tragic social, political and economic events that shaped the response to the AIDS epidemic. This book should be mandatory reading in colleges, medical schools and schools of public health.

I am writing this because in chapter 8, the author tries to explain the means of tranferance of a feline blood disorder to primates in a captive population as being due to fighting, or licking, when in all likelyhood it was the external parasites, ie. ticks, which could have easily moved from cage to cage in ancient egypt. This is the only flaw I could find in this excellent text, realizing that it is all best guesses, all of which are very clearly explained, down to simians, and then as far back as our feline friends in ancient Egypt.

This was the first book I read, after finding out that my lover, and wife to be was HIV +, (odds are HIV 1E, or 1C). A wonderful narrative of the historical spread of HIV and HIV-like disorders. Very intelligently written, not dumbed down like all too many other books on HIV. Thankyou for informing me, the only way to fight back is through education, as it is the only weapon against fear. If someone you know or love has come to be HIV positive, this should be one of your first steps, and one of the first books you read. J-

Very objectively written, it is chock full of info from start to finish(and a look to the future as well), history, symptoms Etc. A full 5 stars for his book!

This very well written book will totally engage your attention by the end of the first chapter -- if not before. Even with the recent discovery of an HIV-chimpanzee association -- an association predicted by the author -- it is only the beginning of a fascinating travalogue into the phylogeny and origin of this group of retroviruses. The title is unfortunate. It does not convey the rich heuristics and detailed research that the author has captured in this wonderful book on HIV origins. I suppose some editor thought that the title would excite (some) readers. In fact, the title is a distraction to those who wish to learn more about the long trail of HIV and related viruses, stretching back two or more millennia in Africa. A must book for epidemiologists, medical historians and those interested in AIDS/HIV history.

When the AIDS epidemic first broke out in 1981, many doctors did not participate in the research, treatment, or hope for the disease. Those that did had their lives changed forever. These were the doctors who were not afraid of accepting patients whom they were not sure they could cure. This was a new and very different disease than any of these doctors had ever come in contact with, and to try and treat it was honorable and extremely optimistic. AIDS Doctors: Voices from the Epidemic is a book which captures the story of AIDS since it's very (known) existence in America from the viewpoint of AIDS doctors.

The authors Bayer and Oppenheimer interviewed 75 doctors, each with their own stories, for a total of 300 hours adding to research for the book. The doctors included researchers, doctors who treated AIDS patients, and directors of AIDS programs. Almost half of the doctors were gay, all of whom wanted to help their gay community find answers about why this epidemic was predominant in their community. The goal of Bayer and Oppenheimer was to write a book portraying the effects of AIDS on doctors, and how the doctors dealt with the epidemic on the emotional side.

The book was very emotional, with the doctors giving examples of interviews with patients which resulted in tears by both parties. Many of the doctors wrote about their patients' moving stories, while others wrote biographies. Even a few of the doctors interviewed were diagnosed with AIDS. Most of the doctors were still angry at the government and scientists for not taking a more proactive stance towards the disease when it was first introduced, and it showed through in their interviews. The hardest part was reading about other doctors who turned their back on these severely ill people because of their sexual orientation or lifestyle. The discrimination against the infected is revolting and a smudge among all of those in the scientific community who did not offer appropriate care.

I think that this book really shows a struggle between mankind and science. Many do not understand the true emotional side of the disease and the only people who really will know are those who are affected by AIDS and their doctors. Luckily for the rest of us, these two authors definitely capture the emotion. These exceptional doctors have devoted all of their commitment to a special cause, and in turn have been affected in every way of their lives by it. This book was exceptional as it showed the emotional side of doctors who put their lives forward for a seemingly hopeless cause. The book is very hard to read, and often needs to be put aside for a few days in order to recompose yourself. This is by far one of the most remarkable books I have read on the disease and deserves to sit with the rest of the award winning medical documentaries of our time.

The emergence of AIDS, a life-threatening disease, raised health care issues. As the disease was first identified in homosexuals and drug users, physicians refused to treat these patients. A surgeon, named Milwaukee stated in the book AIDS doctors: Voices from the Epidemic, "I've got to be selfish. It's an incurable disease that's uniformly fatal, and I'm constantly at risk for getting it. I've got to think about myself. I've got to think about my family. That responsibility is greater than to the patient." Fortunately, there were a group of doctors whose interviews and stories about their experience in the AIDS epidemic we can read in the book .There were 76 doctors who were interviewed, most were women and about forty percent were homosexuals. These doctors stepped up for the people whom they understood because of their same/similar sexual orientation, because they felt compelled to help, or a great opportunity to demonstrate their care for people.
The AIDS epidemic demonstrates to be difficult for the patient, their family, and the physician. Since the disease, AIDS, was identified in 1981 by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the struggle to overcome the disease began. Also, the struggle to overcome discrimination from the exclusive thought that only homosexuals and drug users could get infected with AIDS began. The struggle was not left only for the person infected to fight, but the doctors who did not allowed the anxiety of not having a complete knowledge about the biology and infectivity of the disease to hold them back from helping, have now changed the situation. Now there have been many changes when one regards to AIDS. We are now more knowledgeable about the disease. After reading this book , the experiences that the doctors battled against, not knowing much about the disease and threatening their life by the possibility of being infected, we can see that without the courage of these doctors we would now not have as many advances as we have. The intensity of the desire to help AIDS patients from the doctors can be seen by their involvement they still maintain today. It is known that physician Stosh Ostrow and Jerry Cade, as of 1999, served on the President' s Advisory Committee on AIDS. As the book states, although they were infected with AIDS, they still participated to not only help themselves but help others also with AIDS as they primarily wished for.
When reading this book we can now appreciate the advances made. Not only has discovered medication given many people infected with AIDS more years to live, as the book states, but we can also see the more hopeful benefits towards preventing the disease. From the beginning of the epidemic, the doctors interviewed were involved in learning about the disease. This involvement has now contributed to use the information investigated about the disease to produce a vaccine for AIDS. Although this information is not given in the book, the path towards the vaccine could have started thanks to the doctors who had the courage to treat and learn about AIDS.The vaccine has been under research for about fifteen years and if we continue to have the drive that the doctors had in the book, to help AIDS patients, the vaccine for AIDS will probably be found soon.

This book tells the history of the first 10 years of the AIDS epidemic through the voices of the women and men who overcame fear and channeled excitement to treat people with this devastating illness. These care givers built careers but also worried about the impact of HIV on their own families. Because this is a history told by the physicians themselves, and is not just a history with occasional quotes, it has an immediacy and humanity that is often lacking in histories. The authors briefly explain their technique of interviewing and selecting passages for the book. Despite the possibility of bias in presentation, because of the ability of the physicians to suppress their own words, the tensions, excitement, fear, pride, and love come through and make this a worthwhile book to read. Whether the reader is interested in the development of the epidemic or the personalities of the physicians who were active during those early years, s/he will be touched by this book.

I must have read this book 4-5 years ago. And it left such an impression that after all these years...I realise that I have to reread the book and write this review. For everyone who have read ths review, my advice is to read the book, I will not give away the suspense. But the interactions of the characters, the emotions protrayed and the reality of it all will definitely strike a chord in everybody's hearts. For once, I am so disappointed that the book is out of print, because, it should be shared by all readers young and old. It not only opens your mind, it makes you see things in a perspective you never knew existed.

He leído este bellísimo libro en español "Mas Grandes que el Amor". El contenido de este libro esá mas allá de las palabras. Es increible la terminología extraordinaria usada por el autor al explicar el descubrimiento del virus del SIDA "AIDS" y otras plagas que han atacado a la humanidad. Es tan Celestial como Madre Teresa creó una clinica de amor para los moribundos víctimas de estas plagas, con personas sin muchos conocimientos médicos, y aún asi, pudieron curar el alma de estos moribundos antes de morir. Un libro de similar contenido: Médico de Cuerpos y Almas" "Dear and Glorious Physician"

My father gave me a copy oth this book about six year ago. I was captivated by the way individuals around the world had a positive impact on each other. i am thinking of the young priest who was gravely injured, but found that he could connect to others through praying for them. The work of Mother Theresas sisters, the scientists studying AIDS, it was truly a human mosaic. The intertwining of people who may never have met! Truly, "No man is an island."

Like its prequel "Becoming a Man", Paul Monette's Borrowed Time is exceptionally well-written, and together they form one of the most important autobiographies our times. Borrowed Time, the story of Paul Monette's and his partner Roger Horowitz's struggle with AIDS, is sometimes emotionally too hard to go on reading, but at the same time too engaging to put down. While reading it I literaly had those feelings. If Becoming a Man is the ultimate growing up/coming out story, then Borrowed Time is the ultimate AIDS story. Together they tell the story of gay life in our times better than any other book I read.

Nothing I have ever read has moved me like this book; even though the medical side of HIV is far better these days, those of us in the war are still going through the same emotions. I cannot believe how brave Monette was to share all this with us, yet I know stories like these need to be told. He does a creditable job of holding in his anger, as I'm sure even today he must still be very bitter towards those who made treatment so long in coming. This is an incredibly powerful book, a testament to love and a terrible indictment of our society and some of our values. Everyone should read this book; while it's a true emotional roller coaster, and ultimately heartbreaking, it's only through works like this that we can hope for a broader understanding of what HIV means for the patient and their family. My thanks to Paul Monette for sharing this ordeal.

I had to take two days off from work when I started this book because I just couldnt make myself put it down.

Paul (I write in Frankness because by the end of the book all the charecters become like Family) writes with such simplicity and command that one feels like sitting by a campside listening to a wise man tell a heart wrenching tale.

Moreover, one thing i really admired about monette was that he doesnt try to gain sympathy by cashing in on his life. He doesnt use over dramatization as tools of deploying tears!

I really loved the ending because it brought such a fatal blow and with so little effort that the readers themselves had to grieve.

Furthermore, I learnt a wealth of information about HIV and AIDS from this book. Plus I just couldnt believe the red-tapism in the USA medical system. It really made me angry.

Read this book , Pronto!!
May Paul and his lover rest in peace!!

Cathy adduces an interesting and innovative argument by detailing the way in which the black political heirarchy reacted to the AIDS epidemic and comes to the conclusion that black political leadership is flawed. I don't want to give away too much of her argument, but I must say I disagree with her. That being said, it is still a must read.

Cohen does an excellent job of providing a dual analysis -- one of the current state in the AIDS crisis as well as an honest look at the state of affairs of Black leaders and their inability to "fight the fight" on behalf on our communitites devasted by AIDS. Her scholarly work is provoking, courageous and long overdue. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Black politics and the REAL challenges facing the most marginal of Black communities.

Rarely, if ever, does a reader encounter an analysis of black politics, of the AIDS crisis, or of government response to either that addresses such issues in a textured and multi-dimensional way. Cohen's book is an anomaly in that it acknowledges and builds upon those complexities while constructing an argument that does not end with them. Boundaries is a great, informative read and a must-have on the bookshelf of anyone who considers themselves a critical thinker.