The Voices of AIDS

The author of 100 Questions & Answers About AIDS effectively balances objective information about AIDS with accounts of individual experiences with AIDS and HIV to provide a helpful introductory look at this urgent subject. ``AIDS Fast Facts''-succinct, unflinching discussions about AIDS transmission, ``safer'' sex, the hows and whys of testing, etc.-alternate with a dozen chapter-length Q&A-style interviews. Some of Ford's respondents are HIV-positive while others have an infected friend or relative; all, however, are committed AIDS activists or educators. While their stories are affecting, the actual statements are often rambling and repetitious, and a few speakers rely heavily on pop psychology. On the other hand, the interviewees come from a range of social and cultural backgrounds, challenging widespread stereotypes of people with AIDS. This book impressively demonstrates that there is no one population ``at risk''-and that responsible behavior is everyone's business. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)