A Plague on All Our Houses

Starred review from August 29, 2016
Hillman (The Man Who Stalked Einstein), professor of radiology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, chronicles the frightening early days of America’s AIDS epidemic in this riveting narrative. He relies on interviews with Michael Gottlieb, who was the first to describe the disease in 1981; Gottlieb’s ex-wife Cindy; and associates in the “scantly explored world of university physicians.” Hillman shares how Gottlieb, then an untenured assistant professor at UCLA, went up against bosses and administrators who isolated him; relates the denialism of the Reagan administration, which wouldn’t address the epidemic until 1987; and addresses the politics of research and rewards. Gottlieb rose to fame as a well-spoken medical expert, treating AIDS-stricken actor Rock Hudson and collaborating with Hollywood icon Elizabeth Taylor in establishing a foundation dedicated to AIDS research. Hillman’s intriguing portrait will deepen readers’ understanding of those who worked tirelessly to solve a medical mystery, nobly yearning to save lives and leave an indelible mark on human history. Hillman argues that the larger story of AIDS can teach “important lessons for the future” on how nations can better deal with emerging epidemics.

September 1, 2016
Thirty-five years ago, Michael Gottlieb, a young UCLA doctor, first recognized AIDS as a mysterious new disease and published articles in the Centers for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report and in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. In this tale of medical and academic intrigue, his medical school classmate, Hillman (The Man Who Stalked Einstein, 2015), looks at the early history of AIDS research, fundraising, and politics. It's a tale filled with larger-than-life personalities, including stars like Elizabeth Taylor. It's also a tale filled with academic intrigue and jealousy. After all, Gottlieb became a media celebrity for being Rock Hudson's doctor. Rather than getting kudos from his UCLA superiors, however, he was denied tenure. Hillman interviews many key players, from Gottlieb's ex-wife to many former colleagues. He also reminds us that biases against homosexuals affected the initial medical responses to the array of abnormalities we now know as AIDS but was originally called GRID, for gay-related immune deficiency. This fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at the early days of AIDS reveals just how much has changed medically and socially.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)