Mountains Beyond Mountains

Have you ever wondered how you could be both compassionate to the poor and heard by the elite? Important in academic circles and rural Haitian huts?

Have I found the book for you?!

Tracy Kidder's Mountains Beyond Mountains. The book isn't quite biography, isn't quite history of tuberculosis, isn't quite international public health and social justice advocacy. It takes a portrait of Paul Farmer's quest for sufficient, nay equitable, access to health and other life-giving services. And its a good one.

Paul Farmer, the infectious disease-fighter, has a Harvard Medical School professorship and Brigham doctor position, international awards and lecture schedule, Soros Foundation and WHO consultant assignments, and Partners In Health responsibilities (co-founder).

He consistently decreases the space between himself and the poor... during his 10-mile visits to rural Peruvian patients' bed-sides, in his lobbying international donors for generous health funds (see above photo, with description here), and in his denial of excessive earnings from his work.

Tracy Kidder, the author, doesn't glorify Farmer in the way this blog post quickly did. Kidder puts some perspective on TB, the Haitian (and Russian) health situation, Farmer's personal life, and more. But it is hard to deny that Farmer has accomplished so much. This book is definitely worth a read. Borrow it in LA.