Although the scientific challenges involved in making this particular vaccine are immense, ΒΌSocial attitudes towards AIDS, careerism and timidity among bureaucrats, and corporate anxieties about profits and liability have all been roadblocks to vaccine research and development' ' (xi).
This quote by Thomas in her preface to Big Shot succinctly summarizes the thesis of her book. In an extremely readable and coherent style, Thomas integrates biology, politics, social concerns, and economics in exploring the roadblocks and progress towards developing an HIV vaccine. Big Shot reads like a mystery with a cliff-hanger ending and is written for a sophisticated lay audience interested in the history of HIV vaccine development. She uses documented, in-depth interviews with scientists and business people involved in HIV vaccine research and testing and data from scientific conferences, journals, books, and media reports on HIV as source material. Thomas integrates microbiology, virology, immunology, and vaccinology with the politics engulfing the search for a primary preventive vaccine for HIV in the U.S. and Thailand. The inclusion of an extensive glossary, list of characters,'' bibliography, and index support the text. The only criticisms I have of this book lie with the difficulty in correlating the notes at the end of the book with the actual text and with her reference on p. 409 to AIDS testing.'' There is no AIDS testing.
Thomas presents her data as sets of dualities that are deeply embedded in Western thought and which underlie the scientific approach. These include: the tension between basic, ``pure'' research and applied science; research for its' own sake vs. application of knowledge towards problemsolving; preventive medicine vs. treatment of disease; and competition vs. collaboration and cooperation among researchers for funding or promoting discoveries. Thomas states that the political unpopularity of HIV