IPSA Summer Book Club – Three Cups of Tea

On July 1, the IPSA book club met to discuss Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson at the bar Swift, a few blocks from the Puck building. The meeting was a success! There were seven people at the meeting – 3 current students, 2 new students, and 2 friends of an IPSA member.

The group discussed how impressed we all were with the extreme dedication Mortenson showed to his mission of building schools in rural Pakistan and later rural Afghanistan. He spent years of his life working with the local people, for very little money, often putting himself in danger. We discussed how we felt his made a different in empowering rural communities, particularly because aside from helping with the building, the school’s were run by the local people without an American influence. We agreed that work like Mortenson’s, by offering an alternative, can prevent poor people from turning to terrorism. However, we did note that the leaders of terrorist organizations often have high levels of education. We also talked about how Mortenson could have benefited from some organizational management and help with his finances and fundraising operations. He was luckily able to succeed, but his organization was constantly on the brink of financial ruin in its beginning days.

In the end, we were all amazed at the power one individual can have to change so many peoples lives and have such a positive impact.

Summer Book Club Date Change

Please note that the IPSA Summer Book Club event for An Imperfect Offering (originally slated for July 23) has been rescheduled for Tuesday, August 18 at 7:30pm. The meeting will be held at Tea Lounge in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Tea Lounge is located at 837 Union Street (between 6th and 7th Ave).

IPSA Summer Book Club-Mountains Beyond Mountains

On Thursday, 6/18, an eclectic group of current and future NYU students met to discuss the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. MBM chronicles the life and work of Paul Farmer, an American doctor has worked tirelessly since the mid-1980′s to bring high quality medical care and social equity to various underdeveloped regions, but most notably Haiti. Much of this work occurs through the organization he co-founded, Partners in Health, but his work in these regions began long before the founding of PIH.

Discussion began with general reactions, all positive, to the book. Some identified with Farmer and his quest (also noting the frequent mentions of Lord of the Rings, a favorite of Farmer’s, in MBM); others admired Farmer for his work but felt that they didn’t share his tireless devotion. The book prompted a great deal of discussion around the methodologies, advantages, pitfalls, and other issues surrounding international development.

Farmer was criticized for not working to improve poverty more holistically. Although much of his work has reported and analyzed the associations between poverty, disease, and poor health outcomes, Farmer himself has refrained from working directly in alleviating poverty. His life’s work has centered around multi drug tuberculosis health care, and he himself has become directly involved in administering that care. Farmer cites this as crucial to improving health and quality of life, but some would criticize that he could be more effective by working less with patients.

Farmer, however, treasures his time with patients, especially those of Haiti. Furthermore, by working in Haiti so often, Farmer rejects many of the rewards and advantages of the American medical system, and some thought he was particularly unique in his refusal of material rewards.

Farmer himself would most likely sternly rebuke any such criticisms of himself, as he does in the book, and there can be no doubt that he has improved the lives of thousands, if not millions, by working in his unique methods.

Andrew Quinn