No Time to Lose: A Life in Pursuit of Deadly Viruses

by Peter Piot

The story of a microbiologist’s remarkable career, from identifying the Ebola virus to pioneering AIDS research and policy. When Peter Piot was in medical school, a professor warned, “There’s no future in infectious diseases. They’ve all been solved.” Fortunately, Piot ignored him, and the result has been an exceptional, adventure-filled career. In the 1970s, as a young man, Piot was sent to Central Africa as part of a team tasked with identifying a grisly new virus. Crossing into the quarantine zone on the most dangerous missions, he studied local customs to determine how this disease―the Ebola virus―was spreading. Later, Piot found himself in the field again when another mysterious epidemic broke out: AIDS. He traveled throughout Africa, leading the first international AIDS initiatives there. Then, as founder and director of UNAIDS, he negotiated policies with leaders from Fidel Castro to Thabo Mbeki and helped turn the tide of the epidemic. Candid and engrossing, No Time to Lose captures the urgency and excitement of being on the front lines in the fight against today’s deadliest diseases.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Medicine, Medical, Memoir, Biography, Africa

388 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 2012

About the author

Peter Piot, MD, PhD, is the director of the legendary London School of Tropical Medicine, former undersecretary general of the UN, and former director of UNAIDS. He lives in London.

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out very interesting, describing in detail the author's early work in Africa with Ebola in the 1970s. He continued to document his career, moving to his work with AIDS at the beginning of the epidemic. This part also was fascinating. However, his career then switched away from field research to bureaucrat at increasingly high levels, and I completely lost interest as the political infighting continued. I would have preferred more details about drug research developments. The first half of the book was worth reading.

[Ian Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

There surely cannot be a better autobiography by a former UN agency head than this. Candid observations from the man who has been at the centre of the global AIDS response for the last quarter of a century, and before that, at the heart of the first recorded Ebola outbreak in (then) Zaire. Compelling, disturbing and enthralling. Cannot recommend it more highly.

My three complaints?

First the title; 'No Time to Lose'. So lacking in originality, I found six other books on Amazon with the same name.

Second, the lazy editing, especially of names. David Nabarro, Andrew Cassels (who has his name spelt in two different ways - both wrong!), George Moose, Richard Burzynski, Calle Almedal and Glaxo, I hope you are as annoyed as I was at seeing your names so cheerfully mangled in the pages of this otherwise great book. Several poorly captioned photos (eg 6 other people but only 5 names) also jars. If there is another edition (and I hope there is), then please correct these silly mistakes.

And third, the trap that many people fall into in writing their autobiography while they are still working. Peter clearly had 'no time to lose', so the book is largely the work of a ghost writer; Ruth Marshall, and ends up being 'history', rather than 'his story'; long on facts and dates, short on anecdote. I would loved to have heard more of the stories, more of the people, and less on the meetings and events. For all Peter's commitment to action and people, the latter half of the book dwells far too much on processes and meetings, which will unfortunately bore many readers who are unfamiliar with the personalities and organizations.

Disagreements? There will be plenty from those who are closer to the world of AIDS than me. So just a couple to mention. My major one? (I have to declare an interest here as a WHO staff member). Perhaps the most outrageous is the lengthy chapter on access to treatment which manages to make no mention whatsoever of '3 by 5' (the WHO led initiative which had the aim of getting 3 million people onto AIDS treatment by 2005). True, '3 by 5' does get a mention later in the book - two brief paragraphs - which Peter grudgingly recognises as having 'played a role', but it's mainly just another opportunity for him to yet again criticise WHO. "It seems institutions never learn", he writes. The same could be said for those who try to rewrite history.

A minor disagreement? I was surprised to see that he holds the view that the reason some people are "irrationally passionate about sexual orientation" is because "they are confused about their own sexuality". Neither true nor helpful.

This is a book for those who know enough to recognize the people, but not enough to disagree with his side side of the story (and there are many who will take issue with aspects of the history of UNAIDS as presented here!). Sadly, many of the latter will probably never read the book, which is great shame, for this much to learn from his writing. It is possible to be both honest and opinionated!

Please, please, please read this brilliant book!

[Owlseyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

From Lunch with the FT, Ebola co-discoverer Peter Piot on how to respond to the coronavirus

"Piot quotes Louis Pasteur: “‘Messieurs’ — because they were all men in those days — ‘microbes will always have the last word.’”

“I think it will get much worse in China. And here we will see more and more transmission. That’s my gut feeling. But how big it’s going to be, I honestly don’t know".

"That’s the good news. But the bad news is, it spreads much faster. The Sars virus sits deep in your lungs. With this virus, it seems that it’s in your throat and that’s why it’s far more contagious."

"We are meeting on February 13, since when nearly 1,500 more people have died, and serious outbreaks have occurred in South Korea, Iran and Italy. Japan has announced the closure of all its schools and Saudi Arabia a halt on pilgrimages to Mecca. Stock markets have slumped in anticipation of a further spread of the virus and a disruption of the global economy."
---

"... between 40 and 70 per cent of people worldwide are likely to be infected in the coming year — although many will have only mild symptoms or none at all"
Professor Marc Lipsitch of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health

Due to the above prediction, I find the next article a bit naive, though important. It's not only the mind [Psychology] that counts. Numbers are getting scared scary. Please someone do the math for me, of "40-70%" of the world population.

https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/...

February 29, 2020

UPDATE

"Finally, a virus got me.’ Scientist who fought Ebola and HIV reflects on facing death from COVID-19"

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/...#

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piot's story begins with his work in the 70s on Ebola, a swift and terrifying killer. The first portion of the book is a riveting adventure combining science, sociology, and a desperate puzzle - a genuine "Outbreak" situation. The latter portion of the book deals with Piot's work with AIDS, in many ways an even greater horror with its quiet yet global reach. Because AIDS kills slowly, it has been studied and combated quite differently than many less patient viruses. Piot's work with WHO and the UN to build the resources and strategies to effectively fight AIDS is, unfortunately, less exciting than the early fight against Ebola. Instead of heading into jungle villages and exotic hospitals, Piot goes to a lot of meetings and has to put up with a lot of politics. Not the stuff of gripping narrative flow, but rather fascinating in its own right, as Piot and his team strive to get very diverse international bodies to work together to fight one of the most insidious threats to human life.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read a book with so many acronyms on each page.

I was for more interested in the science and sociology surrounding the infectious diseases that the United Nations combats on a global level. National and international politics do seem to be the driving force behind international health campaigns, however.

Peter Piot's memoir spans thirty years. When he began his career in infectious diseases he was told it was a dead end, that all the infectious diseases had been conquered. This turned out not to be the case. First Ebola, then the worldwide AIDS epidemic demanded Dr. Piot's attention, as he made his way to a top administrative position with the United Nations.

[Somatic Dye soeyunaing · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great memoir that makes me laugh, cringe, think, and feel inspired.
From his arduous journey to get treatment access for HIV infected individuals in developing nations to his mojito chitchat with Fidel Castro in Cuba, to his escape from death or hijacking on the plane, and many many more of life stories with Peter's great sense of humor and appreciation for life make this book very light despite heavy topics. After all, these are all great raw materials that constitute a great memoir!

I particularly enjoy the first part of the book where he at the age of 27 went to Zaire to discover Ebola. The"adventures of tin tin" journey in late 1970 in Africa was so absorbing that I felt I was also brought along with him in his first journey in hunting deadly viruses.
The second part of the book where he was at UNAIDS became intense and messy. Two things I sketched down were 1) to battle an epidemic is also to fight against the toxic nature of bureaucracy in institutions, and 2) a chameleon nature (change in color in respect to the environment but always keep the head straight) will do more good than harm in every aspect in life, I believe.

[Omar · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging account of a life in science & leadership. Makes me think of an alternate life path trying to work at the UN. It reveals some of the challenges with multilateral institutions, which make sense to me, having studied them before, lending credibility to an autobiography that otherwise might risk self-aggrandizement through repeated emphasis on having the moral high-ground (and working tirelessly). But I think the author does have it, and his work is commendable. Less on the medical science of viruses than I would have thought, and so for me that limits its stars.

"Scientific evidence without political will has little impact on people's lives, and politics going against evidence can harm people."

[Chris Demer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Piot's career began with his decision to work in the field of infectious diseases. The real excitement began when he was sent from his native Belgium to Africa to investigate the first outbreak of Ebola virus in Congo. By the time this deadly virus was investigated and named, and causes identified through careful study and detective work, HIV was on the scene. Dr. Piot's life's work was cut out for him. He worked unstintingly, traveled almost incessantly, evolved abilities as a manager, developed political connections and negotiating expertise, eventually heading UNAIDS.
Untold suffering and possibly the lives of millions were saved by the work he and his colleagues pursued in the prevention and treatment of AIDS.

I found the first part of the book the most interesting- the mysteries of emerging viruses and the epidemiological studies.His interactions with patients, and high risk individuals, including prostitutes and drug abusers are often poignant.

The latter part of the memoir, related to the formation of international bodies to fight HIV was less interesting but still illuminating, as he didn't gloss over the "turf wars", egos, and conflicts with various national and international organizations involved in the struggle against HIV.

[Elizabeth Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the book I was expecting, although it turned out to be quite interesting. As an epidemiology junkie, I found the first third of the book, in which Piot played a key role in the investigation of the first Ebola Zaire outbreak, fascinating. I have read a fair amount regarding that diseases and investigation and it's always interesting to see it from another perspective.

After Ebola, Piot turned to STDs and was perfectly positioned to be one of the first to see AIDS coming upon us. His work moved from clinic and lab to public activism and policy and eventually to his becoming the first head of UNAIDS. That's a story less about disease than about diplomacy, juggling the hundreds of different stakeholding organizations in pursuit of a global strategy for combating the epidemic.

His story of bringing AIDS to the halls of power is slow at times, but Piot never becomes jaded, relishing the opportunities he has had to meet with world leaders and present the information to them in a compelling way. As the book progresses, it becomes a fascinating study of how the world really works.

[Evanston Public Library]

When Piot was a young medical student in the early 1970s, a professor told him that a specialty in infectious diseases was pointless since medical science was on the cusp of eradicating nearly all those deadly scourges. A few years later in a research lab in Belgium, a blood sample arrived from Zaire from a patient who had died of a mysterious hemorrhagic ailment. So began Piot's virus-hunting career, in this particular case the discovery of a totally new and particularly deadly one that further down the research path was dubbed Ebola.

Piot's memoir relates his exiting, often dangerous pursuit of a whole new world of previously unkown infectious diseases and the re-emergence of some old ones. His primary focus was on the HIV/AIDS epidemic--its origins, its paths of transmission, and its treatment. If you are fascinated by diseases, medical mysteries, and life and death races against time; and want an overview of how the world's health organizations come together (and occasionally part ways) to pursue this crucial research, this book offers readers a glimpse into that "hot zone" universe.

(Barbara L., Reader's Services)

[Fran Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an adventure book with possibly deadly outcomes. It's the true life story of Peter Piot's journey to rid the world of deadly viruses. And despite the subject, it is tremendously interesting. It's inspiring and heartbreaking at the same time. Starting in Africa with the Ebola virus through the worldwide epidemic of AIDS, Piot skillfully tells the story of its victims and families and what the world did and could have done to stop or contain these horrible diseases. We see the frustrating bureaucracy of both modern wealthy nations and that of third world countries, the effect of life style on health,and how religion and race can affect resources. These are 20th century pandemics which hold lessons for world health in the 21st century. These are also diseases that must be treated with a multdisciplinary approach that involves a shared responsibility by all.

This is a book that will keep you up reading at night. I read it while at Boy Scout Camp,in my tent by flashlight! Not a book that you can put down for later.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two thirds of this book were absolutely fascinating. Piot's work with Ebola, sexually transmitted infections, and ultimately AIDS, was informative and interesting. Then came the politics and the acronyms, which took much longer to slog through. It was sad to read about the globally slow reaction to AIDS, but certain parts also were a bit tedious to get though.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

if this had advertised itself as a thrilling account of one man's epic quest fighting global bureaucracy, it would have had four stars easy. As a book about life on the cutting edge of virology, not so great.

[molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this immensely and even found it inspiring. Of course, we put our own best foot forward in a memoir. But I do truly believe him that he was always looking for ways to actually solve problems and end crises, and not simply advocating for his own career. I really am inspired by this approach, one that is so easily lost in the day to day of checking the boxes other people make for you. Are these boxes really important? Do they lead to an actual real world outcome? Do they push human knowledge forward that next little bit? Can I push away the tasks that don't matter or transform them into ones that do? I find it extremely useful to think in these terms myself, when I am deciding what to do each day with my finite time. Not all of us can be Peter Piot, but we can work our smartest in our respective corners.

On a quick scan of the reviews, I see that many found the latter half of the book where he was head of UNAIDS boring. This is the stuff of actual power, my friends! It is filled with meetings and politics and people flinging their egoes around. These are the people making decisions that affect all of our lives. There's some little parts where he gets kind of spicy between the lines, like around the description of when he ran for the WHO post (by the by, this is the most obvious place where his own career aspirations are clearly taking the fore, and not so much his desire to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic). He mentions quite clearly that the best candidate was not the one that won, and also mentions that everyone knew "he was a clean candidate." That of course implies that the Korean candidate Lee Jong-wook that did win was not "clean," although he does say that he ended up having a good working relationship with him. I would be curious to hear a full story of this. There is so much that he clearly can't say from this time period- perhaps the only reason he got so close to actually saying something about Lee Jong-wook is that he died.

I found this book because someone giving a talk at a conference mentioned it. I would love to find more similar memoirs.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Piot was there at the heart of the the Ebola and HIV/AIDS epidemic when it first started. Between then and now, the amount of work done especially on the HIV/AIDS front has been enormous (or gigantinormous --> unrecognisable word, mine). It's really humbling and awe-inspiring to see the progress made in terms of research, scientific advancements, government policies and HIV/AIDS activism. I mean, today there's such a thing called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and Pep (post-exposure prophylaxis) that's akin to a freaking planB (an emergency contraceptive pill, for the uninitiated). And today, HIV is now -ever so slowly- positioned to become a "chronic disease" instead of a "death sentence". Truly amazing how far we've come, dontchathink. And when I think of those sheer hard work by those who were there in those initial years, and contrast it to where we are today? I suppose this is what it means to stand on the shoulders of giants.

Reading this memoir during Covid-19 times remind me rather wryly that the realm of infectious disease is *ultimately political*. While Peter Piot's memoir was a chronicle of his adventures in battling Ebola and HIV/AIDS, it was also an insight to the politics of the diseases. It's almost a typical narrative that the governments of the various countries ravaged by HIV/AIDS first responded with denial (dictators somehow are in most denial that their country does not have a market for sex, and drugs, and how dare you accuse my doctors of reusing needles on babies). He ends a section saying, "scientific evidence without political will has little impact on people's lives, and politics going against evidence can harm people." At point of writing, it's reported that Brazil has crossed the 1million mark of Covid-19 cases. Now I wonder, what are the similarities between President Trump and President Jair Bolsonaro?

[Deborah Gouldin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a timely read recommended by a much younger friend who used it in her research for a term paper. During this time of pandemic, the author’s experiences in dealing with organized medicine in his early career shows just how much attitudes of the “medical establishment” plays in research and development. Piot’s experiences later in his career shed a beacon on just how much those in political positions of leadership influence policy about and funding for (or lack thereof) research, treatment, and development of vaccines. Chilling to think that bias at the leadership level can cost lives and wreak emotional havoc on so many lives. Chilling to think that we are now experiencing a bit of that firsthand. Piot traveled in circles of great power and experienced both success and failure repeatedly in dealing with Ebola and HIV/AIDS epidemics.

My lack of a fifth star is only because I found it so difficult to read toward the end of this work of nonfiction that I actually resorted to skimming—perhaps because so many of his stories paralleled the current situation so closely and because it is hard to understand why saner heads in leadership positions do not prevail more ofte . For fans of Faucci, the gentleman figures into the book and definitely caused my ears to stand at attention.

[Graham McKay · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is always reassuring reading a memoir from someone whose passion for what they do is evident. The first half of the book reviewed the wanderlust and good intentions of Dr. Piot as he found his career overseas and on an international level. Microbiology and epidemiology are so misunderstood by the general public and Piot did an incredible job of breaking it down and shedding light on the behind the scenes of viruses. Public Health is such a slow grind and the efficacy is dictated by a mixture of resources, health literacy, and culture. The second half of the book got a little bit redundant and acronym heavy but at the same time gives you such an appreciation for the people who dedicate their lives/careers to navigating the international politics of global health. Piot made sacrifices, discoveries, and mistakes in his journey to battle HIV/AIDS on a global level but he really seemed to keep his boots on the ground and stayed true to the populations he aimed to serve. I love global health and have a rudimentary understanding on how some of these organizations work, I thought this was a compelling read overall.

[Antony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boekrecensie: Geen Tijd te Verliezen, Peter Piot

Met lichte tegenzin begon ik aan deze memoires van de reus Peter Piot (geen groot stylist) over zijn carrière in de aidsbestrijding, een prestatie van ongekende ingewikkeldheid en omvang. Ik heb het boek ademloos uitgelezen. Vrij letterlijk, want vooral 's mans doorzettingsvermogen en inventiviteit zijn ontegenzeglijk adembenemend. Waar haal je in godsnaam de energie vandaan om tegen de keer in telkens weer succesje na succesje te veroveren op de machthebbers, de cynici, de corrupten en de blinden, de kortzichtigen en de opportunisten? Het is een relaas geworden vol gemiste kansen, sabotage, ego's, diefstal en bedrog, hebzucht en bureaucratie. Chapeau professor baron Peter Piot. Een must voor iedereen die elkaar zo graag dwarszit en vliegen afvangt in de hiv- en aidsrespons, ook in eigen land.

Speciaal aandacht voor pagina 230 waar De Les van de Kameleon wordt uitgelegd, een verhaal van Michel Sidibé, opvolger van Piot bij UNAIDS.

[Geoff Garnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am biased but really enjoyed this book. The first part reads like a boys own adventure, the second charts developing a career in sexual transmitted diseases before the emergence of a new pandemic, AIDS, which was at first shamefully neglected, the later part describes the political battles to generate an unparalleled global response. I am biased because I am an infectious disease epidemiologist and I know many of the people who populate the book, but it is very well written, very readable, and deals with moral and human issues with sympathy. The discovery of Ebola comes from another era of research, the story of AIDS is one of overcoming prejudice and neglect. In reality both stories must have been traumatic and Peter showed remarkable energy and resilience playing his role in controlling these emerging infections.

[Anne-Marie]

DNF'ing at 135 pages.
I've had this on my shelves for 10+ years so this was a hard decision. But while I really appreciate the content itself (given my educational background in public health), I lost steam on this book and have had a hard time settling in with the writing in particular. The ghost writer did their best but this collaboration doesn't work for me.
Maybe one day I'll pick it up again, because I think Piot has led an interesting life and has some fascinating insights to share from his experiences with Ebola, STDs (he was one of the few doctors treating STDs in immigrant, sailor, and queer communities in the 70s in Belgium), and of course AIDS, but the storytelling could be more compelling.
(If he had co-written with Richard Preston, I think it could've been amazing).

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I would have been more adept at math I think I may have pursued a career in epidemiology--it's a fascinating field! Unfortunately this book was more about the author's experiences working with the UN and WHO to address AIDS and other public health problems. It was very tedious in places where he seemed to drop dozens of names without much explanation. I wasn't expecting this to be the same as the Hot Zone , but I was hoping that Piot would have devoted more of the book to his early experiences with Ebola and the ground work of fighting the AIDS pandemic.

[Andrew Horowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting read for anyone interested in epidemiology. The beginning of the book is an account of the authors experience investigating the first Ebola outbreak, but most is about his work as a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Addresses the politics and social issues associated with AIDS in the developed and developing worlds - highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the topic

[Claudie D · Rating 3 out of 5]

WAY too many "I"s in the text.
The begininng is enticing but the rest is a falsely humble unsufferable litany of deeds and names.
"I didn't care about the prestigious job" (but I heavily campaigned for it)
"I still wonder if I could have done earlier and faster" (but please read how I haven't stopped to rest for one whole decade"

[Mihaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indeed a riveting book, I totally recommend it if you're an aspiring scientist. Not only does it underline the difficulties people encounter to make a change, but it also stresses the importance of developing different skills (diplomacy in this case) during one's career.

[Erin Muyres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, though it took me awhile to get through. I learned so much and I would definitely recommend, if not insist, it to anyone wanting to work in this field. It was inspiring and encouraging.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating book on the worldwide AIDs epidemic from the perspective of medical professionals. Most of the book focuses on boots on the ground work in Africa to sequence and identify the virus and its source. Challenging read if you are not an epidemiologist.

[Rob Sedgwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought this book was quite dull and overlong. It's a shame as the author has had an interesting career. It reads more like someone used to writing reports than a heartfelt memoir, and you always feel the author is holding a lot back, so you don't really get to know the man behind the words.

[Isaac Devoid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful read for anyone who works in policy development and advocacy. Bonus points if you are interested in medical research, sexual and reproductive health, or infectious diseases. Dr. Piot still inspires me to do better as he did at the London School.

[LouiseSykora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interessant om te zien hoe verschillende organisaties in elkaar zitten, de bureaucratische verhalen achter de UN. Ook fijn hoe Piot afwisselt (vooral in het begin van het boek) tussen korte persoonlijke anekdotes en de wat serieuzere aspecten.

[Alieke]

Recommended during bachelor/minor course regarding infectious diseases and vaccine development.