100 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT AIDS

A highly informative entry in the ``Open Door'' series, covering material neglected elsewhere—e.g., some women's indicators of disease that aren't included in the CDC definition of AIDS; how to make a dental dam; how to clean a syringe; different types of AIDS tests. A list of the questions upfront helps locate answers; the well-planned boldface and italics also facilitates use. The Q&A format enlivens the statistics and scientific material; Ford, who works in the gay community, also uses easily grasped analogies (the T cells are the generals; other cells get confused without a leader) and gritty, lengthy interviews to balance the Q&A. Two false notes—an unrealistic admonishment: ``Buying condoms should not make you feel embarrassed'' (feelings can't be dictated); and two interviews beginning with identical paragraphs, undermining credibility but not detracting much from the usefulness of this excellent manual. Extensive resources; glossary; index. (Nonfiction. 12+)