Mountains Beyond Mountains

[IniestaDeMiVida]

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Hey y'all. What did you like/dislike about this book? Did you feel inspired or bored? I just finished it and wanted to get some feedback on it from other people who've read it.

 

[tennisguitar]

It has been a while since I read it, so I am really foggy on the details. One subtle thing I do remember and appreciated was the fact that as much as Paul Farmer has given to those in dire circumstances, he can still stay in a nice hotel and eat a steak dinner during a talk in the U.S., which in my opinion is actually commendable. You can give and give and give as a physician but it's always good to remember that it's also okay and important to give to yourself and to those closest to you.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Hey y'all. What did you like/dislike about this book? Did you feel inspired or bored? I just finished it and wanted to get some feedback on it from other people who've read it.

Arcade fire.

 

[dbeast]

Is that the book that everybody quotes in their personal statement? If so, I liked it so much that I quoted it in my personal statement.

 

[impermanence]

Is that the book that everybody quotes in their personal statement? If so, I liked it so much that I quoted it in my personal statement.

LOL

I found Kidder to not be the best writer (I am a picky reader) but Paul Farmer's work is awesome and his story is very inspirational. I often think about him when faced with ethical dilemmas. The right thing is not always the easy thing to do.

I also have automatic monthly donations sent to PIH.

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

I felt like the book didn't have a lot of highs and lows. Like it was just trudging along. I read it because I'd heard good things on this site about it. For sure, Farmer is a complete boss at what he does, but this book didn't do it for me.

 

[galaxyx]

It has been a while since I read it, so I am really foggy on the details. One subtle thing I do remember and appreciated was the fact that as much as Paul Farmer has given to those in dire circumstances, he can still stay in a nice hotel and eat a steak dinner during a talk in the U.S., which in my opinion is actually commendable. You can give and give and give as a physician but it's always good to remember that it's also okay and important to give to yourself and to those closest to you.

As long as he's only doing it in the US and not abroad. One of the big criticisms of relief efforts in Haiti was that there were basically tent slums with the locals with no clean water, little food, etc. and the relief workers were staying in newly built hotels with dance parties and high quality restaurant meals all paid for by donation dollars.

 

[MaenadsDance]

It has been a while since I read it, so I am really foggy on the details. One subtle thing I do remember and appreciated was the fact that as much as Paul Farmer has given to those in dire circumstances, he can still stay in a nice hotel and eat a steak dinner during a talk in the U.S., which in my opinion is actually commendable. You can give and give and give as a physician but it's always good to remember that it's also okay and important to give to yourself and to those closest to you.

Matthew 26:6-13 is my favorite commentary on this topic; I remember that from the book, too.

As re: Mountains Beyond Mountains, I thought it was fabulous when I read it at the impressionable age of 17. I'm now a bit more skeptical of the Paul Farmer hagiography, and would suggest for those who find this book romantic that they pick up James Orbinski's book An Imperfect Offering about his time at Medecins sans Frontieres during the Rwandan genocide for a grimmer picture, and then for a bit of light satire, Helen Fielding's wonderful Cause Celeb.

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

Matthew 26:6-13 is my favorite commentary on this topic; I remember that from the book, too.

As re: Mountains Beyond Mountains, I thought it was fabulous when I read it at the impressionable age of 17. I'm now a bit more skeptical of the Paul Farmer hagiography, and would suggest for those who find this book romantic that they pick up James Orbinski's book An Imperfect Offering about his time at Medecins sans Frontieres during the Rwandan genocide for a grimmer picture, and then for a bit of light satire, Helen Fielding's wonderful Cause Celeb.

Thanks for the recommendations. Also, love your Gaius avi

 

[mmmcdowe]

I respect what he has built and think that it has been a positive force in international health, but I don't agree with some of his methods. Not all of us can have an enormous donor paying our tab nor a prestigious tenure to protect us when we take 100 grand in meds unauthorized. I also agree that that some of his unrestricted distribution policies may have future consequences. Over all though I think he has done a tremendous good.

 

[HSUReddie]

Matthew 26:6-13 is my favorite commentary on this topic; I remember that from the book, too.

As re: Mountains Beyond Mountains, I thought it was fabulous when I read it at the impressionable age of 17. I'm now a bit more skeptical of the Paul Farmer hagiography, and would suggest for those who find this book romantic that they pick up James Orbinski's book An Imperfect Offering about his time at Medecins sans Frontieres during the Rwandan genocide for a grimmer picture, and then for a bit of light satire, Helen Fielding's wonderful Cause Celeb.

I actually think I prefer Orbinski's book to Mountains Beyond Mountains. I liked both... but from what I can remember (been a while since I read them), MBM seemed to focus on Farmer and what a hero he is and what all he's done (which is fine - he has done a lot). Since Orbinski himself wrote An Imperfect Offering, I feel like you feel more of what he feels when you read it. Sort of gives a better perspective in my opinion I guess.

 

[MaenadsDance]

I actually think I prefer Orbinski's book to Mountains Beyond Mountains. I liked both... but from what I can remember (been a while since I read them), MBM seemed to focus on Farmer and what a hero he is and what all he's done (which is fine - he has done a lot). Since Orbinski himself wrote An Imperfect Offering, I feel like you feel more of what he feels when you read it. Sort of gives a better perspective in my opinion I guess.

I loved Orbinski's book. There's also a documentary (forget the details, sorry) that follows him as he returns to Rwanda a decade after the genocide; what's so haunting is that you can see clearly that he had been gravely altered by what he'd seen and experienced (in the "I think he has PTSD" sort of way). And the bit where he's talking with a man who has a hole in his skull from being shot in the head, and who spends his time digging up and preserving the bodies of the people who were murdered alongside him in one of the biggest mass atrocities in the whole genocide.

 

[HSUReddie]

I loved Orbinski's book. There's also a documentary (forget the details, sorry) that follows him as he returns to Rwanda a decade after the genocide; what's so haunting is that you can see clearly that he had been gravely altered by what he'd seen and experienced (in the "I think he has PTSD" sort of way). And the bit where he's talking with a man who has a hole in his skull from being shot in the head, and who spends his time digging up and preserving the bodies of the people who were murdered alongside him in one of the biggest mass atrocities in the whole genocide.

Triage - Dr. James Orbinski's Humanitarian Dilemma? 🙂 It's on Netflix I think (for anyone else looking to watch it). It's probably one of my favorite docs... just really moving, especially those scenes you mentioned.

 

[Goucher2013]

Mountains Beyond Mountains is a good book about a very accomplished man. The problems arise when it's used by what I'd call the "humanitarian enthusiasm" industry, which posits that as long as you have enough ideals and enthusiasm, you can change the world and makes a ton of money and prestige off of selling that notion to young people. This industry promotes an extremely uncritical and naive world view that can only exist in a very exclusive, affluent bubble. There's also a strong undertone reminiscent of the Muscular Christianity of the 19th century, in that white, western elites see themselves as the saviors of dark-skinned masses in foreign lands. All this has been critiqued to death on the internet and the key takeaway is that - regardless of the whole "western savior complex discussion - being inspired doesn't really mean crap unless it's followed up with both sustained commitment and, even more importantly, a competent, nuanced world view that keeps a wannabe humanitarian on the straight and narrow in terms of realistically appraising their methods and impact.

Last week, I laughed when I saw a billboard that read "Greg Mortenson. Built 131 schools. Rebuild 58,000 lives. Purpose: Pass It On". The rise and fall of men like Mortenson should be a caution to all of us and studied in tandem with respectful but not worshipful appraisals of men like Paul Farmer.

 

[987439759]

Matthew 26:6-13 is my favorite commentary on this topic; I remember that from the book, too.

As re: Mountains Beyond Mountains, I thought it was fabulous when I read it at the impressionable age of 17. I'm now a bit more skeptical of the Paul Farmer hagiography, and would suggest for those who find this book romantic that they pick up James Orbinski's book An Imperfect Offering about his time at Medecins sans Frontieres during the Rwandan genocide for a grimmer picture, and then for a bit of light satire, Helen Fielding's wonderful Cause Celeb.

Orbinski and Farmer's focus are completely different. The former hops around the globe working in refugee camps (Somolia, Afghanistan, Rwanda, Burundi) while the latter chose to focus on the long haul in a few areas (Haiti, Rwanda post '94, etc). I think both are admirable pursuits.