Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

Consider how the projects got started, the relationships between doctors and patients, and also the involvement of the international community. Compare Zanmi Lasante to the Socios en Salud project in Carabayllo.Do you see a correlation between the way Farmer was raised and how hes chosen to live his life? How has your own background influenced your life and your decisions? Paul Farmer had an eccentric childhood and his accomplishments have been unique.The title of the book comes from the Haitian proverb, ∻eyond mountains there are mountains. What does the saying mean in the context of the culture it comes from, and what does it mean in relation to Farmers work? Can you think of other situationspersonal or societalfor which this proverb might be apt?.What did he discover about the relative importance of cultural beliefs among his impoverished patients and their material circumstances? Do you think that this discovery might have borad application for instance, to situations in the United States? Farmer designed a study to find out whether there was a correlation between his Haitian patients belief in in sorcery as the cause of TB and their recovery from that disease through medical treatment.What is your opinion of the distribution of these forms of wealth? What would you change, if you could? Kidder points out that Farmer is dissatisfied with the current distribution of money and medicine in the world.

Do you agree with the way that Farmer makes personal sacrifices? For what kinds of things do you make sacrifices, and when do you expect others to make them? Paul Farmer believes that if youre making sacrificesyoure trying to lessen some psychic discomfort (24).How does he do this? Are his methods something to which we can all aspire? Paul Farmer finds ways of connecting with people whose backgrounds are vastly different from his own.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder