Mountains Beyond Mountains：The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

TracyKidderisawinnerofthePulitzerPrizeandtheauthorofthebestsellersTheSoulofaNewMachine,House,AmongSchoolchildren,andHomeTown.HehasbeendescribedbytheBaltimoreSunasthe“masterofthenon-fictionnarrative.”Thispowerfulandinspiringnewbookshowshowonepersoncanmakeadifference,asKiddertellsthetruestoryofagiftedmanwhoisinlovewiththeworldandhassetouttodoallhecantocureit.AtthecenterofMountainsBeyondMountainsstandsPaulFarmer.Doctor,Harvardprofessor,renownedinfectious-diseasespecialist,anthropologist,therecipientofaMacArthur“genius”grant,world-classRobinHood,Farmerwasbroughtupinabusandonaboat,andinmedicalschoolfoundhislife’scalling:todiagnoseandcureinfectiousdiseasesandtobringthelifesavingtoolsofmodernmedicinetothosewhoneedthemmost.Thismagnificentbookshowshowradicalchangecanbefosteredinsituationsthatseeminsurmountable,anditalsoshowshowameaningfullifecanbecreated,asFarmer—brilliant,charismatic,charming,bothaleaderininternationalhealthandadoctorwhofindstimetomakehousecallsinBostonandthemountainsofHaiti—blaststhroughconventiontogetresults.MountainsBeyondMountainstakesusfromHarvardtoHaiti,Peru,Cuba,andRussiaasFarmerchangesmindsandpracticesthroughhisdedicationtothephilosophythat"theonlyrealnationishumanity"-aphilosophythatisembodiedinthesmallpubliccharityhefounded,PartnersInHealth.HeenliststhehelpoftheGatesFoundation,GeorgeSoros,theU.N.’sWorldHealthOrganization,andothersinhisquesttocuretheworld.Attheheartofthisbookistheexampleofalifebasedonhope,andonanunderstandingofthetruthoftheHaitianproverb“Beyondmountainstherearemountains”:asyousolveoneproblem,anotherproblempresentsitself,andsoyougoonandtrytosolvethatonetoo.“MountainsBeyondMountainsunfoldswiththeforceofagatheringrevelation,”saysAnnieDillard,andJonathanHarrsays,“[Farmer]wantstochangetheworld.Certainlythisluminousandpowerfulbookwillchangethewayyouseeit.”FromtheHardcoveredition.