Mountains Beyond Mountains: A Book Review

http://www.tracykidder.com/books/mountains/

I recently read a very inspirational book that I would strongly recommend to everybody for some motivation to continue working in the field of global poverty. The book is centered around Paul Farmer, a well-regarded doctor who many know from his publications on Haiti, including The Pathologies of Power. Mountains Beyond Mountains, written by Tracy Kidder, is sort of a biography about Farmer’s work in Haiti, Peru, and many other countries. I wanted to share some thoughts and questions that the book brought up for me, and relate it to my own experiences abroad.

One of the most inspiring aspects to the book was the morality of Paul Farmer, especially his rationale that those who have less money, especially in the developing world, should not have to suffer from worse medical treatment. Many policies and programs come to the conclusion that treatments  make more sense when they reach the greatest number of people, often meaning those who are chronically ill or require a more expensive treatment are left out. Farmer instead works by the logic that every patient should receive the best quality care that he can provide, and on a couple occasions he even flies his patients to Boston to receive treatment. Another reason this book was so inspirational to me was seeing Farmer’s extreme dedication to the people of Haiti, as well as the respect he received from those that he treated. He appears to genuinely care for every individual he encounters, and works as hard as possible to treat them. Many people seem to spend a couple years working in a developing country, or dedicate their lives to a certain organization but spend most of their time at an office in the US. Farmer, on the other hand, constantly flies around the world to do the most he possibly can, rarely taking a break or settling down. Overall, this book kept me motivated and has given me a lot of respect for Paul Farmer and his work.

While Farmer truly inspired me, I also finished the book a bit depressed about what I have accomplished so far and what I will every really be able to do. I am not planning to ever become a doctor, which is a resource that can literally save lives in a very direct and tangible way. What will my academic studies really allow me to do, and how much do I really know about the world as a whole? Additionally, I began to question the sustainability of Farmer’s work. Despite his consistent effort, what is his work doing on a larger scale for the people of Haiti? While a clinic is certainly necessary, and treating all patients not by the money in their pockets but by their value as an individual is clearly a necessity, is this really the way to end global poverty? Even my work with Fundacion Cantaro Azul is touching very few lives in the greater context of Mexico or even Chiapas. Rather, is targeting the political economy or powerful institutions a more sustainable and meaningful angle? Of course, I suppose nobody knows all of the answers, and this is why we are all in college minoring in Global Poverty. Either way, I really recommend the book—it is a fun, easy read that will be sure to leave you with many questions and reflections.