Today is World Aids Day and as I thought about the AIDS issue I had a quick browse on Amazon to see what books were out there on the topic. And my search brought up a fair amount, but mostly quite stern, scientific, textbook-looking books. Of course, AIDS is indeed a very serious topic and it might seem inappropriate to “jazz up” the covers of these books, yet in order to encourage a wider readership, to bring the issue to the masses, surely more mainstream, approachable covers are needed?

And in fact, there was one cover that leapt out on the screen – the cover to The Invisible Cure, by Helen Epstein.

Written by a scientist working with a biotechnology company searching for an AIDS vaccine, it appears (upon reading the reviews) to be no less dense or indepth than many of the other books listed on the subject – talking about the AIDS epidemic on a global scale, concentrating on the issues in Africa and the missteps and inaction of governments and policymakers in tackling the problem.

But the cover stands out completely from all the others – it could, in fact, sit quite nicely next to many top selling fiction titles (perhaps on first glance easily mistaken for a crime novel?). And in that respect, it immediately hints that this too could be as compelling as your latest Michael Chrichton.

So I’m taking this moment to commend this design because it breaks down the barrier between the heavy non-fiction analytical book and the lighter fiction novel. It says to me, don’t be afraid to pick this up. And surely that’s the first step to raising awareness.

Chiara Priorelli, Publicity & Online Marketing Manager

Want to flag up a cover you love or hate for our Wednesday Cover Story? Write to chiara@allisonandbusby.com with your thoughts