A powerful tribute to one of the greatest scientists, activists, humanitarians, and social entrepreneurs in the world of HIV/AIDS.

When Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down by pro-Russian rebels in July 2014, the world wondered if a cure for HIV had disappeared. Seated in the plane’s business-class cabin was Joseph Lange, better known as Joep, a shrewd Dutch doctor who had revolutionized the world of HIV and AIDS and was working on a cure.

Dr. Lange graduated from medical school in 1981, right as a new plague swept across the globe. He studied ways to battle HIV and prevent its spread from mother to child. Fighting the injustices of poverty, Lange advocated for better access to health care for the poor and the vulnerable. He championed the drug cocktail that finally helped rein in the disease and was a vocal proponent of prophylactic treatment for those most at risk of contracting HIV.

The Impatient Dr. Lange is the story of one man’s struggle against a global pandemic—and the tragic attack that may have slowed down the search for a cure. Seema Yasmin draws on written records, medical journals, recorded discussions, expert testimony, and extensive interviews with Lange’s family, friends, and colleagues around the globe—including the people he spoke to in the days before he died. She faithfully reconstructs key scenes from Lange’s life and the history of the AIDS epidemic, revealing how Lange became a global leader in the fight against AIDS.

“A thrilling history of the investigation of one of the greatest plagues in human history.” —Lawrence Wright, Pulitzer Prize-winning author