Viral Sex: The Nature of AIDS

by Jaap Goudsmit

Book Overview

The current worldwide AIDS crisis is about 20 years old, but the disease itself is much older. In fact, AIDS is only the latest chapter in the evolution of the complex retrovirus we call HIV. Where was HIV lurking before it emerged in the early 1980s? There is some evidence that the Western strain of HIV arose in Europe as early as 1939. There is even more evidence that HIV is a direct descendant of a virus which has long infected certain African...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195124960
• ISBN13: 9780195124965
• Release Date: November 1998
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.81 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

An cogently written explanation...

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-

A wonderful-OBJECTIVE book on the AIDs virus

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!

The definitive history of the origins of AIDS

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.

Clear and even-handed summary of aids research to date.

This is THE book to read on the spread of AIDS and the HIV virus. It has the best coverage of the natural history of the HIV virus and related viruses I have found. Goudsmit explains HIV in terms of geography, ecology, and history. He is even-handed; his explanation of the controversy over the discovery of the HIV virus is clear and not contentious. The book is well referenced, with a good bibliography and a glossary.