HISTORY OF AIDS: Emergence and Origin of...

HISTORY OF AIDS: Emergence and Origin of a Modern Pandemic by Mirko D. Grmek translated from the French by Russell C. Maulitz & Jacalyn Duffin (Princeton University Press: $16.95; 279 pp.). Although AIDS is widely believed to have appeared around 1980, Mirko Grmek’s “biography” of the disease reveals the virus existed in 1940: A generation later, a combination of promiscuity, ease of travel and, ironically, improved medical technology facilitated its dissemination. Grmek concentrates on the history and sociology of the disease, offering a judicious evaluation of the controversy surrounding its discovery, an examination of the political rhetoric it has engendered and a condemnation of the politicians who allowed it to spread because it initially attacked “marginal” populations. As the number of cases reaches ever more appalling levels and a cure and vaccine continue to elude researchers, Grmek cannot offer optimistic conclusions. But he presents an intelligent, balanced study that should be read by anyone concerned about the epidemic.