LEARNING ABOUT AIDS

Trying to involve readers, the authors begin by inadvertently fostering stereotypical fears: there's a lot of whispering; perhaps you notice that your mother no longer kisses your fatigued uncle. Subsequent efforts to educate readers never overcome this offensive, out-of-date opening. Contents here include the role of organs in immunity; the body's defenses; how the disease is caught and how it's not (kissing is mentioned again but without reference to the opening); children with AIDS; disease symptoms, progress, and treatment; how to help people with AIDS; how to stay safe (premarital chastity is stressed). The book has strengths (clarity in dealing with technical material; a discussion of drugs in addiction to AZT, including some natural substances), but the Silversteins sometimes fail to express a point of view--e.g., they mention the time required for testing new drugs but do not indicate the lack of government effort to hasten the process.