Customer Reviews

The Invisible People: How the U.S. Has Slept Through the Global AIDS Pandemic, the Greatest Humanitarian Catastrophe of Our Time

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No one can question Mr. Behrman's command of this subject as the reader walks through colorful personal accounts of the United States' action and lack of action in regards to the global AIDS epidemic over the last 20 years. But what this book does so well is provide a human element to each of the stories that allows the reader to connect to the plight of the activist and, more importantly, the devastation felt by so many mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers who innocently and unnecessarily fall victim to this pandemic.

"The Invisible People" is a well-crafted narrative that forces the reader to recognize that we can no longer passively isolate ourselves into two camps, "affected" and "not affected." We must stand outstretched between the two as we strive to redefine one camp, "no risk of being affected." An amazing feat by Mr. Behrman.

This work stands as an incredible tribute to the victims of the AIDS epidemic; do your part and read it today.

This was the most difficult book I read all year, of many that I read, bored at sea and often bored with the book in hand. Difficult because it poses a damning question about America and its policy priorities. Difficult because it carefully, throughly reveals to the reader with a fair eye how poorly the US (and world) response to the AIDS epidemic has been. There are villians and heroes (many heroes in fact), tragic figures and inspiring ones, but what remains throughout is the compassion the author gives them all. No one is villified by criticism in this book, their actions (and reasoning) speak louder than words, for better or worse. Difficult because it is just so damn heartbreaking and galling that we failed so miserably for 20 years.
I don't like to see the US fail in anything, but I am afraid that we are failing and failing miserably in a war we are tepid about fighting. For this epidemic not to rip apart Russia, India and China the way it is ripping Africa apart now, more and more people will need to read this astonishing, revealing story of how the US nearly lost the war on AIDS before George W. Bush even started it in January 2003, so that we can learn from our past mistakes and not make them again. We can only hope Pres. Bush is learning from those mistakes so the massive amount of capital he is infusing into the fight (and more later) is not wasted. A must for anyone interested in international affairs, medicine, society (both in America and in the greater world), economics, history, politics and just about any other field that has any connection to this increasingly interconnected world.

Greg Behrman's Invisible People is a riveting, well-written account of how the AIDS epidemic has shaped the global landscape. Personally, I was astounded by the statistics in the preface --25 million dead, 40 million currently infected, 8,000 people dying of AIDS every day--and gripped by Behrman's description of the heroes and villians in our battle against one of the greatest killers the world has ever known. This is an important book.

The Preface of this book alone will shock most readers, even those--including myself--who, prior to reading this book, THINK they know about the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For example, currently there are over 8,000 AIDS deaths every day, totaling approximately 25 million so far--more than the ALL the deaths of ALL the wars of the twentieth century--COMBINED.

The primary theme throughout Invisible People is how at each critical juncture the ignorance and inaction of political leaders has encouraged the virus to thrive and spread, unnecessarily infecting and killing millions.

I am not the first nor the last to say that history will one day show that the HIV/AIDS pandemic will be the defining health and humanitarian issue--if not the single most important issue--of our time. Our descendants will no doubt look back and wonder why so little was done so late in the face of such a horrible tragedy.

While the shear amount of information is at times daunting, Behrman skillfully weaves a story of the pandemic and its activists, scientists, politicians, and victims that reads like a novel.

Here's a pop quiz. What is AIDS? Some replies - An illness. Treatable. Starts with HIV. Used to be a terrifying death sentence, but now it's under control.

All true. But in this book, author Greg Behrman has some different responses to the same question: "What is AIDS?" Here are his answers: a cause of global terrorism; a time bomb; an unanswered moral challenge.

These are all shocking words. What makes them so is a horrifying contrast - the disease called AIDS is a treatable illness, and it is also a death sentence. How can this be? The answer is two words: money and geography. If you live in the USA and the developed world, it's highly unlikely you'll die from the disease. If you live in Africa or India, you're doomed. In order to understand this frightening paradox, Greg Behrman has written a masterful and heartfelt book, a history with the facts laid bare.

At school or for pleasure, most of us have read histories - of the Civil War, and other important events. We read about events that are done with, where the consequences of actions undertaken are known, where decisions and indecisions can be analyzed. It's a very different feeling to read - and, I imagine, to write - a history in the middle of the events you are describing. This is the huge task that Greg Behrman undertakes in a brilliant summary of the history of HIV/AIDS and what it means for the safety and the future of the USA and the world.

Greg Behrman fiercely challenges the world's response to the AIDS epidemic - all that suffering that is so far away, so removed from our everyday lives. It's too hard to do anything about, so why not just ignore it? Behrman lays out a harsh and frightening overview. He is a brilliant, young policy researcher and analyst who sounds a warning that AIDS - "the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time" is also a national security threat to the USA. The AIDS epidemic is a time bomb because it can destabilize continents and destroy countries.

However, on the evidence, he's going to have a hard time making his point, at least as long as Africa is seen as the main area scourged by AIDS. The disease isn't incurable - it just needs wealth and access to drugs. The ruling elites in Africa will get treatment, and the poor will suffer and die. Africans are already victims of the miseries of war, poverty and disease; very little is being done for them by the international community and even less by their own governments, with a couple of exceptions.

Africa gets all the publicity because the continent is too weak to hide its sick and dying from the international community. The real danger lies in Russia, and to a lesser extent South East Asia. That is where instability can lead to terrorism and the collapse of economies. Russia, China and other semi-developed countries will continue to lie about their AIDS statistics because, like Africa, they can't do much to help the infected. It needs a very well developed government infrastructure to deliver health care to people, and there is neither the will nor the money to do it. In the future, countries with increasing wealth, like China and India, will face the crisis and solve it. The weak countries will continue to cry out for the world's assistance. In this book, Greg Behrman constantly makes the point that the USA has a moral obligation to assist - we are wealthy, powerful and able, and it is unconscionable to look away.

Certainly, the tragic need is heartbreaking and huge. Three out of every hundred households in South Africa is headed by an orphaned child, taking care of other, even younger children. Almost a million children have lost their mothers to AIDS, and the numbers are rising. Zimbabwe, South Africa's northerly neighbor, is undergoing an ecological crisis because all the forests are being cut down to make coffins for AIDS victims.

In response to information like this, people want to help. But how to have an effect? On the smaller, familial level, a family in Kirkwood here in St. Louis, has set up One World Family (www.oneworldfamily.us) to improve the quality of life of children affected by the disease. The assistance is often very basic - food and shelter - since the children lack everything. On a larger scale, the FreePlay Foundation (www.freeplayfoundation.org) has developed the Lifeline radio, which plays non-stop using wind-up energy and solar power and is the first radio ever produced solely for humanitarian use. The foundation gives child-headed households these radios, which provide advice and reassurance to the frightened and lonely children, huddled together, starving in the dark.
So there is hope, but not much. It will have to do.

"The Invisible People" is a long overdue call to arms against the exploding global AIDS pandemic. In vivid detail, Behrman describes the crippling effect of AIDS in Africa while exposing the social and political roots of the perpetually ineffective global response. Behrman's plea goes beyond a heart wrenching portrayal of the massive humanitarian toll wrought by AIDS as he convincingly outlines the terrifying national security threats posed by the growing epidemic. Behrman drives his point home -- AIDS is the Holocaust of the 21st century. To anyone who doubts this claim, I suggest you read the book.

Greg Behrman's The Invisible People is incredibly well informed, presents a thorough history of the US response to the globabl AIDS crisis and makes a passionate call for action on the part of the derelict West, especially the United States. That is the end of the good news. The history Behrman's book reveals is nothing short of shameful. Even readers attentive to the state of this global catastrophe will be surprised at the repeated and avoidable mistakes and nearly willful lack of vision he details at all levels of international and US national leadership.

Behrman presents a sobering account of the human suffering caused by the AIDS pandemic as well as intriguing, behind-the-scenes portraits of people who have tried to stem the tide of an impending disaster.

This book is a must-have for anyone concerned with matters of global health, security, economics or, indeed, moral responsibility.

How and why did the United States fail in letting AIDS get by us? After twenty years of such a tragic pandemic that kills 8,500 people daily worldwide, and infects 14,000 daily, one would think the United States would have taken a more aggressive approach in attacking this disease in its early stages. How did we let HIV/AIDS get to this point? This is the U.S.A! We should be able to fight a successful battle against AIDS. Instead, we are losing it. Plus, 65 million people worldwide have been affected by it.

I applaud Greg Behrman for exposing the real facts about the Global AIDS Pandemic. He is factual and his story instills in the reader anger and frustration that our government failed in the AIDS pandemic. We are in the midst of the worst pandemic our world has ever seen, and STILL our government and people aren't doing enough to stop the spread of this insidious disease. Is it because we don't like to think about it? Maybe there's just too much apathy. Well, we can't afford to stand by and let complacency take over. Too many lives have been lost... many more lives will be lost throughout the world in the next few years. AIDS doesn't discriminate...It affects young and old, men and women, democrats and republicans, babies and grandparents, affluent and indigent, gay and straight.

Mr. Behrman does an excellent job in explaining how our government failed to address this disease in the early 1980's and throughout the past twenty years. President Reagan was reticent to mention the word AIDS until 1987 after thousands of Americans had died of AIDS, and thousands more had succumbed to this disease in other countries. But can we put the blame solely on President Reagan? Probably not. His advisors questioned whether the Lord brought down this plague. AND also whether it was God's punishment!! With people like this at the helm, how could our government attack this epidemic aggressively? People were dying, but no one cared or noticed. According to Behrman, Jerry Falwell preached, "AIDS is God's punishment.." in a 1983 television sermon. Now does this really sound Christian or help in reducing the stigma of HIV/AIDS? How can we let a disease like AIDS which can be prevented, wipe out thousands of people daily? (including innocent babies, etc.) As Behrman points out, the disease is already rampant in Africa, and escalating to India, Russia, and China. What will happen to these economies? What will happen to the workers, teachers, doctors, etc.? What will happen to the millions of orphans? (At present 15 million)

Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, realized the serious threat of AIDS and found President Reagan eager to learn and do more about AIDS, but advisors, according to Behrman, advised him against discussing AIDS in public.

"The Invisible People" is a book filled with passion and straight, shocking facts. It depicts various accounts of the United States' lack of action in one of the worst pandemics our world has ever encountered. Today, the projections for future HIV infections throughout the world are staggering and incomprehensible; but they are real!

What will our children and grandchildren ask when we are gone? Maybe, "Why didn't they do something to stop this dreaded disease?" Let's not let this happen to future generations. We will be judged on how we responded to AIDS. We must come together as a UNITED country, (Democrats and Republicans) and find a way to stop the spread of this GLOBAL Pandemic. Thank you Greg Behrman for waking this country up to the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of our time.

Nancy A. Draper (Author) A Burden of Silence: My Mother's Battle with AIDS