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.