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4.2 AVERAGE
4.2 AVERAGE
This is a memorable book about a man who wants to cure the world. He can't, of course, but he doesn't let that stop him from trying. I suspect some of the science is probably out of date by now (i.e. regarding various diseases that are antibiotic-resistant) but it's a moving story.
For once, I think I do not possess the adequate words to describe how this book made me feel. To me, Paul was the exemplary definition of a global health advocate. It is impossible to overstate the contributions he made to the public health sector. He was indeed a genius, but he was also a man with (initially, at least) severely limited resources who was able to create something permanent and infinitely impactful out of nothing.
This book has a ton of information in it, and is one that I will need to read again sometime. It's about a doctor's unwavering quest to better the lives of the poor through medicine and personal relationships. His home base is Haiti, and his goal is to rid the world of Tuberculosis and help win the fight against AIDS. He is a remarkably constant man full of honorable character.
For anyone interested in public health, why international development is challenging, why rich people kind of suck, and why people don't do MORE to make the world a better place. This book gave me a mini-crisis of faith about my life, career, and goals.
Very convicting, makes me want to sell all my stuff and go work in development. I know that feeling will pass, but I kind of hope it doesn't. I wish I weren't so cynical.
I read this book as part of John Green's Life's Library Bookclub. Even though Paul Farmer is a fascinating person, his work and legacy overwhelmingly impressive and interesting, this wasn't neither my genre nor my type of story. I don't want to diminish how very much I was impressed by Farmer's life, his work ethos and achievements, it just wasn't my primary interest. I would've never picked up a book like that as I'm neither fond of biographies nor non-fiction books mostly, so this was super hard to read. Content-wise it also made me anxious and sad, even though I was really impressed how a single human being can change so much for the better.
So my rating is not about the book itself - if you're interested in learning about a single person changing global health forever, read it read it read, but about my personal reading experience. I skim-read most of it and I feel bad for it...
2,5 Stars
So my rating is not about the book itself - if you're interested in learning about a single person changing global health forever, read it read it read, but about my personal reading experience. I skim-read most of it and I feel bad for it...
2,5 Stars
Super interesting read about a doctor that used a pebble to stop a flood of TB and HIV in Haiti, Russia, and medically behind places.
A bit dry at times. But pretty crazy how wide a window Kidder got a view into
A bit dry at times. But pretty crazy how wide a window Kidder got a view into
informative
medium-paced