Mountains Beyond Mountains
Ratings21
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings21
Average rating3.7
At the center of Mountains Beyond Mountains stands Paul Farmer. Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant, world-class Robin Hood, Farmer was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his life’s calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most.
Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that "the only real nation is humanity"—a philosophy that is embodied in the small public charity he founded, Partners in Health. He enlists the help of the Gates Foundation, George Soros, the U.N.’s World Health Organization, and others in his quest to cure the world. At the heart of this book is the example of a life based on hope, and on an understanding of the truth of the Haitian proverb "Beyond mountains there are mountains": as you solve one problem, another problem presents itself, and so you go on and try to solve that one too.
Reviews with the most likes.
An interesting book. Paul Farmer is a bigwig in the public health domain; Kidder chronicles his progression from starry-eyed med student to co-founder of Partners in Health, a non-profit that now has a serious global reach. Kidder's writing is involving and well-researched, but I would have loved a more interpersonal approach to Farmer's outsized personality. He is, as Kidder portrays him, a genius with apparently no need for sleep. Amazing, to be sure, but I'm always curious what kind of legacy such a person leaves in his wake–most of us aren't geniuses, and need lots of sleep, and pushing to Farmer-esque reaches will cause many smart & competent people to underperform. Kidder touches on such issues briefly, but I'm curious to see what PIH will do without such an unusual man at its helm. Anyway, overall, it's an interesting read if you're into public health, poverty, and the politics of international aid.
This book is inspiring, not in the “warm fuzzy feeling” way exactly, but inspiring in that it will actually encourage you to evaluate the world and, perhaps, inspire you to take action. Also, it's well-written–Kidder himself is a relatable narrator, and this is a great story, definitely one worth learning more about.
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