Kidder, Tracy. (2003) Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. New York: Random House.

In this work of nonfiction, Tracy Kidder chronicles the life of Paul Farmer, a dedicated doctor, anthropologist, and infectious-disease specialist, who brings quality health care to an impoverished region in Haiti. Later his organization, Partners in Health (PIH), expands their work in Peru and Russia to fight multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB. Farmer’s fundamental premise for all his efforts is that the poor deserve access to health care just as much as anybody else and that the world should not deny this birthright of basic care, especially when modern medicine has answers to most of the health problems of people in poor countries.

I found this book inspiring because here was a true story that showed how a single person brought about change in neglected places like the prisons in Russia and the villages in Haiti. It is easy to sit back and blame corruption, penury, and lack of democracy as the main obstacles to a stable health care system in third world countries, but we can either turn our backs on the issues or take action. Farmer’s drive to act was laudable. The book also touches on the themes of medical anthropology and explores the importance of incorporating local view of health with modern medical tools. One of my favorite quotes from the book is by an old Haitian woman, who is being treated for TB and who still adheres to believe in voodoo after she has been cured. She says, “Are you incapable of complexity?” At times, it might seem people have contradictory beliefs, but it is best if medical professionals understand them rather than dismiss them.