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Lobby Pass The Popcorn topic #180608

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janey
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Thu Jun-01-06 03:12 PM

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43. "welllllll"
In response to In response to 42


  

          

one thing that's nice about this one is that it has the book club discussion guide at the end, so you've got a natural jumping off point for discussion.

Also, I mean, having re-read it recently, I'm once again taken by the overwhelming message of Paul Farmer's life -- which is not that you yourself must cure the world, but that you do need to do what you can in the way that you can for those in need, wherever you find them. I just find it incredibly inspirational and also something of a kick in the pants AND it's really really engaging.

***Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder

The biography of Paul Farmer. Farmer is a doctor (specialist in infectious diseases) and anthropologist who has undertaken the treatment of AIDS in Haiti and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in Russia (and elsewhere), and who looks at disease as social/cultural ill and poverty as the single most significant factor in healthcare issues. He makes a powerful case in his own writings for a radically new picture of the politics of health and the allocation of resources, and this book is a great introduction to him and his writings, because he tends to disappear in his own books. His own story is very much worth reading. He scoffs at the idea of "sustainable" programs (i.e., AIDS prevention to the detriment of AIDS treatment) and just tackles what is in front of him with all his force and determination. In the offices of his non-profit org, one of his co-workers has a little sign posted that says "If Paul is the model, we're fucked." And that's a good reminder. I mean, this book could totally inspire you or it could make you throw your hands in the air and think that if you can't give everything, the way the Farmer does, there's no point in trying. But Farmer, via Kidder, would say with Gandhi that everything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.

  

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Okaybooks - Discuss Malcolm Gladwell's Blink. [View all] , B, Fri May-12-06 09:18 AM
 
Subject Author Message Date ID
I'm going to have to read it, I read The Tipping Point
May 12th 2006
1
The individual cases are all interesting, but cumulatively
May 12th 2006
2
that's more or less what I expected from Blink
May 12th 2006
4
Great post
May 12th 2006
6
      Before I saw him speak, I was less inclined to give him a pass
May 12th 2006
7
RE: The individual cases are all interesting, but cumulatively
May 17th 2006
9
while I know it's politically very unpalatable
May 17th 2006
11
RE: while I know it's politically very unpalatable
May 18th 2006
12
      well he does recognize that in the article
May 18th 2006
13
           political will and cost/benefit analysis
May 18th 2006
15
                Right, But
May 18th 2006
16
                     yes, of course
May 18th 2006
21
                          But if it was politically easy
May 18th 2006
22
                               the better article
May 18th 2006
24
                                    agreed
May 19th 2006
29
                                         I know, sigh, I hate those.
May 19th 2006
30
                                              hahahahaha
May 19th 2006
31
                                                   You ARE me.
May 19th 2006
32
                                                        I didn't have the subscription yet at that point
May 20th 2006
34
thanks for focusing my unease with this book
May 19th 2006
33
Great Book
May 12th 2006
3
RE: Okaybooks - Discuss Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.
May 12th 2006
5
RE: Okaybooks - Discuss Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.
May 12th 2006
8
i couldn't decide what his conclusion was....
May 17th 2006
10
agreed
May 18th 2006
14
his conclusion is that, since we all make these kind of decisions
May 20th 2006
35
That nigga ugly.
May 18th 2006
17
very interesting reading
May 18th 2006
18
Wordman says...
May 18th 2006
19
Best promotion for Kenna's album I've ever seen
May 18th 2006
20
yeah, that really made me happy
May 18th 2006
23
come on.
May 18th 2006
25
I got it from the library
May 18th 2006
26
      good thinking.
May 18th 2006
27
**** Somewhere I was expecting // Book Club Paperback****
May 19th 2006
28
can we get a collection of all his New Yorker essays?
May 22nd 2006
36
yes
May 22nd 2006
37
      This is why you're awesome
May 22nd 2006
38
           oh honey
May 22nd 2006
39
better late than neva
Jun 01st 2006
40
how are books chosen?
Jun 01st 2006
41
      At this point...
Jun 01st 2006
42
          

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