Synopsis
In the late 1970s, when doctors began treating people dying of symptoms both mysterious and seemingly commonplace, they initially didn't suspect that the variety of illnesses they saw were all related to a single virus: the human immunodeficiency virus HIV, and the syndrome it causes, AIDS.
But researchers soon pieced together the evidence and realized they were facing a new and troubling disease. Worse, those afflicted often didn't show symptoms for several years after infection, giving the virus plenty of time to spread. Some thought the virus would be easily contained, but soon it became clear that HIV/AIDS was a global problem.
Since its discovery, HIV/AIDS has been one of the defining diseases of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Despite advances in knowledge and treatment, it remains uncured, and infects millions of people throughout the world each year. To compound the problems, the governments, scientists, and activists working to combat the disease face a constant struggle against ignorance and greed.
VOYA
This challenging and thought-provoking four-volume series provides a historical and rudimentary scientific foundation for the study of the diseases that plague humankind. In addition, the impact of the current pandemic or the attempts at eradication are explored. Each book explores the onset of the virus, its origins, the method of transmission, and the influence upon various social strata. The sheer numbers of people decimated by many of these diseases are often staggering and its effect upon the following generations is also examined. In Plague, the unsanitary conditions and problems associated with poverty are probed as the major factors in various historical outbreaks. Unfortunately the rapid transmission via rodents and fleas was not determined until numerous outbreaks had decimated much of the population. Chapters based upon plagues include one on Justinian's Plague, the Black Death, The Dreadful Pestilence, the Great Plague of London, and the current H1N1 swine flu pandemic. This detailed overview of diseases will appeal to more advanced students. The research is thorough and the writing is insightful, thought provoking, and accessible. The exploration of the impact of each disease is interesting. Other books in the series include one on flu and another on malaria. This series will likely primarily be used for junior high and high school assignments, with its comprehensive yet concise slim-volume format. Reviewer: Ava Ehde