Author: Sara Habibipour
You all seemed to love our “Medical Documentaries You MUST Watch If You Want to be a Health Professional.” I’m sure you all are creating your reading lists for this new year, so here are some of our global health book recommendations to make sure you pick up!
1. Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder
https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Beyond-Tracy-Kidder/dp/0812973011
This is a book about the story of Paul Farmer and the beginning of Partners in Health, a non-profit global health organization that “fights social injustice by bringing the benefits of modern medical science first and foremost to the most vulnerable communities around the world" (Partners in Health).
If you don’t know who Paul Farmer is, he is one of the most notable figures in the history of global health. While in Haiti during his gap year before medical school, Paul Farmer found his life’s calling: to cure infectious diseases and to bring medicine to those who need them most. The title, “Mountains Beyond Mountains” refers to a Haitian proverb “Beyond mountains there are mountains,” meaning that as you solve one problem, another problem presents itself, so you continually are battling problems that cross your path. As you read the book, you will see just what problems Farmer and his team had to face in order to bring healthcare to some of the most impoverished populations in the world.
This book is incredibly inspiring to anyone interested in a career in global health and making the world at large a more equitable place.
2. The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett
https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Plague-Emerging-Diseases-Balance/dp/0140250913
This is an oldie but a goodie! If you’re interested in infectious diseases, then this one's for you!
Bolivian hemorrhagic fever, Lassa, HIV. You name it, it’s in this book. It outlines the origins of outbreaks of disease within the past 50-ish years, how scientists handled them, and possible solutions to promote a healthier future free of harmful microbes.
If you’re a curious person who likes diseases, you can’t miss out on this book. Note that it is VERY large and it’s more of a reference book than something you read cover to cover. But, there’s a LOT of great info in there!
3. The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide by Steven Thrasher
https://www.amazon.com/Viral-Underclass-Ableism-Capitalism-Margins/dp/1250796636
This book not only talks about the medical implications of pandemics and disease, but it focuses on the social inequalities that determine how viruses are able to take their toll. It highlights how disease is more dependent on social structures than on biology alone.
The book features stories of the author’s friends, fellow activists, and doctors navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the ‘80s. I highly recommend that everyone pursuing the medical field reads this book, as there’s so much for us to learn that we aren’t taught in university or medical school regarding health disparities, social determinants of health, and how they interact with pandemics and disease.
4. The End of Epidemics by Jonathan D. Quick
https://www.amazon.com/End-Epidemics-Looming-Threat-Humanity/dp/1250117771
I’m a bit biased towards this one because I owe the bulk of the spark in my academic interest to this book. Actually, reading this book is one of the events that made me start this blog!
It goes through different epidemics throughout history, such as swine flu, SARS, and Ebola, analyzing local and global efforts to contain outbreaks of disease and the ways in which they succeeded and failed. It also talks about how these diseases were able to spread based on specific cultural and socioeconomic contexts, which I personally found very interesting.
Interestingly enough, this book was published a couple years before the COVID-19 pandemic. But, it offers a set of guidelines in order to prevent the next outbreak of infectious disease. He has coined these “The Power of Seven,” to end epidemics before they begin. I suggest you all read this book, as there is always a threat looming on the horizon. We don’t know when the next outbreak will be, only that it’s coming.
5. To Repair the World by Paul Farmer
https://www.amazon.com/Repair-World-Generation-California-Anthropology/dp/0520275977
We started with Paul Farmer, and now we’re ending with Paul Farmer.
This book is a collection of some of his greatest speeches, many of which he gave at university/medical school graduations, to inspire the next generation. It’s truly a must-read for anyone hoping to bring justice to vulnerable populations across the globe, particularly through a medical perspective.
His speeches challenge the audience to power against global poverty, climate change, and other pressing problems today, understand the social forces that determine who gets sick and who has access to health care, and make change so that the world is a safer and healthier place for all.
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Hope you're able to pick up at least one of these books! Happy reading!