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& AIDS and the Arrows of Pestilence

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Dr. Charles F. Clark

(Fulcram Publishing)

Dr. Charles F. Clark, an adjunct associate professor at the University of South Florida Center for HIV Education and Research, provides a clear, concise and readable look at the AIDS epidemic confronting the world.

Beginning with an historical overview of disease and, in particular, epidemics throughout the history of man, Dr. Clark prepares the reader to see the big picture and to recognize AIDS as both a physiological and cultural problem. Dr. Clark identifies the standard risk groups as gay men and intravenous drug users, but he cautions that historically epidemic diseases filter through to all classes and groups in society and provides examples of the contamination of the blood supply and the presence of HIV in the heterosexual population.

Dr. Clark indicates that ‘‘moral judgements about innocence and guilt, victims and criminals do not help us understand the HIV epidemic. Individual behaviours do not cause epidemics. Even high-risk individual behaviours do not cause epidemics. Evolutionary biology gives us the infectious disease microorganism, and social organization determines who will be at high risk or at low risk for infection.’’

Dr. Clark argues that since the social organization or culture provides the fertile ground in which an epidemic takes root, the most effective action to curtail the spread would be social or cultural modification. He also suggests that two social/cultural actions could prevent the incremental spread of AIDS: These actions are ‘‘widespread, consistent condom use’’ and the legalization of “‘heroin and cocaine’’. These actions will reduce the spread of AIDS within the at-risk populations and prevent or, at least, reduce the spread into low-risk populations.

Dr. Clark’s arguments are supported by historical precedent and current research. This reviewer has followed the HIV/AIDS story over the years and, based on the ongoing failure of modern science and medicine, believes that Dr. Clark’s proposals may hold the brightest and best hope of this society to curtail the epidemic of the 1990’s. ;

-- David Schneider

Ave. across from U.PE.I. 566-4466

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In Search of Cigarette Holder Man:

1A Doonesbury Book

|G.B. Trudeau

| (Andrews and McMeel)

| Doonesbury is one of those old, eternally running strips that you either ‘get’ or you skip |

| read the Dog-Gone Funnies at the end of Marmaduke. 1 don’t mean to insult non-Doonesb fans, I'm just trying to make a point: Doonesbury is one of the few cartoon strips that combi

both a large cast of well-defined characters with a continuous storyline based on current eve

| It’s political and whimsical and just plain funny, all at once. Provided, of course, that youk up on current events.

In Search of Cigarette Holder Man isa collection of Doonesbury’s best cartoons fi | 1993. That was the year that Whitewater turned out to be the biggest flop the scandal indu: | had ever seen, the J.F.K. assassination commemorated its 30th anniversary, and stringentr | cigarette laws forced the tobacco industry to search out a market in Asia. How dol remem

allofthis? With a laugh, because Mr. Trudeau thoughtfully included them in his cartoon str There’s so much going on in this book that it gets to be like unravelling spaghetti fr an egg-beater. It starts with Mr. Butts, a giant, walking, talking anthropomorphic cigare | trying to convince a group of sceptical young Chinese that American cigarettes are glamor

Mr. Butts:’’ Compare.‘em to your own state brands-- What’s the most popular?”’

Chinese Teen: ‘‘Death-to-the-Four-Cockroaches [00’s’* | ©? “78> "Her" Mr. Butts: ‘‘No offense, but I rest my case.”’

And it continues in that vein throughout the book.. Mark, the deejay, sudde | announces that he’s gay... and everyone wants to stick him back in the closet (“‘Damm | thought I’d have the family from Philadelphia...). Professor Deadman discovers the peril | grading on merit as opposed to grade inflation when a frat member sues him over B+. Zon | gets out of jury duty on a surfing exemption. Duke revamps his own personal addition to | JFK conspiracy when a photograph he faked to cash in on the 1967 conspiracy theories tu

upatthe 1993 convention of conspiracy buffs. His goals: book rights and million dollar mo deals! . The press gets irate when Whitewater proves a washout (‘‘Cover up nothing?’’ “‘Y sir. Just to be on the safe side.’”) Old Nixon strips are reprinted with new, politically con captions. And so on. It’s all tremendous fun. But there is one sour note. The graduation ceremony str! about the students’ bright new future with the Gap is sadly all too true. But, as one stud observes, ‘‘At least we got an ‘ejucation’.”’

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll wonder, ‘“What the f--- was that supposed to meat

7 Andif youactually get the point of this marvellously intricate cartoon, you’ ll have a blast do it. | -- Trent Drake

Love is Hell Special Ultra-J umbo 10th

Anniversary Edition, A Cartoon Book by Matt Groening

Pantheon Love is Hell is funny. It’s not as funny as The Simpsons, the hilarious and wildly pop television cartoon from the same creator, but definitely funnier than Full House or Married... Children.

Loveis Hell isa collection of advice and observations by Groening’s classic charac from the long-running comic strip Life in Hell. As they navigate the treacherous waters of elationships, we feel the blast of every torpedo. Who among us hasn’t wished for ex

idance regarding the nine types of boyfriend, the nine types of girlfriend or the 57 varie flove? Groening makes me laugh because he allows me to say “*Goo, even the moron | crush on in junior high wasn’t this pathetic’.

The art is probably not what sells Groening’s comics. His rabbits look as much rabbits as Bart Simpson looks like my next-door neighbour. It is what Groening says so entertaining. This leads to one minor complaint about his style. Many panels are too W° Although I enjoy the bite in Groening’s humour, this is not a cartoon book I would

‘0 a child in elementary school (a lot of the panels aren’t about love, they are about S-E h wouldn’t give this book to my mother either (see above reasoning). The book gains its 1a4 from making fun of men, women, sexual preference, dating, matriage, sex, religion, pe s¢ system, childhood, baby-hood, parenting, the workaholic 80’s and the sensitive 90’s. ; find any of the preceding offensive, you are undoubtedly justified and this is a book yous just pass on. If you agree that love and life in general can be hell, Matt Groening’s Love! would make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift. -- Shannon Younker

January 17, 1995