Date: Thu, 7 Mar 1996 12:24:46 CST From: "H. Robert Malinowsky" A I D S B O O K R E V I E W J O U R N A L University of Illinois at Chicao H. Robert Malinowsky Editor Number 24 ISSN 1068-4174 February, 1996 An electronic journal reviewing books, videos, journal titles, and other materials covering AIDS, safer sex, and sexually transmitted diseases, published irregularly by the University of Illinois at Chicago Library. Editorial offices PO Box 8198 M/C 234, Chicago, IL 60680. AIDS Book Review Journal is free of charge and is available only in electronic form. Opinions expressed in the reviews are those of the editor or reviewers. The Editor welcomes comments at AIDSBKRV@UICVM. To subscribe over INTERNET: Tell Listserv@UICVM sub AIDSBKRV your first and last name or send note to Listserv@UICVM or Listserv@UICVM.UIC.EDU with note sub AIDSBKRV your first and last name. AIDSBKRV files are available through a LISTSERV. To find what is available, send note to: LISTSERV@UICVM or LISTSERV@UICVM.UIC.EDU. Leave subject blank; key into body of note: send AIDSBKRV FILELIST. This FILELIST contains a list of AIDSBKRV files with their filenames and filetypes listed as AIDSBKn EJ where the n is the issue number. To retrieve a particular file, send note to the LISTSERV saying send AIDSBKn EJ, substituting the issue number for the n. All materials in the journal are subject to copyright by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and may be reprinted or redistributed for the noncommercial purpose of scientific or education advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting or redistribution or translations, address requests to H. Robert Malinowsky, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, PO Box 8198, Chicago, IL 60680. **************************************************************************** It is the hope that this journal will be able to alert individuals about new as well as noteworthy older publications, videos, journal titles, and other print and non-print materials pertaining to AIDS, safer sex, and STDs. AIDS is a devastating disease that is infiltrating all levels of society. No one can be considered totally exempt. Information specialists need to be alerted to those materials that can educate everyone from the school child who needs a picture book about AIDS to the layperson who needs general information on the disease or a novel with an AIDS theme to the researcher looking for a synopsis of research to those who are HIV+ needing comfort and support through the writings of those who have AIDS or are HIV+. The Editor welcomes comments that can be sent to him at AIDSBKRV@UICVM. If any reader also is a publisher of any AIDS-related material and would like it considered for review in this journal, please send items to H. Robert Malinowsky, AIDS Book Review Journal, 1250 W. Grace 1st Fl, Chicago, IL 60613, so that the material can be considered. ====================================================================== 488. AIDS Reference Guide: A Sourcebook for Planners and Decision Makers, edited by Steven J. Goodwin. 489. HIV/AIDS Resources: The National Directory of Resources on HIV Infection/AIDS, 1996-97, The Professionals' Reference, 2nd edition. 490. People with HIV and Those Who Help Them: Challenges, Integration, Intervention, by R. Dennis Shelby. 491. Grief and AIDS, edited by Lorraine Sherr. 492. War Against Hepatitis B: A History of the International Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunization, by William Muraskin. 493. Living Positively in a World with HIV/AIDS, by Mark de Solla Price. 494. AIDS Epidemic: Social Dimensions of an Infectious Disease, by William A. Rushing. 495. Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1992-1994, by Melissa Hough Savage. 496. Picturing Health and Illness: Images of Identity and Difference, by Sander L. Gilman. 497. Search for an AIDS Vaccine: Ethical Issues in the Development and Testing of a Preventive HIV Vaccine, by Christine Grady. 498. HIV Infection in Children: A Guide to Practical Management, edited by Jacqueline Y. Q. Mok, Marie-Louise Newell. 499. Christ on the Rue Jacob, by Severo Sarduy. 500. Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality, by Andrew Sullivan. 501. Into the Arms of the Universe: Poems and Prose Poems, by Jim Elledge. 502. Talking with Kids About AIDS: Facilitating Key Exercises, video. ====================================================================== 488. AIDS Reference Guide: A Sourcebook for Planners and Decision Makers, edited by Steven J. Goodwin. 1995. Atlantic Information Services, Inc., 1050 17th St. NW, Ste. 480, Washington, DC 20036. 2v., looseleaf, index. ISBN 0-929156-01-3. $392.00. (Descriptors: Resources, Planners, Decision Makers) This resource guide contains reprints of reports and articles that pertain to a wide variety of AIDS and HIV related topics. "The guide is designed to provide accurate, comprehensive and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered." The price of the publication includes monthly updates for one year. The two volumes contain 13 categories of resource information: "Caseload Trends and Economic Projections," "Global Issues," "Financing Issues," "Healthcare Reform and HIV/AIDS," "Testing Issues," "Employment Policies and Issues," "Impact on Healthcare Providers," "Service Delivery Models," "Social and Behavioral Research," "Implications of Treatment Advances and Vaccines, "Prevention Education Issues," "Legal Issues and Conflict Resolution," and "Legislative, Regulatory and Governance Issues." The reprints are from a wide array of periodicals and publications of organizations and agencies. Although most of the information that is contained in this guide could be found through literature searches of various databases and then going to the original source of publication, it is brought together here in a very organized manner with detailed tables of contents and indexes. Examples of articles that can be found in this guide include: "Update: AIDS Cases Worldwide," "The State of the World's Response to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic," "Profile of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Cameroon," "The Lifetime Cost of Treating a Person with HIV," "Sports and HIV Infection," "Small Business and AIDS," "Characteristics of African-American College Students with HIV/AIDS," "FDA List of Drugs Approved to Treat AIDS or Related Conditions," "Preventing HIV/AIDS in Adolescents," "The Legal Rights of People with HIV/AIDS," and "U.S. Conference of Mayors AIDS Policy." There is much information in this guide that is at the user's fingertips. Some of the information does become dated but the monthly updates take care of that problem. The biggest advantage is that the documents, articles, and reports that have become standard reference sources are brought together for easy access. If one were to try and locate all of the documents, reproduce them, provide indexing, and continue to obtain updates, more than the cost of these two volumes would be expended. Highly recommended for any AIDS Center that needs to have up-to-date documentation at hand. Also, highly recommended for all medical and academic libraries. 489. HIV/AIDS Resources: The National Directory of Resources on HIV Infection/AIDS, 1996-97: The Professionals' Reference, 2nd edition published by Marion L. Peterson. 1995. HIV/AIDS Resources, PO Box 1837, Longmont, CO 80502-1837. 660p., index. ISBN 1-885461-02-X. $110.00. (Descriptors: Resources, Directory) This directory, based on a questionnaire, provides names, addresses, and telephone numbers of national organizations that provide HIV infection/AIDS services and HIV infection/AIDS education. The first part, "Who's Who in Federal HIV/AIDS Programs," contains information for the Executive Branch, Senate committees, House committees, National HIV/AIDS service organizations, and National HIV/AIDS education/prevention organizations. Here is where one will find the telephone numbers and chairpersons of such groups as the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Health of the Ways and Means Committee, and important telephone numbers of the Library of Congress. All of the major, well-established national organizations are listed with full name, telephone numbers, addresses, contacts, and brief annotation of the organization's purpose. The second part, and largest, is the "Guide to States, Counties and Major Cities." It is arranged by state and then alphabetical by county within each state, with the exception of Alaska which is arranged by city. At the beginning of the entry for each state are statewide names, addresses, and telephone numbers. For each entry within the county listings the organizations and agencies are listed under the following major groupings: health and human services, mental health services, medical services, community services, and education/prevention. The 1990 population of the county is given and for each entry the name, address, telephone numbers, and contacts are given, plus, in some cases, a brief annotation of more detailed services that may be provided. Over 20,000 entries are included in this important directory. This is a very comprehensive directory that covers most all of the agencies and organizations that have something to do with AIDS and HIV. As with any directory, there are some omissions and there are some entries that have become defunct since the directory was printed. This one, however, appears to be fairly complete and well organized for ease of use. Any AIDS/HIV resource center should have a copy of this directory. All public, medical, and academic libraries, also, should have this in their reference collections. Highly recommended. 490. People with HIV and Those Who Help Them: Challenges, Integration, Intervention, by R. Dennis Shelby. 1995. Harrington Park Press/Haworth Press, 10 Alice St., Binghamton, NY 13904-1580. 245p., bibliog., index. (Haworth Social Work Practice). ISBN 1-56023-865-8. $14.95. (Descriptors: Psychological Aspects, HIV Infections) Shelby has brought together a wealth of information from individuals who are HIV positive and from the individuals who are helping them. There has been a great amount of theoretical research on how people cope with disease but "clinicians in health care settings have long realized that many persons deal with adversity and misfortune far better than conventional theoretical formulations or empirical reports would lead us to expect." In fact it has been observed that many individuals are able to function better knowing that they have a life-threatening illness or physical disability. "Shelby's study shows how the discovery of HIV seropositivity often leads to a reconsideration of what matters most in life." His book is based on more than a decade of clinical work with gay men, providing some much needed insight to the problems of coping with disease. As an example of the level of detail that Shelby puts forth, one needs only to look at chapter 10, "The Big Bang." Here one reads of how an individual first discovers that they have full blown AIDS followed with efforts at coming to terms with the disease, revealing the diagnosis to the family, feeling the hurt, trying to make sense out of the diagnosis, how to combat or deal with the disease, regaining a sense of optimism and direction, becoming sad and discouraged, and finally having a positive outlook on life that is still ahead. These are down-to-earth accounts that are described by Shelby in a way that makes you want to read more and more. This is not a doomsday book, but rather one that shows how individuals can go on with their lives even though they know it may be very uncertain and change within a short period of time. With today's drugs, a book such as this can be a great help to anyone who is diagnosed as HIV positive. Physicians and counselors will find much here to help them in talking with their patients. The psychological well being of all HIV positive individuals is an extremely important part of being able to cope with AIDS. This book is highly recommended for all clinicians, physicians, counselors, caregivers, family members, and, of course, the patients themselves. Every library should have a copy. 491. Grief and AIDS, edited by Lorraine Sherr. 1995. John Wiley and Sons, 605 Third Ave., New York, NY 10158-0012. 215p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-471-95346-6. $14.95. (Descriptors: Psychological Aspects, Grief, Bereavement) (Contributors to this volume: Lydia Bennett, J. Catalan, L. Dean, Calliope C.S. Farsides, Ellen Kajura, C. Mead, K. Pugh, M. Reidy, A. Richardson, Brigitte Richmond, Michael W. Ross, Janet Seeley, M.F. van den Boom, Hessel W.A. Willemsen) "This book is an attempt to examine a wide range of grief-related issues as it affects people with HIV infection and AIDS. It provides a psychological focus which concentrates on the impact of the individuals and examines a number of interventions at the counselling or systems level to ameliorate grief." There contributions come from Australia, Africa, Europe, Canada, and the United States. The 12 chapters cover: "The Experience of Grief," "The Epidemiology and Impact of AIDS-Related Death and Dying in New York's Gay Community," "Suicide in Patients with HIV Infection and AIDS," "Psychiatric Problems Associated with Grief," "Grief and the Community," "AIDS Health Care: Staff Stress, Loss and Bereavement," "Allowing Someone to Die," "Crisis of the Psyce," "Living Wills," "The Death of a Parent," "Death of a Partner," and "AIDS and the Death of a Child." This is a very important book for anyone working with the terminally ill. Death cannot be ignored and the more that caregivers understand about death and bereavement, the better caregivers they will be. Every individual has their own reaction to death and as a result there is no one course to follow. Everyone needs to be able to cope with the death of a loved one and, ultimately, their own death. This book goes a long way in being able to advise one on what to expect, how to react, and what to do. "This book provides a balanced mixture of current knowledge and clinical practice, it aims to combine existing skills in the counselling of bereavement and dying with the special issues raised by AIDS and HIV infection." Highly recommended book for all libraries. 492. War Against Hepatitis B: A History of the International Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunization, by William Muraskin. 1995. University of Pennsylvania Press, 418 Service Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6097. 248p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-8122-3267-4. $29.95. (Descriptors: Hepatitis B, Vaccines, Prevention and Control) This book is intended to be "An accurate record...of what will someday be seen as one of the great scientific achievements of the twentieth century--the practical implementation of a program to eradicate one of the world's most widespread viral disease and, with it, the predominant cancer in the Third World." It provides a unique look at the inner workings of the International Task Force on Hepatitis B Immunization which had long been dedicated to fighting the hepatitis pandemic. There are similarities between the transmission routes of hepatitis B and AIDS with Hepatitis B more infectious through casual contact. These similarities have prompted some researchers to look at the history of how international immunization was finally achieved. The hope is that what was done with Hepatitis B can, in some way, help in the fight to find a vaccine or cure for AIDS. It provides some excellent insights in how to work with international organizations in order to fight a very contagious disease at the highest international level as well as in specific Third World countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya and Cameroon. The six chapters cover: "The Formative Years," "The Task Force Takes Shape," "The Indonesian Model Project," "The Task Force in Thailand," "The Task Force and WHO: Conflict and Cooperation," and "On the Road to Victory: Hepatitis B as the Seventh Universal Vaccine." The World Health Assembly had decided in 1992 that there would be universal hepatitis B immunization by the year 1997. "As of October 1994, seventy-three nations had begun to establish, or had announced their intentions to establish, national hepatitis B vaccination programs." UNICEF has finally agreed to provide funds for the purchase of hepatitis B vaccine to all poor countries. AIDS agencies throughout the world are trying for the same commitment from the various governmental bodies concerning AIDS education and testing. They are, unfortunately, having a difficult time. Maybe reading this history of the Hepatitis B vaccination will nudge them closer to realizing that AIDS is an even greater pandemic and the urgent need for providing proper education is even greater. An excellent book for anyone in the medical profession but an especially important book for those in government who are responsible for the well-being of their constituents. Public, medical, and academic libraries should have this book in their collections. 493. Living Positively in a World with HIV/AIDS, by Mark de Solla Price. 1995. Avon Books/The Hearst Corp., 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. 272p. ISBN 0-380-77623-5. $10.00. (Descriptors: Popular Works) "This is not a book of musts or shoulds." It is a book to be read with the thought that AIDS can happen to anyone. "Now is the time for us to move on and reinvent our future. We must turn this catastrophic heartbreak into an opportunity to rebuild ourselves--as a community, as a country, and a world--into something better than we were before." We have tried very hard to educate everyone about AIDS. Unfortunately, there are many who have not heard what is being said and we are faced with a new wave of HIV infection. People like Magic Johnson, Mary Fisher, Ryan White, Arthur Ashe, Allison Gertz, Rock Hudson, and Congressman Stewart McKinney have done much to help with our education. This book is intended to continue to "help people to understand that HIV/AIDS can be viewed as a treatable, chronic condition you can learn to live with, and that it can be a wake-up call to start living life to the fullest." The ten very well written chapters speak for themselves: "Living Positively," "The Eight Key Points of Living Positively," "Living in the Present Moment," "Enjoying the Journey and Focusing on the Positive," "Helping Others and Letting Others Help You," "Doing Healthy Stuff and Avoiding Unhealthy Stuff," "Becoming Your Own Medical Expert," "Taking Charge of Your Own Health Care," "Reducing Stress and Gaining Inner Peace," and "Simplifying and Reevaluating Life and Death." The chapter on stress is especially important. Stress can kill, regardless of whether or not you are HIV positive. It is, however, more serious for those who are positive in that it reduces the functionality of the immune system. Those who are HIV positive should read and re-read this chapter. A unique quality of this book is the collection of many quotations that are found in the margins of almost every page. These quotes are from living and deceased individuals such as Beatrix Potter, Albert Einstein, Quentin Crisp, and Oprah Winfrey. Oprah states it very well: "My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life, but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." Also included are a list of suggested readings and a directory of national and regional resources. This is a highly recommended book for all libraries and especially for the personal libraries of those who are HIV positive or have AIDS. If read and studied, it can help relieve a great amount of stress, pain, and suffering and help you take charge of your personal life and the health care that is needed now more than ever. 494. AIDS Epidemic: Social Dimensions of an Infectious Disease, by William A. Rushing. 1995. Westview Press, Inc., 5500 Central Ave., Boulder, CO 80301-2877. 288p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-8133-2044-5, 0-8133-2045-3pbk. $59.00, $16.95pbk. (Descriptors: Social Aspects, Epidemiology) "From a sociological point of view, AIDS is perhaps the most important disease in American history, and it is certainly one of the most important in all history." Sociologically it is not that well understood, thus, this book. It provides a research insight into its social etiology and societal reactions to the disease. Both of these are extremely important if we are to provide the proper education to the widely diversified populations of the world. Under Social Etiology one finds four chapters: "The Social Epidemiological Perspective: High-Risk Groups in the United States," "The Social Change Perspective: The Origin of HIV," "The Cross-Cultural Perspective: AIDS in Africa," and "The Social Behavior Perspective: Trends in HIV-AIDS and Preventive Behavior." Society has placed too much emphasis on reproduction and the beliefs in gods, spirits, and hexes which go against all the education that is being presented. Until we can overcome these, the AIDS epidemic in Africa will just be a way of life because African culture will not let it be otherwise. The Societal Reactions section also has four chapters: "The Collective Behavior Perspective: Fear of Contagion," "The Social Construction Perspective: Moralizing and Scapegoating," "The Sociology of Science Perspective: Science, Societal Reactions, and Social Control," and "The Deviant Behavior Perspective: The Sick Role, Personal Responsibility, and Problems of Treatment and Prevention." There are two ways to control an infectious disease--eradication and control. It is doubtful that AIDS can be eradicated in the near future so control is the key word. It can be controlled with proper preventive measures, but this means going around religious and cultural beliefs. HIV can be slowed in some parts of the world but that does not mean that it will be slowed everywhere. This is an excellent book for those who want to understand how society has reacted to this pandemic. It is thorough and well researched. Recommended for all academic and medical libraries. 495. Adolescent Health Issues: State Actions 1992-1994, by Melissa Hough Savage. 1995. National Conference of State Legislatures, 1560 Broadway, Ste. 700, Denver, CO 80202. 76p. ISBN 1-55516-610-5. $10.00 (Descriptors: Political Aspects) This publication summarizes some "300 laws and resolutions on adolescent health issues passed by the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico." These issues include abstinence/sexuality education, adolescent health, community health services, contraception/family planning, HIV/AIDS, insurance, Medicaid, mental health, pregnancy/parenting, school health/school-based health services, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and tobacco. There were 13 laws and resolutions passed on HIV/AIDS from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, and Oklahoma; and 8 on sexually transmitted diseases from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, and Oklahoma. Each law or resolution is briefly annotated giving the official identification number so that one can consult the full text. There is also a state-by-state summary of the laws and resolutions; a resource directory covering abstinence, adolescent health, community health, family planning, gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgender youth, HIV/AIDS/STDs, Medicaid, mental health, minority health, school health, sexuality education, substance abuse, suicide, and tobacco. An excellent summary for the 3 years covered. Recommended for medical, law, large public, and academic libraries. 496. Picturing Health and Illness: Images of Identity and Difference, by Sander L. Gilman. 1995. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2715 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218-4319. 200p., illus., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-8018-5197-1. $29.95. (Descriptors: History of Medicine, Images) This book was originally published in Great Britain as Health and Illness: Images of Difference. This is an interesting book that attempts to answer the question "How and why do historians of medicine use or ignore images in writing their histories?" Gilman has skillfully put together a very interesting book that shows how images are an important aspect of the history of medicine. He points out that many books use illustrations but that they are a mere afterthought and are not woven into the writings as they should be. Other historians have been able to use images so why not medical historians. The titles of the chapters make want to look and read--"Again Madness as a Test Case," "The Ugly and the Beautiful," "The Phantom of the Opera's Nose," "Mark Twain and Hysteria in the Holy Land," and "The Beautiful Body and AIDS." This last chapter is the longest (68 pages) where AIDS is illustrated through the use of AIDS education posters. Some 1,100 posters dealing with AIDS were looked at. Seven hundred of these posters were selected, all dealing with the body. Here one sees how this deadly disease has created some of the most beautiful posters ever printed that depict ways of staying healthy. They are of beautiful bodies, men and women, men and men, and women and women. There sole purpose was to get across a message of playing safe when having sex. Yet, they also depict the history of the disease showing how it was first aimed at the gay community, then the young, then the people of color, and now the drug abusers. The final poster that is depicted is a Spanish poster with the words "el Riesgo es de todos" or "the risk is of death." "This book provides a series of historical narratives on the relationship between health and disease, beauty and ugliness." It is this idea that those who are beautiful will live a great life and those that are ugly will die. Gilman points out, however, that beauty and ugliness have been around from time beginning and that death is ultimate for both. A must read book for any historian. A fascinating book for anyone to read. Highly recommended for all libraries. 497. Search for an AIDS Vaccine: Ethical Issues in the Development and Testing of a Preventive HIV Vaccine, by Christine Grady. 1995. Indiana University Press, 601 N. Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404-3797. 193p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-253-32619-2. $25.00 (Descriptors: Vaccination, Moral and Ethical Aspects, Prevention, Research, Clinical Trials) "Developing a vaccine to prevent infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global priority because of the enormous public health need and the lack of alternative methods of prevention adequate to achieve control." To do this means years of testing and retesting. "The goal of this book is to examine the ethical challenges inherent in the development and testing of a preventive vaccine against HIV and to suggest strategies for meeting them." These ethical challenges are monumental. Deaths from HIV/AIDS keep mounting. Many individuals volunteer to be those on whom the vaccine is tested, knowing that it could kill them. But is that in the bounds of proper ethical behavior for the researcher. There are a multitude of risks in developing a vaccine in that HIV has a knack of mutating and thus not always looking the same as it did yesterday. Another big risk is that if there was an effective vaccine, some say society may step backward and be prone to taking risks rather than continuing that which we are educated to do in having safer sex. The six main chapters cover: "Vaccines and Their Development: Historical, Social, and Scientific Perspectives," "Human-Subjects Research and the Regulation of Drugs and Biologicals," "Human-Subjects Research and HIV Vaccines," "The State of HIV Vaccine Science," and "Planning Phase III HIV vaccine Efficacy Trials." There are three sequential phases involving human subjects when it comes to testing vaccines: "First a vaccine's safety is determined, then its immunogenicity, and finally it effectiveness at providing protection from infection or disease." The disease is an elusive one that requires constant monitoring. As a result safety and liability have been countered by intense pressures from government and the scientific community. To develop such a vaccine will mean cooperation between investigators, communities, and the members of the community. This book goes a long way in justifying any of the ethical concerns that individuals may have. It is a must read for all AIDS vaccine researchers and should be required reading for our politicians who fight research at every turn. AIDS is everyone's concern and the sooner we have the vaccine the better off the world will be. Highly recommended for all libraries. 498. HIV Infection in Children: A Guide to Practical Management, edited by Jacqueline Y. Q. Mok, Marie-Louise Newell. 1995. Cambridge University Press, 40 West 20th St., New York, NY 10011-4211. 313p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-521-45421-2. $59.95. (Descriptors: Children, Diagnosis, Women, Pregnancy, Hemophilia, Support Groups) (Contributors to this volume: A. Graham Bird, Stephane Blanche, Raymond P. Brettle, M. Blake Caldwell, Edward M. Connor, Anita De Rossi, Candy Duggan, Carlo Giaquinto, Diana M. Gibb, Peta Hemmings, Naomi Honigsbaum, Frank D. Johnstone, Peter Jones, Jack Levy, Mary Lou Lindegren, Rebecca Lwin, George D. McSherry, Fiona Mitchell, Jacqueline Y. Q. Mok, Marie-Louise Newell, Margaret Oxtoby, Pier-Angelo Tovo) "It is expected that by the year 2000 there will be 10 million HIV-infected children; most of these will be living in Africa, South and Southeast Asia and South America." Unfortunately, the heterosexual woman is the main route of acquisition of the HIV virus and the main mode of transmission to children. This book brings together a wide range of topics pertaining to HIV infection in children, including "epidemiology of paediatric HIV infection, the diagnosis and immunology, clinical symptomatology and management, to the role of the nurse, the school and carers." The contributors have all had first-hand experience in working with children who are infected. Each chapter covers a specific topic, is well-written and documented, and contains a conclusion. There are 19 chapters: "Children and HIV Infection," "Paediatric HIV Infection in the USA," "Classification of HIV Infection and Definition of AIDS," "Natural History of HIV Infection in Children," "Diagnosis of HIV Infection," "Immunology of Paediatric HIV Infection," "The HIV-Infected Woman," "Issues Related to Pregnancy," "Follow-Up of the Child Born to an HIV-Infected Woman," "The Infected Child with HIV-Related Symptoms," "Haemophilia and HIV Infection," "Antiretroviral Therapy for Disease Progression," "An Overview of American Paediatric Treatment Trials," "The Role of the Nurse," "Supporting Families Affected by HIV Infection," "HIV Infection in Schools," "Talking with the Dying Child," "The Bereaved Child," and "Living with HIV." Each of these chapters is timely and full of advice and each contains suggestions for further research. Children are our resource for the future. The more that we can do to fight this disease so that children will not be infected, the better our future will be. This book is a must for all physicians and highly recommended for all medical, public, and academic libraries. 499. Christ on the Rue Jacob, by Severo Sarduy, translated by Suzanne Jill Levine, Carol Maier. 1995. Mercury House, 785 Market St. Ste 1500, San Francisco, CA 94103. 166p. ISBN 1-56279-075-7. $12.95. (Descriptors: Novel) This book was originally published as El Cristo de la rue Jacob in 1987. Sarduy was an exceptional writer who, in this book, "touches on literature, visual imagery, displacements of gender and genre, Buddhism, friendship, fragmentation and wholeness, the meetings and marriages of East and West and of high and low, the playful and the transcendent, the flamboyant gesture and the withdrawal into meditation." It is a delightful and beautiful book to read in an evening by the fireside, full of many things to think about and then return to for a second reading. The book itself has nothing to do with AIDS as a disease but it is by a Cuban-born writer who died of AIDS in 1993. Recommended for public and academic libraries. 500. Virtually Normal: An Argument About Homosexuality, by Andrew Sullivan. 1995. Alfred A. Knopf, 201 E 50th St., New York, NY 10022. 209p., bibliog. ISBN 0-679-42382-6. $22.00. (Descriptors: Homosexuality) So many of the books about AIDS and HIV touch on gays and how the disease has devastated this group of individuals around the world. Many people say it is God's punishment and that gays deserve everything that they get. Unfortunately, many people do not know what gay means or rather what homosexuality is. As a result, there are many misconceptions about gays and homophobia strikes its ugly blows whenever it can. So, for those who read about gays in relation to AIDS, this book is recommended as background reading. Sullivan has done a great job in trying to show that gays are as normal as any straight man or woman. The biggest difference is their preference to loving, living with, and having sex with the same sex. In seven chapters he covers: "What is a Homosexual?," "The Prohibitionists," "The Liberationists," "The Conservatives," "The Liberals," "A Politics of Homosexuality," and "What Are Homosexuals for?" Anyone who reads this book will quickly learn that homosexuals are everywhere and come in all sizes, shapes, colors, religious beliefs, and political attributes. They are not all limp-wristed individuals that are so often depicted in the news. Many are open and express their opinions freely, others are more reserved. This is a must read book for everyone--gay and straight. Sullivan sums it up very well on the last page: "But the seeds of homosexual wisdom are the seeds of human wisdom. They contain the truth that order is in fact a euphemism for disorder; that problems are often more sanely enjoyed than solved; that there is reason in mystery; that there is beauty in the wild flowers that grow randomly among our wheat." This reviewer found this book to be just the answer to those who are in the dark about homosexuality. Read it and be educated. Highly recommended for all libraries. 501. Into the Arms of the Universe: Poems and Prose Poems, by Jim Elledge. 1995. Stonewall/New Poets Series, Inc., 541 Piccadilly Road, Baltimore, MD 21204. 30p. (Stonewall Chapbook Series, v.1) ISBN 0-932616-51-8. $8.00. (Descriptors: Poems) Most of the poems in this collection have been previously published in various journals and collections. These are poems that are meant to be read and re-read. They are warm and beautiful showing how the love between two men can be meaningful and everlasting. They, also, can be delightfully funny such as "The Man I Love Has a Bad Hair Day," where "the man I love" comes home, locks himself in the bathroom, and proceeds to snip and then shave away all of his long dark hair until his head is bald. No fear, it grows back "Fuzz sprouts all over his scalp, grows, winds itself into braids and natty dreds, dangles in pony tails, or waterfalls to, then beyond, his shoulders. 'Manageable,' he coos. 'Shiny,' he giggles. I murmur, 'Alive'." Highly recommended for all libraries. 502. Talking with Kids About AIDS: Facilitating Key Exercises. 1992. Cornell Cooperative Extension, Media Services, Cornell University, 7 Cornell Business and Technology Park, Ithaca, NY 14850. color video. 58:39 minutes. $8.00. (Descriptors: Children, Education, Workshop) This very well produced video provides the background for conducting workshops to teach kids about AIDS. The three workshops that are covered are: "Basics about HIV," "Transmission and Prevention," and "Talking with Kids About AIDS." The video instructs a group of adults on how to conduct the workshops by walking them through all the steps in understanding how to talk about AIDS openly. It teaches the basic facts about AIDS so that an individual will feel comfortable talking with children. The many safety skills are shown and demonstrated, including the wearing of latex gloves, cleaning needles with bleach, putting on a condom, and using a dental dam. The video is extremely well done with candor and understanding that not everyone is comfortable in talking about AIDS, especially to children. These workshops were started in 1989 and have been very successful. This would be an excellent video along with the various workbooks and guides to have in any library resource center from school to academic library. Highly recommended.