Customer Reviews

The First Year--HIV: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

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The First Year: HIV is a guide specifically written for those newly diagnosed with HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), by HIV-positive patient advocate Brett Grodeck who himself has lived with the virus for the past fifteen years. In accessible and plain terms ideal for the non-specialist general reader, individual chapters cover support group resources, advice and strategies for making the needed changes to one's lifestyle, words of wisdom and caution about discussing the issue of one's HIV status with friends and co-workers, the latest medical research, the option of having HIV-negative children even if one is a HIV-positive man or woman, and more. If you or a loved one is having to deal with the medical and social issues of being HIV positive, then this is the book you should begin your personal research with.

This is an accessible, nonjudgmental guide for people dealing with an HIV diagnosis, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or needle/drug use status.

Grodeck, an online editor for the Rand Corporation who has been HIV-positive for 15 years, does not downplay the complexity of HIV, but his optimism about one's ability to live well with it is clear.

His book is broadly arranged by:

-- days (one through seven, from adjusting to the news through finding free services, considering a support group, and tracking one's health);

-- weeks (two through four, including dealing with the many aspects of HIV status disclosure); and

-- months (two through 12, including dating and sex, nutrition and exercise, managing medication -- and a very optimistic chapter on having children).

Given the constant changes in drug treatment, Grodeck does not focus on the latest in medications, gives short shrift to alternative medicines, and urges readers to find the best possible health provider, with many tips on how to do so. Experts are frequently quoted by both name and professional affiliation.

There are also sidebars on such issues as AIDS-defining opportunistic infections and 25 pages of resources -- all surprisingly lacking URLs. Libraries owning John Bartlett and Ann Finkbeiner's excellent -- though somewhat more densely written -- The Guide to Living with HIV Infection may consider this an optional purchase, but Grodeck's modestly priced and readable guide is suitable for both public libraries and for collections in HIV/AIDS or drug counseling agencies.

-- Martha E. Stone, Massachusetts General Hosp. Lib., Boston (August 15, 2003)

Books on Health: Smart Approach to H.I.V.
(December 9, 2003)

It is hard to be optimistic about an incurable disease, but the author of this supportive resource, a writer who has had H.I.V. for 25 years, manages to do it. "Now that I'm healthy," he writes, "I'm far more worried about getting in a car accident on the Los Angeles Freeway than I am about getting sick from H.I.V."

Mr. Grodeck, an online editor for the RAND Corporation, guides readers through the first seven days after diagnosis, the next three weeks, and the rest of the year.

Combining the human element with essential information about treatment options, choosing the right doctors, the importance of diet and exercise, holistic alternatives and sex, the book transforms a complex disease into one that can be understood and managed.

In his discussion of treatment options, Mr. Grodeck takes a level-headed approach.

While noting that the new generation of medicines, taken together in various combinations, can slow or even halt the virus, he cautions that so-called alternative therapies do not improve the course of H.I.V. and that some are dangerous and can make the infection worse.

"If you like gambling," he writes, "you'll love herbal medicine. Most herbal or plant-based medicines haven't been properly tested, so they are risky." Moreover, he says, people taking prescription drugs should "be careful about taking herbs and supplements."

"Herbs and supplements do not work for treating H.I.V.," Mr. Grodeck concludes, "but some forms of alternative medicine help with symptoms of anxiety and depression."

The writing is easy-to-read, with a tone that's friendly and down-to-earth. It's like a good support group in a book, with quotes from the author's personal experiences and that of other people living with HIV. Chapters are only three to five pages in length. Technical matters, such as resistance testing, are put in easy-to-understand terms. Even people way past the first year will find it useful.

Dr. Dan Berger, a columnist for Positively Aware (see "The Buzz"), contributed greatly to the book and wrote the foreword. In addition to medical issues, the book covers topics such as disclosure, depression and where to go if you've been discriminated against.

--October issue of Positively Aware

This is a wonderful book it gives a general view on what to expect and which resources you have available. I believe it also helps family members understand better what their love one goes through, and how they can help.
Great tool I wholeheartedly recommended it. :)

A WONDERFUL PRIMER FOR THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED, AS WELL AS FOR THE NOT SO NEWLY DIAGNOSED........HIGHLY INFORMATIVE AS WELL AS UPLIFTING.

Considering the very few non-scholarly sources available, HIV: The First Year is extremely user friendly and informative guide from which to teach. As an advanced paramedic instructor for a third-party provider, I found the recent information on drug regimens and the infectious process invaluable. Relatively inexpensive, HIV: The First Year should be required reading for any pre-hospital or hospital clinician in close contact with HIV/AIDS patients.

Brett Grodeck writes a MUST HAVE book for anyone recently diagnosed with HIV and for their friends, family, and loved ones! Written in a very digestable and comprehensive language geared towards the non-medical average Joe-shmoe, this book outlines and discusses issues and concerns that will eventually rise up during your first year with the disease.

I recommend this book be read cocurrently with The Guide to Living with HIV Infection by John G. Bartlett, M.D. and Ann K. Finkbeiner from John Hopkins AIDS Clinic. Both books compliment each other nicely. Grodeck's book is much more psychosocially based and the Hopkins Guide is very medically oriented.

Highly recommended without any reservation!

Mr. Grodeck has done it again. For years Mr. Grodeck has kept the world informed about one of the most pressing and unprecedented issues of our time: Living with HIV. Now, all of his years of experience and "research" can be found in one compelling and informative volume. His writing style is both entertaining and captivating. I recommend this book for anyone dealing with HIV; whether personally or through a loved one.

Five stars isn't a high enough rating: I give it 10 STARS.

I got this thinking it would be helpful in my job as a HIV Case Manager, was I wrong. The author has a major conflict of interest with the pharmaceutical industry and it skews his viewpoints tremendously to the detriment of the patient. The only reason I rate this at 2 stars is it is good at approaching the emotional and psychological aspects of being newly diagnosed and the stigma associated with it. Avoid any of the chapters dealing with medical treatment!