Mountains Beyond Mountains

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.

Short Review: Mountains beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr Paul Farmer, the Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder - This is a very good biography. The beginning is a little to much haigiagraphy, but most of the book is concerned with Farmer during points when Kidder knows him. Kidder is a regular part of the biograpy and when he is a part this is a good, balanced biography. Farmer is someone that seems to have no limits of energy or passion. So while I am grateful that people like him exists to save the world, he is not exactly replicable or someone that you can emulate. This is a good book to think about some of the problems of global health. Farmer has done much for global health, but he is not worried about consensus.

Click through for the full review on my blog http://bookwi.se/mountains-beyond-mountains/