So the latest of my literary conquests is Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. Quite a title, and maybe a little bit overly dramatic. This is yet another non-fiction book, which made me realize that I really need to find a good novel to read. I'm taking suggestions!
Dr. Paul Farmer is an anthropolgist and doctor who founded Partners in Health, a group that focuses primarily on treating tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS in areas of extreme poverty, like Haiti, Peru and Siberia. It's a fascinating biography of a fascinating man, but also a heartbreaking account of life and death in rural Haiti.
I learned more about turberculosis than I ever really wanted to know, but that's not the point of the book. What makes Farmer's pursuits so successful is that he uses his anthropological training to look at treating his patients holistically. Why do they have tuberculosis? Because they're poor, they live in horrible conditions, don't have clean drinking water, and no one to make sure they're taking their medication. So Farmer doesn't just treat the disease, he also treats the condition that makes it easier for the disease to take hold.
Farmer is also an extremely dedicated and passionate man, almost to a fault. As I read the book, and all the descriptions of his travels around the world, I couldn't help but feel sorry for his wife and daughter. His wife knew what she signed up for when she married him, but his daughter didn't have a choice. I guess becoming a parent makes you think about these things more.
After reading this book, I realized that I'm a slacker. Or maybe not. Maybe I just need more down time than Farmer does. It's amazing what he's been able to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. I think it's because he never pauses to think that something might not work. He just assumes it will, and so it does. That's a valuable lesson.
Next up: Chasing Daylight. I actually already finished it...in just 3 days!
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