Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds Paperback – November 16, 2021

This is an important book about the review of the Ebola outbreak in west Africa. Dr. Farmer reviews the impacts of history on the outcomes of the Ebola pandemic and the control over care paradigm that contributed to such high mortality rates. highly recommend this book.

I bought a new copy of this book, but the cover was bent and the spine was damaged. Still readable, but I'm not happy with the condition. Please do better, Amazon.As for the book itself, you should buy it and read it. Dr. Farmer just passed away. It's important to learn from his work.

Partly because of the COVID19 I want to know more about the Ebola epidemic. But the book shows me much more than that. It traces back to the sad and violent history of west African countries which I have little(if any) idea before. The history is deeply shocking but media coverage in this region is seriously disproportionate. This book really helps me understand more about the suffering of the people and the complicated situation in past and present.

This is an unforgettable, moving account of Dr. Farmer's experiences supporting the victims of Ebola and trying to build up the healthcare services in West Africa.

I probably should have read the reviews more carefully here, as I was hoping for more of a book on the west African Ebola outbreak and less of a history of the various involved countries. The book starts off with a description of the outbreak, but then it spends what seemed like an inordinate amount of time discussing the convoluted history of the involved countries in extreme detail. Then after several hundred pages, it seems (I read the Kindle version), it returns to what to me was the more interesting part, the actual outbreak and how colonial and WHO policies played into making the outbreak as bad as it was. I do recommend the book, but only if you are as interested in history as the outbreak.

Excellent book and came as advertised in like new condition with only a small remainder dot on the bottom of the pages.

We should all know the ramifications of this book

Until I read Paul Farmer’s book titled, Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History, I thought I understood a lot about the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. Thanks to the context that Farmer provides in this book, it will be obvious to all readers that the situation in West Africa in 2014 was the consequence of hundreds of years of exploitation and injustice. He shows how the strategy of containment may have limited the spread of disease, but by not also focusing on medical care of patients, the people in this region (and others) do not have the health systems to address problems when they arise, let alone provide basic health care for people. Farmer writes with clarity and empathy, explaining history and medicine in terms that all readers can understand.Rating: Five-star (I love it)

Another excellent book by Dr. Paul Farmer. Dr. Farmer and the global team at Partners in Health are inspiring for many reasons - they work with communities to address structural inequities and advocate for systemic changes to provide long-term, high quality health care in the countries in which they work and serve. There are many important lessons in this book, about the disparities of health care access and their horrific consequences, the colonial history that continues to contribute to massive inequities, and the straightforward, yet too-seldom utilized responses.Dr. Farmer is an excellent clinician and advocate for justice and change. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

This book was a gift, so I cannot really comment

The bulk of this book, rather that strictly a book about the 2014 Ebola crisis, is actually made up of a long historical section on African history, colonialism, extraction, and the civil wars linked to various economic interests. It's well researched and comprehensive - an impressive feat, although the level of detail can be a little overwhelming for non-history buffs. Do average West Africans experience historical injustice in the same way as a white, Harvard educated physician who has done a PhD-level deep dive into colonial injustice? I'm not so sure, and this is where he somewhat loses me. To echo the criticism he himself mentions near the end of the book: to what end is the spectre of colonialism conjured up in the 21st century?