Bad Blood: Crisis in the American Red Cross

by Judith Reitman

A disturbing expose+a7 of the American Red Cross documents the blood transfusions tainted by infectious diseases, FDA investigations and shocking violations of health and safety laws, the lawsuits that have been kept from the public eye, and more that brings to light the gross neglect of the world's largest charity. Reprint.

Genres: Nonfiction

351 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1996

Reviews

[Kristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be a good, albeit one-sided, portrayal of the scandal that hit the Red Cross when HIV was discovered to be bloodbourne. The author covered all of the minute details of the court cases, the shifts in policy, etc. so that readers have a really firm hold on what was going on. In the end, it made the Red Cross out to be some really ugly monster, which I believe was the point of the book.
Unfortunately, at times, it bordered on the so-detailed-it's-dry. because page after page of legal and political coverage isn't really my thing. The back cover mentions 2 families who contracted HIV through blood transfusions, but the coverage given to them and other families mentioned was minimal and almost seeem to be in there only to keep perspective on the chronology. I wish the book would have been split into 2 volumes, the legal/political volume and the human side, telling the stories of families devastated while the Red Cross absolved themselves of all blame.
An OK read once, but once is enough.

[Lindz Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrifying portrayal of an avoidable disaster. Definitely an era of transfusion medicine to learn from.

[Rachel Choate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic and fascinating. A good warning for how not to respond to future health crises.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good read, in an appalling way. Exposes the inexcusable (in)actions of the American Red Cross early in the AIDS crisis, extending years beyond the point when they could possibly justify themselves. The chapter that dealt with their actions on the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing was another bombshell -- you should pardon the expression. If you're looking for a demonstration of the difference between lip servicve and the real thing, look no farther.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Informative.

[Jackie Ensley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe somewhat one-sided but a great view of the crisis that occurred and the lessons we can learn from it; no organization is without faults.