Date: Tue, 9 Jun 1998 09:01:41 CDT Reply-To: "H. Robert Malinowsky" Sender: AIDS Book Review Journal From: "H. Robert Malinowsky" Subject: AIDSBKRV 45 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 Chicago H. Robert Malinowsky Editor Number 45 ISSN 1068-4174 May, 1998 An electronic journal reviewing books, videos, journal titles, and other materials covering AIDS, safer sex, sexually transmitted diseases, and other related materials, 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. To subscribe over INTERNET: send note to listserv@listserv.uic.edu with note: sub AIDSBKRV your first and last name. An AIDSBKRV backfile of all issues is available at the following URL: http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/aidsbkrv/. 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 educational advancement granted by Sections 107 and 108 of the Copyright Revision Act of 1976. For other reprinting, redistribution, or translation, address requests to H. Robert Malinowsky, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, PO Box 8198, Chicago, IL 60680 or electronically to hrm@uic.edu. **************************************************************************** It is the hope that this journal will be able to alert individuals about new and noteworthy older publications, videos, journal titles, and other print and non-print materials pertaining to AIDS, safer sex, STDs, and other related topics. AIDS is a devastating disease that is everyone's concern. New advances for treatment and education are constantly being developed. Information specialists need to be alerted to these new materials so that they 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 hrm@uic.edu. 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. AIDS Book Review Journal URL: http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/aidsbkrv/ ====================================================================== 832. Pocket Book of Pediatric Antimicrobial Therapy, 1998-1999, 13th edition by John D. Nelson. 833. Medical Management of Depression, 2nd edition by Charles DeBattista. 834. Diagnosis in Color: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2nd edition by Anthony Wisdom, David A. Hawkins. 835. Illustrated Handbook of Skin Disease in HIV Infection, by Marc C. I. Lipman, Timothy A. Gluck, Margaret A. Johnson. 836. Saunders Infection Control Reference Service, edited by Elias Abrutyn, Donald A. Goldmann, William E. Scheckler. 837. Practitioner's Guide to the Neuropsychiatry of HIV/AIDS, edited by Wilfred G. van Gorp, Stephan L. Buckingham. 838. Healing Photons: The Science and Art of Blood Irradiation Therapy, by Kenneth J. Dillon. 839. Thorns on the Rose: The History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Australia in International Perspective, by Milton Lewis. 840. Acts of Intervention: Performance, Gay Culture, and AIDS, by David Roman. 841. HIV and AIDS: An Interactive Curriculum for Health Sciences, by Joyce K. Anastasi. 842. AIDS: First Facts for Kids, Grades 4-6, by Linda Schwartz. 843. Clinical Care Options for HIV, v.3, no. 1, 2, 3, 1997. 844. Clinical Care Options for HIV: Continuum of Care Series, no. 3, 6, 7, 9, 10. ====================================================================== 832. Pocket Book of Pediatric Antimicrobial Therapy, 1998-1999, 13th edition by John D. Nelson. 1998. Williams & Wilkins, PO Box 64786, Baltimore, MD 21264-4786. 116p., index. ISBN 0-683-30484-4. $14.95. (Descriptors: Drug Therapy; Pediatrics; Children; Antimicrobial Therapy) This small book provides healthcare providers antimicrobial therapies for children. It is done in tabular form so that the information is quickly and easily accessed. An initial chapter covers "Choosing Among Aminoglycosides, Beta-Lactams, and Macrolides" followed by a chapter that covers antibiotic therapy for newborns. The next chapter covers "Antimicrobial Therapy according to Clinical Syndromes" and is arranged by type of infection: skin and soft tissue, skeletal, eye, ear and sinus, nose and throat, lower respiratory, heart, gastrointestinal, genitourinary and sexually transmitted, central nervous system, and miscellaneous systemic infections. Other chapters cover "Preferred Therapy for Specific Bacterial and Viral Pathogens," "Antifungal Therapy," "Antiparasitic Therapy," "Penicillin Desensitization," "Sequential Parenteral-Oral Antibiotic Therapy for Serious Infections," "Antibiotic Therapy in Patients with Renal Failure," "Dilutions of Antibiotics for Intravenous Use," and "Adverse Reactions to Antimicrobial Agents." This is an excellent book for pediatricians, providing them with quick information. HIV therapy is included. Recommended for all medical libraries. 833. Medical Management of Depression, 2nd edition by Charles DeBattista, edited by Ira David Glick. 1998. EMIS, Inc., PO Box 1607, Durant, OK 74702-1607. 271p., illus., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-929240-70-7. $14.95. (Descriptors: Depression) Depression can be a major problem with individuals who are HIV positive or have full blown AIDS. It has been shown that when an individual is extremely depressed, medical treatments and drug prescriptions many times do not work or their effectiveness is decreased. It is important for healthcare providers to understand depression and be able to treat it effectively along with treating HIV. This small handbook provides the latest information in the medical management of depression. The chapters cover: "Diagnosis of Major Depression," "Differential Diagnosis of Depression," "Laboratory Studies in Depression," "Antidepressant Medications," "Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors," "Selective Serotonin/Norepinephrine Re-uptake Inhibitors," "5-HT2 Antagonists," "Atypical Antidepressants," "Tricyclic and Tetracyclic Antidepressants," "Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors," "Electroconvulsive Therapy," "The Role of Psychotherapy," "The Suicidal Patient," "Geriatric and Pediatric Depression," "Treating Depression by Subtype," and "Treatment of Resistant and Recurrent Depression." A very useful appendix shows in a matrix the antidepressant drug interactions. This is a well-written handbook that should be on all desks of healthcare providers who treat those who are HIV positive. Highly recommended for all medical libraries. 834. Diagnosis in Color: Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 2nd edition by Anthony Wisdom, David A. Hawkins. 1997. Mosby/Year Book, Inc., 11830 Westline Ind. Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146-3318. 336p., color illus., index. ISBN 0-7234-2496-9. $39.95. (Descriptors: Sexually Transmitted Diseases) The information in this book was first published as A Colour Atlas of Venereology before the first edition of 1989. This edition is a completely revised edition of the 1989 book providing the latest in diagnostic techniques. With HIV, it is extremely important to be able to quickly and easily recognize those sexually transmitted diseases that may affect those who are HIV positive. As a result, this edition stresses this point as well as pointing out the importance of recognizing such diseases as herpes simplex and papilloma virus. The outstanding color illustrations provide the healthcare provider the means to identify all of the sexually transmitted diseases. After two chapters that cover "Aetiology of Common Presentations" and "Techniques of Examination," the diseases are divided among seven broad categories: "The Treponemal Diseases," "Chancroid, Donovanosis, Lymphogranuloma Venereum," "Common Inflammatory Conditions," "Viral Infections (Excluding HIV)," "Other Conditions," "Interaction between HIV and Other Sexually Transmitted Diseases," and "Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Disease." Some 60 pages are devoted to this last category on HIV. This book is not intended to be a self-diagnosis book, even though the color illustrations are very explicit. It is for the healthcare provider who may encounter STDs that may be unfamiliar in day-to-day practice. It is a recommended book for all physicians who treat HIV positive individuals and an important book in all health science libraries. 835. Illustrated Handbook of Skin Disease in HIV Infection, by Marc C. I. Lipman, Timothy A. Gluck, Margaret A. Johnson. 1997. Parthenon Publishing Group, One Blue Hill Plaza, PO Box 1564, Pearl River, NY 10965. 64p., color illus., bibliog. ISBN 1-85070-976-9. $24.95. (Descriptors: Cutaneous Manifestations of General Diseases; HIV Infection Complications; Skin Diseases) Skin diseases occur at all stages of HIV infection, including maculopapular rash, mouth ulcers, or urticaria. Sometimes drugs can produce skin rashes. Kaposi's sarcoma is the most common skin malignancy in HIV but its frequency has decreased from 50% to 10%. This small handbook is intended to help physicians recognize skin disease in HIV infection through the use of excellent color illustrations. The diseases that are covered include HIV seroconversion, persistent generalized lymphadenopathy, seborrheic dermatits, eczema, psoriasis, fungal infection, viral infection, bacterial infection, papulopruritic eruptions of uncertain etiology, drug-induced skin rashes, vasculitis, Kaposi's sarcoma, and B-cell lymphoma. The text that accompanies the illustrations is brief but very informative. This is a highly recommended book for all physicians treating HIV positive individuals and for medical libraries. 836. Saunders Infection Control Reference Service, edited by Elias Abrutyn, Donald A. Goldmann, William E. Scheckler. 1998. W. B. Saunders Co., Curtis Center, 625 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19106-9884. 1,282p., illus., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-7216-6443-1. $295.00. (Descriptors: Nosocomial Infections; Prevention; Health Facilities; Sanitation) This rather large book brings together in one volume guidelines concerning infection control in the health care setting. The medical literature was searched to identify as many guidelines as possible. These were then brought together with universally known guidelines "to provide ready access and obviate the need for each infection control program to obtain roughly the same collection of guidelines. Where there were more than one guideline for a particular subject, experts were asked to prepare a short guide to guidelines. The result is this extremely useful book that should be a Bible in all health care facilities. The first section is an introduction that defines infection control guidelines and provides information on choosing and implementing them. Section two outlines the key components of infection control programs. The next four sections contain the key guidelines: "Infection Control Guidelines by Facility Size or Location of Service," "Infection Control Guidelines by Site of Infection," "Infection Control Guidelines for Selected Clinical Problems," and "Facility-Based Infection Control Guidelines." The section on information resources is an excellent listing of "Names and Addresses of Organizations Mentioned in This Book," "Internet Resources for Infection Control," and "Educational Resources for Infection Control." These are very extensive sections that reproduce a wide variety of guidelines, including those for home health care, tuberculosis, intensive care units, HIV, and viral hepatitis, to name a few. There are, also, three appendices that provide CDC guidelines, Federal Register guidelines, and Multichapter guidelines. An extensive index enables the user to locate the specific guideline that is needed. There has been a lot of publicity on how safe our hospitals and health care facilities are, with the indication that some facilities have not practiced proper infection control. This book should be standard reading for those facilities as well as all other facilities so that our health care facilities can maintain the highest standards possible. A highly recommended book for all medical libraries and for the shelves of all health care facilities. 837. Practitioner's Guide to the Neuropsychiatry of HIV/AIDS, edited by Wilfred G. van Gorp, Stephan L. Buckingham. 1998. Guilford Press, 72 Spring St., New York, NY 10012. 341p., bibliog., index. ISBN 1-57230-309-3. $35.00. (Descriptors: AIDS Dementia Complex; Psychology of HIV Infections) "This book is geared to the non-neurologically trained mental health clinician who nevertheless works with HIV-infected patients, some of whom have neurologic disease." Mental status changes in some HIV-infected individuals has brought about a need to study HIV-related encephalopathy or AIDS dementia complex. "It is our hope that this book will aid the mental health clinician in understanding the neurologic, neuropsychiatric, and neuropsychological features associated with HIV infections, as well as the associated medicolegal and psyshosocial issues encountered when working with neurologically impaired HIV-infected individuals." The highly recognized contributors have contributed 10 research papers that will help clinicians in their diagnosis of AIDS dementia complex: "Neuropsychological Features of HIV Disease," "Neurobiological Basis of Behavioral Changes in HIV-1 Encephalopathy," "Differential Diagnosis of HIV-1 Neurological Disease," "Neuropsychiatric Features of HIV Disease," "Pharmacological Interventions for Neuropsychiatric Symptoms of HIV Disease," "Psychosocial Interventions in Persons with HIV-Associated Neuropsychiatric Compromise," "Issues for Caregivers, Families, and Significant Others," "Suicide and HIV Disease," "Enhancing Adaptive Function in HIV-Associated Dementia," and "HIV/AIDS and Mental Capacity: Legal and Ethical Issues." Each paper is well written and includes extensive references for further reading. Case studies are included along with the research findings. In the final paper covering legal and ethical issues, the authors state: "Because there are several unique circumstances surrounding HIV, such as social stigma, unrealistic fears of others, difficulty of prediction, and possible mental deterioration, arranging one's affairs in advance can have important personal and legal consequences." In other words plan ahead so that problems are taken care of before they appear. This is a recommended book for all medical and academic libraries. 838. Healing Photons: The Science and Art of Blood Irradiation Therapy, by Kenneth J. Dillon. 1998. Scientia Press, 2020 F St. NW #505, Washington, DC 20006. 180p., illus., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-9642976-5-5. $19.95. (Descriptors: Phototherapy; Lasers in Medicine; Ultraviolet Radiation; Blood Autologous Transfusion) Blood irradiation therapy or phototherapy is the treating of diseases with light, including infrared and ultraviolet radiation. It has been successful in treating many skin diseases. However, the medical community has not embraced this science in the treatment of other diseases in the United States. It was invented in the 1920s and used by dozens of physicians until the 1950s when antibiotics became the mode of treatment. It is used extensively in Russia and by only a few American physicians, even though clinical trials have shown it to be effective and safe when there is "extracorporeal irradiation of a small amount of blood, which has medicinal effect upon its return to the body." This controversial science is explained in this interesting book. "It explains many theoretical and practical aspects of this highly attractive therapy, including the devices and techniques in use, indications and counter-indications, and the mechanisms of BI's antiviral action." A recommended book for medical libraries for its historical content and possible basis for future research. 839. Thorns on the Rose: The History of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Australia in International Perspective, by Milton Lewis. 1998. Australian Government Publishing Service, GPO Box 84, Canberra ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA. 574p., bibliog., index. ISBN 0-644-36085-2. $69.95. (Descriptors: Sexually Transmitted Diseases; Australia, Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases) This highly readable book is a fourth in histories that deal with sexually transmitted diseases in different parts of the English-speaking world. The other three were Allan Brandt's No Magic Bullet: A Social History of Venereal Disease in the United States since 1880 (1985); Jay Cassel's The Secret Plague: Venereal Disease in Canada 1838-1939 (1987); and Richard Davenport-Hines' Sex, Death and Punishment: Attitudes to Sex and Sexuality in Britain since the Renaissance (1990). Although Lewis' book is about Australia, it is discussed in an international context because Australia was a political dependant of Britain and a cultural dependant of Britain, Europe, and the United States. The first chapter sets the stage with a discussion of the history of venereal disease in Europe from ancient times to its development in early colonial Australia. Chapter two covers "Venereal Disease in the Nineteenth Century" and chapter three discusses the "Regulation of the Social Evil: Prostitution and Veneral Disease" in Germany, France, Britain, United States, India, Ceylon, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cape Colony, Canada, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. The following chapters cover: "A World Free of Syphilis?," "The Interwar Years: Education and Mass Treatment," "A False Dawn: Sexually Transmitted Diseases in the Penicillin Era," "Sexually Transmitted Diseases Resurgent," and "Aborigines and Sexually Transmitted Diseases." The ninth chapter provides an insight into the "Modern Plague: The Advance of HIV/AIDS." This is an interesting book that will give the reader a great deal to think about. "For the first time over an extended period the public health policies of Australia and other countries are discussed in relation to changes in disease patterns, social attitudes, social behaviour and cultural differences." This is a recommended book for all medical and academic libraries. 841. Acts of Intervention: Performance, Gay Culture, and AIDS, by David Roman. 1998. Indiana University Press, 601 N Morton St., Bloomington, IN 47404-3797. 344p., illus., bibliog., index. (Unnatural Acts). ISBN 0-253-33370-9, 0-253-21168-9pbk. $39.95, $19.95pbk. (Descriptors: Theater; American Drama; History and Criticism; Gay Actors; Biography; AIDS in Literature) This book "examines the ways that gay men have used theatre and performance to intervene in the crisis of AIDS." It focuses on theater and performance and "on the specific cultural field of the theatre and the particular possibilities made available through performance to address AIDS." The 8 chapters cover: "Acts of Intervention," "One and Counting: Early AIDS Plays," "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want to!--AIDS Performance and the Circulation of Camp in the Late 1980s and Early 1990s," "Solo Performance and the Body on Stage," "Pomo Afro Homos' Fierce Love: Intervening in the Cultural Politics of Race, Sexuality, and AIDS," "Teatro Viva!--Latino Performance and the Politics of AIDS in Los Angeles," "November 1, 1992: AIDS/Angels in America," and "Negative Energies: HIV-Negatives and the Problem of Seroconversion." The afterword sums it up: "Rent's due is also that of AIDS performance. What's due is a recognition of the historical achievement of AIDS performance--from the earliest candlelight vigils and benefits to the most recent Broadway productions--in helping us confront AIDS. These cultural events provide the means for memorializing the dead, mobilizing the living, and sustaining hope and survival." What more can one say. This is a fascinating book that will take some time to read and re-read. Roman has done an excellent job in bringing a wealth of information about performance, gay culture, and AIDS to the reader. A highly recommended book for all libraries. 841. HIV and AIDS: An Interactive Curriculum for Health Sciences, project director Joyce K. Anastasi. 1996. Appleton & Lange/Columbia University School of Nursing, PO Box 120041, Stamford, CT 06912-0041. 4 CD-ROMs, 12-page Technical Reference, 34-page Instructor's Manual. $650.00. (Descriptors: Curriculum; Instruction) Guest reviewer: Debbie Blecic, Bibliographer for Life and Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago Library. HIV and AIDS: An Interactive Curriculum for the Health Sciences is a multimedia program contained on four CD-ROMs which was developed by the Columbia University School of Nursing and the Interactive Media Laboratory at Dartmouth Medical School. It is an outstanding interactive educational tool. The curriculum is divided into fifteen modules which together take about six hours to complete. Each module contains a lecture section followed by some type of interactive learning experience. All of the interactive learning experiences are extremely well done. In some of the modules, the interactive learning experience allows students to treat a patient in simulated office visits. In the simulated office, students must make choices in treating the patient. For example, the patient asks questions and the student must choose among varying responses. Students then receive feedback about the response they have chosen. The simulated office visits allow students to experience in six hours the course of AIDS in a patient, something that would take months or years in reality. The acting is extremely well done in the simulated office visits. Other interactive learning experiences include identifying patients with AIDS based on the 1993 Revised Classification System, identifying virus parts, identifying points in the virus life cycle that could be interrupted by specific treatment interventions, and much more. Graphics are excellent throughout. The lecture segments are well done as well. The fifteen modules are as follows: 1. "Introduction and Using the Program;" 2. "The HIV Epidemic: The People, the Statistics;" 3. "The Virus and the Immune System;" 4. "Coordination and Continuity of Health Care: The Interdisciplinary Team;" 5. "The Natural History of HIV Disease;" 6. "A Model for Health Maintenance;" 7. "Cofactors for Exposure and Transmission; Risk Assessment;" 8. "Counseling and Testing;" 9. "History and Physical Assessment;" 10. "Monitoring Health Status; Health Education;" 11. "Treatments to Prevent Disease Progression;" 12. "HIV Associated Conditions;" 13. "General Principles for Managing Late HIV Disease;" 14. "Diversity, Adversity...Reality;" and 15. "Controlling Infection in the Health Care Setting: Universal Precautions. Four real HIV patients appear throughout the modules discussing the effects of the disease on their lives and the issues they have had to face. The four patients face a variety of life situations and their statements add much to the program. The program is both Windows and Mac compatible. However, this reviewer could not get the program to run on Windows, there was a repeated problem with QuickTime. The program ran wonderfully on a Mac. So, if problems with Windows machines are encountered, try running it on a Mac. Overall, this is one of the best multimedia educational tools this reviewer has seen. It contains useful educational information combined with the emotional impact of real and simulated patients. It is highly recommended for health sciences libraries and learning laboratories. 842. AIDS: First Facts for Kids, by Linda Schwartz; illustrated by Denise Clemmensen. 1997. The Learning Works, PO Box 6187, Santa Barbara, CA 93160. 56p., illus. ISBN 0-88160-249-3. $8.95. (Descriptors: Juvenile, Facts) This excellent introductory overview of AIDS facts is intended for children in grades 4-6. It is intended to provide an understanding about HIV/AIDS so that young people will be better equipped to deal with peer pressures as they grow older. Any discussions about sexuality, sexual activity, and the results of unprotected sex can be extremely controversial. Unfortunately, there are some adults who will not allow their children to be informed about these controversial topics. Sadly, some of those children will be victims of the HIV virus. The book is put together in the form of questions and answers, together with various projects and additional reading. Also included are the introduction of new words, indicating how they are pronounced and defined. There are six sections covering: "All About HIV/AIDS," "How HIV is Spread," "Understanding HIV/AIDS," "HIV/AIDS Prevention," "HIV/AIDS Treatments," and "Profiles and Feelings About HIV/AIDS." The last two sections provide extended activities that help students learn more about HIV/AIDS and a list of books to read plus resources for more information. This is a very positive book that does not delve on the aspects of safer sex but rather on what AIDS is, how it is transmitted, and what can be done if you become HIV positive. A recommended book for all school and public libraries as well as a personal workbook for students. 843. Clinical Care Options for HIV, v.3, no. 1, 2, 3; May, Summer, Winter, 1997. Healthcare Communications Group, 21755 Ventura Blvd., Ste. 193, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. 18p., 19p., 16p. Free. Also, available at http://www.healthcg.com. (Descriptors: Healthcare, Treatments) These three issues continue to provide up-to-date frontline HIV health care information for all physicians, researchers, and students. The articles are brief but very informative. Volume 3, no. 1 contains three articles: "New Guidelines for the Prevention of Mycobacterium avium Complex Disease in Patients with HIV," by Richard E. Chaisson and William R. Bishai; "Viral Load Assays for Research and Treatment of HIV Disease," by Bruce Polsky, and "Occupational HIV Exposure: Epidemiology and New Guidelines for Post-Exposure Management," by Charles van der Horst and David Wohl. Volume 3, no. 2 contains 4 articles that are selected presentations from the 7th Annual Clinical Care Options for HIV Symposium, Laguna Niguel, May 29-June 1, 1997: "Eradication of Infected Cells and Generation of Drug-Resistant Mutants," by John Coffin; "Report: Advances in Immune Reconstitution," by H. Clifford Lane; "HIV-Infected Women: Transmission and Management Strategies," by Howard Mincoff; and "The Future of HIV/AIDS," by James Curran. The third number of volume 3 contains five articles: "HIV Antiretroviral Therapy: Advances in 1997 and New Challenges," by Anne C. Collier; "Opportunistic Infections: In the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy, Is Prophylaxis Necessary?," by William K. Powderly, Pablo Tebas; "Cytomegalovirus Disease: A Perspective following IDSA and ICAAC, 1997," by Stephen A. Spector; "An Attempt to Reconstitute Immune Function in HIV-1 Infected Individuals by Combining an HIV-1-Specific Immune Based Therapy with HAART," by Ronald Moss; and "Immune Restoration with Low Dose Interleukin-2," by Kendall A. Smith. This is a highly recommended publication for all healthcare providers who are involved with the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients. 844. Clinical Care Options for HIV: Continuum of Care Series, no. 3, November, 1997; no. 6, July, 1997; no. 7, October, 1997; no. 9, October, 1997; no. 10, November, 1997. Healthcre Communications Group, 21755 Ventura Blvd., Ste 193, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. 38p., 19p., 19p., 24p., 20p. Free. Also, available at http://www.healthcg.com (Descriptors: Healthcare, Treatments, Research) These excellent publications are intended to provide continuing education for healthcare providers who are treating HIV/AIDS patients. Each discusses a separate topic, including a list of references for additional reading. There is a post-test with each monograph that is intended to test the reader on how well the information was comprehended. The 5 monographs included here cover: no. 3: "Antiretroviral Therapy," by Robert Murphy, and Joel E. Gallant; no. 6: "Fungal Infections: Diagnosis and Management in Patients with HIV Disease," by William G. Powderly; no. 7: "The Management of Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasmosis, and HSV Infections in Patients with HIV Disease," by Richard Chaisson and William Bishai; no. 9: "HIV Disease in Women," by Alexandra M. Levine; and no. 10: "Hematologic Manifestations of HIV Disease," by Alexandra M. Levine. This excellent series is intended for front line primary care physicians and specialists, pharmacists, advanced nurse clinicians and nurse practitioners, as well as generalists in these professions, who have an understanding of HIV/AIDS. It is a highly recommended series.