Timberg and Halperin may ruffle feathers with some of their unorthodox views, but they present a forceful case with which...
Timberg, the former Johannesburg bureau chief for the Washington Post and current deputy national security editor, and Halperin, an epidemiologist and AIDS expert at Harvard, trace the history, growth and spread of HIV and present what will in the minds of many be a controversial approach to addressing the disease.
Although the subtitle sounds vaguely conspiratorial, the authors crisply chronicle the origins of AIDS from chimpanzees in West Africa and follow the perhaps shockingly slow spread of HIV across the African continent and to the rest of the world. The key factor in the spread of the disease was the expansion of European colonialism in Africa, which took a virus that otherwise may well have died off and instead created the conditions by which, decades later, it would become a scourge in many parts of the world. But European colonial-era malfeasance is not the only issue at work in this book. In addition to a useful history of the disease, Timberg and Halperin examine how to confront it and develop more effective ways to fight it. If Western imperialism is to blame for the initial proliferation of HIV/AIDS, Western arrogance and the unintended consequences of good intentions may well have prevented adequate treatment. While Western health advocates have supported abstinence campaigns and condom use, the authors argue that homegrown initiatives hold more promise than many Westerners have been willing to acknowledge, and that new research on the importance of sexual behavior and male circumcision is central to developing a coherent approach going forward.
Timberg and Halperin may ruffle feathers with some of their unorthodox views, but they present a forceful case with which future students of HIV and AIDS will have to reckon.Pub Date: March 5, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59420-327-5
Page Count: 430
Publisher: Penguin Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 23, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2012
Diminutive sex therapist ``Dr. Ruth'' presents a sex guide for Orthodox and traditional Conservative Jews. ``People pick up the Bible for many different reasons but rarely, if ever, as a sex manual. That is their mistake,'' writes Westheimer. Here, with Jewish Week associate editor Mark, she sets out to correct this error. Westheimer begins by explaining Judaism's attitude toward sex, one which she considers particularly healthy. Judaism doesn't exalt celibacy; in fact, it frowns upon it. Women's satisfaction in marriage is not only discussed among the Talmudic sages, it is absolutely required of the husband. Lust and sexual impropriety are acknowledged and treated within Jewish law. In addition to the commandment against coveting thy neighbor's wife, Westheimer finds many explicit and implicit references to sex in the Hebrew Bible and rabbinical literature, focusing in particular on Genesis, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Talmudic and Kabbalistic sources. This last especially provides much fodder for the author. Westheimer also covers the commandments, the ritual bath, or mikvah, weddings, and the Sabbath, a day on which it is a special mitzvah (commandment) to have sex. Here the author offers a lovely metaphor for the relationship between husband and wife on the Sabbath: At the beginning of the day, the woman lights and blesses two candles, which according to Westheimer may represent the man and woman. At the end of the Sabbath, another blessing is made by candlelight, only this time the two wicks are joined together, often intertwined, representing the married couple, who have been brought closer through their sexual union. But this small gem is a rarity in a basically didactic and monotonous little book.
Pub Date: Nov. 6, 1995
ISBN: 0-8147-9268-5
Page Count: 188
Publisher: New York Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1995
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From the profession that sets the standards for injury prevention and rehabilitation, a well-laid-out, thorough guide to avoiding musculoskeletal injury and diagnosing and treating it when it does occur. Physical therapist Moffat (president emeritus of the APTA) and co-author Vickery’s emphasis is on the casual athlete over 30 years of age: “as midlife approaches, the aging process and increasing inactivity can transform many every day activities into minefields of pootential aches, pains and injuries” (and serious athletes work at a higher level intensity than is addressed here). Looking at the bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and related structures, the authors first cover nine body areas most often affected: back, neck, jaw, shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, hip, knee, and ankle/foot. For each, there is instruction on preventing injury, diagnosis of problems (from mild soreness through strain, sprain, and worse), what self-help measures to take, and when to go for professional help. In part two, the authors cover muscle, tendon, and ligament fitness and injury prevention in general, especially the importance of incorporating the three elements of fitness’strength, flexibility and endurance—into any exercise endeavor. Finally, part three offers a comprehensive menu of specific exercises from which readers can design a regimen that meets their needs. The language is easily understandable, and readers are put straight on many commonly misused terms (for instance, whiplash). The same ground as Feldman, then (see p. TKTK), with more extensive background information and a more serious tone. (500 line drawings)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5571-1
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1999
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