Scan barcode
bethany6788's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This was a behemoth of a book, but I am so incredibly glad I picked it up. It had me equal parts inspired and infuriated. This is a comprehensive, historical look at the founding and actions of ACT UP in NYC during the height of the AIDS crisis.
I found this book after reading several YA books set during this time period. Since then, I’ve read this book and watched a couple of documentaries. I want more. I want to know everything. I tried to read And the Band Played On a few years ago but never finished it. I felt less connected to that book than this one.
This book was a different view of the AIDS crisis and I felt like I learned a LOT. I learned about people who made a difference. People who died horrifically. People who wanted their deaths to mean something in a world that was casting them aside. They were loved. I do wish this was told in a more linear way versus the different sections, but I understand why the author did it that way (and they explain in the book).
My heart broke so many times listening to this one. I really cannot fathom how so many people stood by and watched people die. I The inaction of the government and the blatant disregard for PWAs was disgusting and infuriating. I was truly moved listening to the political funeral plans and in the documentary I watched, one was featured that is mentioned in this book.
I cannot recommend this one enough for someone who wants to learn more about the AIDS crisis and ACT UP. I’m gong to continue reading and learning about this time period that truthfully wasn’t so long ago.
I found this book after reading several YA books set during this time period. Since then, I’ve read this book and watched a couple of documentaries. I want more. I want to know everything. I tried to read And the Band Played On a few years ago but never finished it. I felt less connected to that book than this one.
This book was a different view of the AIDS crisis and I felt like I learned a LOT. I learned about people who made a difference. People who died horrifically. People who wanted their deaths to mean something in a world that was casting them aside. They were loved. I do wish this was told in a more linear way versus the different sections, but I understand why the author did it that way (and they explain in the book).
My heart broke so many times listening to this one. I really cannot fathom how so many people stood by and watched people die. I The inaction of the government and the blatant disregard for PWAs was disgusting and infuriating. I was truly moved listening to the political funeral plans and in the documentary I watched, one was featured that is mentioned in this book.
I cannot recommend this one enough for someone who wants to learn more about the AIDS crisis and ACT UP. I’m gong to continue reading and learning about this time period that truthfully wasn’t so long ago.
precise's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
This book consolidates interviews from the ACT UP Oral History Project (https://www.actuporalhistory.org/) into a narrative about what ACT UP accomplished over the time it was active, and how/why it worked. I thought it was really interesting; as a millennial queer formerly living in NYC, before I read this I vaguely knew ACT UP shaped the life I live today to some extent, but they dissolved before I was born so I didn't know exactly how, and I feel it is my responsibility to understand our history.
Some highlights:
* as someone who currently works in the real-world data/pharma space I learned a lot from the discussion of how ACT UP's Treatment and Data committee(s) changed the FDA and NIH. I appreciated the takeaway that they were successful in part because streamlining clinical trials was something pharma companies wanted too.
* as a data engineer the "direct mail" advertising was personally interesting; this is what they did in a pre-internet world I guess?
* as someone who wants to make change, and works with systems comprised mostly of people, in my hobbies and somewhat my day job, the discussion of how to get activists all moving in the same direction was useful to me; the chapters at the end about the dissolution of the group were interesting for this reason too.
* I appreciated the focus on intersectionality and felt that the author's voice was not too heavy-handed in the moments where she called out omissions (such as when she points out that Larry Kramer in his interview did not acknowledge the contributions of women)
And lowlights:
* I didn't know the timeline going in (having read only the first third of And The Band Played On before dropping it) and seeing multiple participants reference things that happened without having context for what/when was confusing (e.g. we get several perspectives on Kramer's famous statement at a meeting that "In a year half of you will be dead", but the first one isn't contextualized well)
* The ending about the author's personal illness felt self-indulgent
* The book is over 700 pages long and I would definitely not have read it as quickly had I not had some air travel this year. It's engaging but the content is pretty heavy. I think it took me like 10 hours to read which is long for me. The print is fairly small on those pages too.
And other things to know:
* Anthony Fauci is not interviewed but plays a fairly large role in this book; a few other infectious disease specialist names were familiar to me as someone who lived through the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA
Some highlights:
* as someone who currently works in the real-world data/pharma space I learned a lot from the discussion of how ACT UP's Treatment and Data committee(s) changed the FDA and NIH. I appreciated the takeaway that they were successful in part because streamlining clinical trials was something pharma companies wanted too.
* as a data engineer the "direct mail" advertising was personally interesting; this is what they did in a pre-internet world I guess?
* as someone who wants to make change, and works with systems comprised mostly of people, in my hobbies and somewhat my day job, the discussion of how to get activists all moving in the same direction was useful to me; the chapters at the end about the dissolution of the group were interesting for this reason too.
* I appreciated the focus on intersectionality and felt that the author's voice was not too heavy-handed in the moments where she called out omissions (such as when she points out that Larry Kramer in his interview did not acknowledge the contributions of women)
And lowlights:
* I didn't know the timeline going in (having read only the first third of And The Band Played On before dropping it) and seeing multiple participants reference things that happened without having context for what/when was confusing (e.g. we get several perspectives on Kramer's famous statement at a meeting that "In a year half of you will be dead", but the first one isn't contextualized well)
* The ending about the author's personal illness felt self-indulgent
* The book is over 700 pages long and I would definitely not have read it as quickly had I not had some air travel this year. It's engaging but the content is pretty heavy. I think it took me like 10 hours to read which is long for me. The print is fairly small on those pages too.
And other things to know:
* Anthony Fauci is not interviewed but plays a fairly large role in this book; a few other infectious disease specialist names were familiar to me as someone who lived through the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Drug use, Blood, and Police brutality
Minor: Excrement, Suicide, and Dementia
Most content warnings described by third parties being interviewed after the factabby_reads_stuff's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.75
vklopez's review
challenging
informative
medium-paced
4.25
cannot believe i finally finished this behemoth
leah_alexandra's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Wow. This book is tremendous. Don’t let its size intimidate. Let the Record Show is stuffed with fascinating anecdotes and really brilliant investigations and explanations of various aspects of ACT UP’s activities and internal dynamics. But it’s also approachable. It’s not dry, it doesn’t pander, and every section has something to hold anyone’s attention. A must-read.
seeaudreyread's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.25