“I have spent the last four years watching people die.” –Stephen Lewis
It is a little late for a book review on Stephen Lewis’ Race Against Time, however, I feel that those who have not read the book should really make an attempt to do so. Based on Lewis’ Massey Lectures in 2005, Race Against Time is a personal look into the AIDS crisis in Africa and the effects the pandemic has on the proposed Millennium Development Goals.
I am currently reading this book for one of my classes, and it is extremely moving and eye-opening. We have all heard about the many horrors in Africa, but I think it takes a book like Lewis’ to really drive the point home. As the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, along with over 45 years of experience in Africa, Lewis is a master on the topic of this Southern continent.
Chilling facts and histories are exposed in this book that will make anyone cringe. For instance, in Zambia, 23% of children are orphans; this is expected to increase to 1/3 children by 2010. In addition, thousands of children-headed households exist, where parents and granparents have died, leaving children to fend for themselves, many of which are also HIV positive.
If you get the chance, pick this book up and give it a read. It is a simple read and is not very long, yet is packed with information explaining the AIDS crisis, the failing Millennium Development Goals, and the international system that supports them.
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One Comment
Sounds intriguing, I will definately read it.