The Origin of AIDS

As a change from the physics kick my book club has been on the last few months we read a book about virology, biology, and the history of disease. The Origin of AIDS by Jacques Pepin, was an...I don't want to say "awesome" (because it is truly tragic)...but a brilliant book. I love a book that has more references than it does text!
Pepin chronicles the history, not only of the disease but of the research, the forensic investigation into the origin, and propagation of the deadliest disease to touch the modern world. He sleuthed out the truth buried in mounds of reports and papers published in the early to mid-20th century, and in long forgotten blood specimens hidden in freezers in central Africa. He presented data, clearly and fairly, and he warned against interpreting data that you don't understand (which was an excellent point!).
I thought the book was not only insightful in terms of the obvious topic, but also a fantastic example of the use of the scientific method, and an informative history of Africa during the era of colonialism.
Contrary to what many Americans might think, HIV and AIDS didn't originate within the homosexual community, but rather it was a disease acquired from chimpanzees, and initially transmitted through the unsterilized needles of colonial doctors trying to control (then) known diseases like African sleeping sickness, yaws, syphilis, malaria and leprosy. Only then did it spread to prostitutes and then later to Haiti where it finally encountered the US homosexual community. The story is a sad one, and tragic in the true sense of the word, but it was also encouraging in that science has been able to understand HIV and AIDS to the extent that has, and in such a short time. Only 20 years ago AIDS was considered an un-curable death sentence. But (and unfortunately this only applied to non-3rd world countries) now it is something that can be controlled and people can live long relatively healthy lives. Just look at Magic Johnson. He was diagnosed in 1991 I think.
Technically the book was profound too. It got scientific, but not in a gratingly boring kind of way. I'll admit that there was much more information than I really needed, but at the same time, in some cases I really appreciated it. For example I didn't know that the primate version of HIV is called SIV, and there are many variations within the chimp/gorilla/monkey populations around the world. I didn't know that because SIV has been around in primates for a couple thousand years, most of them are immune to it now (the ones that weren't died off long ago and never reproduced). Hopefully the story of HIV and humans will eventually play out in the same manner. I didn't know there was an HIV-1 and HIV-2. I didn't know that HIV-1 had subtypes, the most common being HIV-1 M, but additionally there is an N, O, and P each indicating a different cross-species transmission from ape (or monkey) to human. That fact was especially amazing to me for some reason. There was just tons and tons of fascinating information like that throughout the book.
Like I said before, at the same time that the story was tragic, it was also inspiring. The contrast between the devastating topic, and the medical genius that finally discovered it's MO, was a little difficult to navigate emotionally at times, but it was absolutely worthwhile read.
I definitely recommend it, not only as an interesting scientific topic, but also as a wonderful example of the use of the scientific method, and a piece of recent history. It's a piece of history we still are a part of, and I think it is worth while to try to understand it.