Product guide

Plague Years: A Doctor's Journey through the AIDS Crisis

Plague Years: A Doctor's Journey through the AIDS Crisis is Ross A. Slotten's medical memoir of treating patients during the AIDS epidemic. The Kindle edition follows his experiences as a family physician in Chicago, combining patient stories with reflections on the wider crisis.

At a glance

First-person medical memoir by family physician Ross A. Slotten, based on more than thirty years of personal notebooks.
Centers on the AIDS crisis in Chicago and the doctor's experiences treating patients, friends, colleagues, and lovers.
The narrative is described as spanning four continents as well as Chicago.

Price

$2.99Save 85%

Reference price: ~~$19.99~~

Price checked: Nov 12, 2026

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Pros and cons

Pros

Connects the epidemic's history to individual patient encounters through the perspective of a physician who treated people with HIV/AIDS.
Combines personal reflection with broader context about the disease's spread and its effects on the LGBT community.
Kindle listing includes reading features such as screen-reader support, Word Wise, and enhanced typesetting.

Technical specifications

12 specifications

Book details
Publisher	The University of Chicago Press
Publication date	July 15, 2020
Edition	First
Language	English
Print length	224 pages
ISBN-13	978-0226718934
File size	1.0 MB

Kindle features
Screen Reader	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	Enabled
X-Ray	Enabled
Word Wise	Enabled
Page Flip	Enabled

Who is it for?

A good fit for

Readers seeking a personal account of the AIDS epidemic from the perspective of a treating physician.
Readers interested in LGBT history, patient narratives, and the crisis's impact on Chicago.

Less suited to

Readers looking primarily for a clinical reference or a technical guide to HIV/AIDS treatment.

Customer reviews on Amazon

4.6 / 5 · 248 ratings

5 stars76%76%
4 stars16%16%
3 stars7%7%
2 stars1%1%
1 star0%0%

Customer feedback describes the book as informative and honest, with particular appreciation for its accounts of the author's interactions with individual patients. The favorable overall rating distribution suggests a generally positive reception, though ratings alone do not explain readers' reasons. For readers choosing between a clinical overview and personal history, the feedback aligns with the book's stated memoir format and patient-centered narrative.

Positive themes

Customers praise the memoir's honesty and its personal accounts of individual patients.
Feedback describes the book as informative about the AIDS epidemic and readable.

Frequently asked questions

What is Plague Years about?

It recounts physician Ross A. Slotten's experience treating patients during the AIDS crisis, with personal portraits and reflections on the epidemic.

Where is the memoir primarily set?

The account focuses on Chicago and is also described as spanning four continents.

What is listed for the Kindle edition?

The listing gives a 1.0 MB file size and 224-page print length, and identifies screen-reader support, enhanced typesetting, X-Ray, Word Wise, and Page Flip as enabled.