God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Don’t be turned off by the name of this book. It’s meant to catch your attention, and it is clear in reading the book that Pisani has the utmost respect for the people she has spent her life working with. If she has any contempt, it is for the people who continue to propagate myths about AIDS based on personal beliefs and agendas.

The Wisdom of Whores is one of the most interesting and fast-reading nonfiction books I’ve ever read. It is very issue specific – talking solely about HIV/AIDS as opposed to “development” more generally – but the lessons it teaches more generally about how money flows in the development community relate to all major issues. Some of those lessons learned include:

–  When an issue becomes “hot” organizations will flock to it and compete for cash.

–  Aid workers often feel pressure to keep their issue “hot” and…