CASCAIDS

The shocking true story of how a tiny elite of scientists, medics, public health officials and activists faked the HIV pandemic.

Hello and welcome to what is the first post of possibly a unique interactive author/ reader project entitled ‘CascAIDS’.

I want to assemble via Substack an ARG (Advance Reading Group). The group’s job is simple: to read each chapter of CascAIDS as soon as I post it, and give me feedback.

First question you may have. Why choose the title CascAIDS?

The central idea / theme of CascAIDS is that the origin, development and dogmatisation of the ‘HIV causes AIDS’ narrative / orthodoxy contains all the hallmarks of an Availability Cascade. Indeed it is a classic of its type.

I’ve read that single-word titles can be effective (provided sub-titles expand on them) and inventing a new word or expression that combine two elements of your book can be very effective (provided subtitles then explain it).

Therefore, CascAIDS is a single-word portmanteau, with an added twist of punnery!

So, the first job of my ARG is to tell me what you think about the book title.

Do you like it? Or do you loathe it? Please let me know.

Thanks for reading.

Next time, I’ll post about the inspiration for CascAIDS

All the best,

Paul