The Wisdom Of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, And The Business Of AIDS (2008) - Plot & Excerpts
Despite dealing with some complicated statistics this is a really well written and easy to read book, and a vital insight in to the world of HIV/AIDS and all the factors that have influenced the world's response to the emerging epidemic. Pisani's personality is present in her writing which adds a personal touch, and in places, humour. I learnt a huge amount from this book, about the ins and outs (literal and otherwise) of HIV, the way that international aid works, and the scandalous power that political and commercial forces have upon the lives of those infected or at risk. She makes a really good case for how millions of lives could have been saved through a different approach to treatment and prevention, based on both her own experiences and on common sense. First off, epidemiologists do not great writers make. Pisani was actually a journalist first, but the book really doesn’t read very smoothly and sometimes her point gets garbled as she goes off on a tangent. That being said, with patience, you can glean a lot from her experience working in the field.Pisani does not sugarcoat. Not even a little. She points out all of the millions of ways that a scientific study can go wrong, and proves that they often do. After reading this book, you may find it harder to believe studies that you read. You’ll end up becoming a more critical consumer of scientific research, which in my humble opinion is a good thing. Pisani is also incredibly blunt in her explanations and in her language. Some may find this offensive and off-putting. I know I found it hard to read at first, but after a while I realized that this was the language of her work and it reminded me of my days at Planned Parenthood. Sometimes you just can’t use the accurate, scientific language that is “proper” because your client has a whole different set of vocabulary. Maybe it’s crude or unprofessional, but the best way to communicate at times like these is to adopt the language of the other and work through things on their terms. If you can adjust your thinking like that, Pisani’s book becomes easier to digest.I wouldn’t recommend this book to just anyone wanting to learn about HIV/AIDS research. Having a lot of background knowledge helps make sense of what she writes, and some understanding of anthropology is no doubt useful as well. But if you’re looking for a balls out description of the kinds of work HIV/AIDS-focused epidemiologists do, then this is your book!
What do You think about The Wisdom Of Whores: Bureaucrats, Brothels, And The Business Of AIDS (2008)?
Good bridge/gap-filler between dissenter and conventional literature, though it doesn't mean to be.
—melissa
tentu saja yg saya miliki yg edisi Indonesia. curiosity kills the cat! hehe..
—marie1450
good survey of public health field/research
—broboris
