Mountains Beyond Mountains

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

By: Tracy Kidder

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “[A] masterpiece . . . an astonishing book that will leave you questioning your own life and political views.”—USA Today

“If any one person can be given credit for transforming the medical establishment’s thinking about health care for the destitute, it is Paul Farmer. . . . [Mountains Beyond Mountains] inspires, discomforts, and provokes.”—The New York Times (Best Books of the Year)

In medical school, Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most. Tracy Kidder’s magnificent account shows how one person can make a difference in solving global health problems through a clear-eyed understanding of the interaction of politics, wealth, social systems, and disease. Profound and powerful, Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes people’s minds through his dedication to the philosophy that “the only real nation is humanity.”

WINNER OF THE LETTRE ULYSSES AWARD FOR THE ART OF REPORTAGE

©2003 Tracy Kidder (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Paul Michael captures the book's mix of intensity and elaboration beautifully....Just the right amount of edge-of-your-seat passion....A very good rendition of an important book." —AudioFile

“A true-to-life fairy tale, one that inspires you to believe in happy endings . . . Its stark sense of reality comes as much from the grit between the pages as from the pure gold those pages spin.”—Laura Claridge, Boston Sunday Globe

“Stunning . . . Mountains Beyond Mountains will move you, restore your faith in the ability of one person to make a difference in these increasingly maddening, dispiriting times.”—John Wilkens, The San Diego Union-Tribune

Portrait of a man with a true vocation

Paul Farmer really appears to have a true vocation -- a calling to help improve the health of the poor, especially in Haiti. This book shows how just one person (albeit an extraordinary person) can make a difference in the world.
Paul Farmer's story makes me want to be a better person -- to be more aware of the needs of the poor around me and elsewhere in the world, and more willing to do something about it.

Must read

This is a truly inspirational book and an amazing story about a brilliant person. Listen to it.

Powerful Listen

This book is informative, inspiring, and moving. Powerful!! It's a must listen!
If you are are for the poor or you are wonder why others are... listen to this book!!

Paul Farmer is my hero

If each of us brought the same level of single-mindedness and dedication to our daily lives, the world would be a very different place. Thank you, Tracy Kidder, for chronicling the ventures of this man and his team.

Inspiring

Every once in a while you come across a book about a person who has truly changed the world for the better. This was that book. The person was Dr. Paul Farmer. He took on the twin pandemics of AIDS and TB in Haiti and many other underserved countries around the world and treated patients one by one. Even with great obstacles, he devoted his life to helping others and made every person he treated the most important person in his life. Such an inspiring man and story!

Great Subject

I wish that John McPhee had written this book, but I guess I am being greedy. At 72 I suppose McPhee could not have kept up with Paul Farmer well enough to do him justice. This stunning account of Dr. Farmers' work with the worlds sick and poor(the two seem to be synonymous) moved me more deeply than I could have imagined. Be prepared to sell your house and car and move to Central America.

The Power of One Person to change the world

Reminds me of Bobby Kennedy's statement which I believe is: "Some see things as they are and wonder why. I see things that never were and wonder why not?" Paul Farmer seems to follow that in his daily life--he is a saint! He could be a wealthy Boston doctor, but instead chooses to spend his time fighting poverty and abysmal health care in Haiti and around the world. His story is fascinating, his impact immeasurable. Very inspiring tale, along the lines of Three Cups of Tea. A must for your audio bookshelf.

Why are there seashells on mountain tops?

This story about the life of noted physician and anthropologist Paul Farmer enlightens as well as entertains. Dr. Farmer's story and research are extraordinary and told in a way that keeps people who are not necessarily interested in anthropology (like me) enthralled.

Preferential Option...

This is a truly amazing story. All will find it hard to put down. It explores human conditions: health, suffering, hunger. It is about one man's fight against one evil: poverty. I am a conservative, Family Physician who does mission work in Central and South America. This has nothing to do with Democrats or Republicans. It is about humanity, and one incredible man's preferential option for the poor. A must read for all.

Be inspired.

Whether you have a medical background or not, if your interest is in global health and the betterment of humanity, this book is an inspiration and a testament to what can be accomplished when you simply do.