Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World

by Tracy Kidder

When Farmer was back in Boston, doing his internship at the Brigham, White would drive over at lunchtime and buy sandwiches at the restaurant inside the hospital. He and Farmer would eat them in White’s car. One day White asked Farmer, who looked pale as usual, “You eatin’ enough?” “Oh, I’m fine,” said Farmer. “Need any money?” “No,” said Farmer. “Well, maybe forty dollars?” White happened to have a wad of hundred-dollar bills in his pocket. He tossed one into Farmer’s lap. “You look hungry to me.” Saying this, he felt impelled to reach in his pocket again. He tossed another hundred to Farmer. “Please, for God’s sakes, eat,” he said, and to emphasize the point, he gave Farmer yet another hundred. Farmer looked down at the loot. “Now I can tell you what happened last night.” He’d gone to the home of an AIDS patient whom he had treated at the Brigham and found out the man was about to be evicted. “I signed my check over to him.” “Jeez, Paul, don’t you think that’s kind of impractical?” Farmer smiled. “Well,” he said. “God sent you today.”