“This is a formidable book of record…from the tiny virus, via twenty-eight individual human stories, to an entire continent. The stories will tear you apart before putting you back together, fully armed and ready to go to war with a virus more dangerous than any WMD.”—Bono“Magnificent, inspiring, informative. Nolen opens the essential door to the brave, suffering, human reality of the African AIDS crisis.”—John le CarréFor the past six years, Stephanie Nolen has traced AIDS across Africa, and 28 is the result: an unprecedented, uniquely human portrait of the continent in crisis. Through riveting, anecdotal stories, she bears witness and brings to life men, women, and children involved in every AIDS arena, exploring the effects of an epidemic that well exceeds the Black Plague in scope, and the reasons why we must care about what happens. Nolen’s stories reveal how the disease works and spreads; how it is inextricably tied to conflict and famine and to the diverse cultures it has ravaged; how treatment works; and how people who can’t get treatment fight to stay alive with courage and dignity against huge odds. Writing with power and simplicity, she makes us listen, allows us to understand, and inspires us to care