Review by Choice Review
With media emphasis on the spread of AIDS in Africa and the US, the developing epidemic in Southeast Asia and China is often overlooked. Many of the reasons for the spread of the disease in Asia are similar to those that contributed to the African devastation: ignorance, poverty, lack of education, and a refusal to acknowledge the presence of AIDS. An independent consultant to world health organizations, Hunter addresses these and other issues. Her analysis begins with a historical overview of disease in what are now Third World countries. Approximately a third of the book parallels and updates William McNeill's 1976 classic, Plagues and Peoples. This book particularly emphasizes the modern growth of the drug culture, as well as religion, tribal interactions, and the rise of warlords, each of which has contributed to the burgeoning epidemic. The role of the CIA and its "narco war" in Afghanistan and Pakistan provides an example of how good intentions may go awry. The book finishes on a depressing note, with discussion of the potential impact on the next generation of children. Numerous references, both professional and popular, are supplied for each chapter. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels. R. Adler University of Michigan--Dearborn
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
