Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History

October 2014: A dangerous epidemic has overrun Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia. The deaths have reached the hundreds, eventually becoming thousands. Healthcare workers have been hard hit. A few with the disease have been evacuated for treatment in the United States, despite public concern about spreading the disease. The recovery for any Ebola patient is uncertain, as African citizens don’t necessarily have access to the same type of care as their NGO doctors and other healthcare workers. Some Ebola treatment units opted to isolate and quarantine the sick, meaning treatment became secondary. That decision proved fatal in many cases. The spread of the disease was, and remains, a concern for doctors and governments, especially in terms of countering future outbreaks.

Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds offers an extensive analysis of the quandary posed by epidemics and possible pandemics. Paul Farmer is a worthy teacher regarding the disastrous effect of Ebola virus, as he has worked in countries overrun by the disease. His views on treatment are valuable; his humanity is compelling. His politics tend to distract from his message from time to time, but they are a mere footnote when compared with this book’s powerful overall impact.