About Paul Farmer...

For the general scoop, check out the Britannica Online entry.

To get to know Paul Farmer, definitely take a look at a couple of the videos posted on the website. My personal favorite is the video from Cambridge Community Television (be forewarned - it gets a little graphic...). I like it because he tells a story and then relates it to larger issues, and he does it in an entertaining yet compelling way. He's a great speaker, clearly very passionate about his work and clearly caring about the people he treats. And he's funny, too.

So take a listen - what do you think?

Why Read? Why Blog?

As a librarian, the first question is pretty easily answered - reading, to me, is key to learning, to discovery, to understanding other perspectives...and even though reading at its core is a solitary endeavor, when you arrive on campus in the fall, we'll all have this common experience of reading Tracy Kidder's amazing Mountains Beyond Mountains. And there's a lot to this book - global health issues, politics, religion, culture, poverty - we'll all grapple with these big issues in late August as we get together, in-person, to discuss the book.

So, why blog? Because this is how we can start the conversation - this is where you can start to put forward your own ideas, your own thoughts about the book, about Dr. Paul Farmer and his work, about how you can make a difference in the world. Professors will also be posting their thoughts and comments from their unique points of view as experts in their respective fields. It's going to be a great conversation. Please join us!