PIHC Staff Picks: Read, Watch, Listen

Strength in What Remains tells the true story of medical student Deogratias Niyizonkiza, who in 1994 flees war and horror in his native Burundi and in Rwanda and subsequently lands in New York homeless, penniless, and knowing no English. As hard as it is to fathom what Deo lives through, it’s equally improbable what comes next: a weaving together of Deo’s determination, the grace of strangers, and connecting with the Partners In Health community in Boston, eventually leading to Deo building the hospital and health organization in Burundi that he always dreamed of (check out villagehealthworks.org). I re-read Strength in What Remains after having the privilege of meeting Deo for the first time this summer in Rwanda at events to honour Paul Farmer. It’s through people like Deo that Paul’s legacy lives on.

Marshall Ganz’s organizing principles have underpinned progressive movements for decades, most famously during Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. This book is where Ganz brings his experience and teaching all together. Ganz’s definition of organizing – “Organizing is leadership that enables people to turn the resources they have into the power they need to make the change they want” – is another way of talking about what in PIH-speak is referred to as “pragmatic solidarity” … with the emphasis on pragmatic. We can mobilize all we want, but the point is to make change happen – and if we’re unsuccessful, to learn how to do better going forward. In PIH’s case, the change we want to see is the delivery of quality health care to people who currently don’t have access to it. Ganz’s organizing lessons can help us get there.

Everything Is Tuberculosis turns a disease most of us never think about into something you can’t stop thinking about. It blends Henry’s personal journey with TB’s global history and asks hard questions about justice, connection, and what we owe each other.

For anyone working in global health, or anyone who wants to understand why TB persists as the world’s deadliest infectious disease despite having a cure, this book is essential.

Set in rural Appalachia, the novel follows a boy growing up in poverty against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic, showing how structural inequities shape entire communities. It highlights how the social and economic conditions we are born into can limit opportunity and wellbeing.

The message resonates with PIH’s belief that health is shaped by social determinants like poverty, housing, access to care, and that addressing the root causes of these is essential to achieving health equity.

Abundance offers a fresh lens on progress and possibility. Instead of focusing on scarcity, it highlights how innovation and human ingenuity can expand what’s possible—even in the face of big challenges like climate change or global health.

For PIH, it’s a hopeful reminder that solutions exist when we choose to invest in them. It’s a powerful shift in mindset: from asking “what’s missing?” to asking “what’s possible?”

This Podcast Will Kill You takes listeners into the world of health and disease with a mix of science, history, and storytelling. The hosts also run the TPWKY Book Club, which kicked off with John Green’s Everything is Tuberculosis as its first pick. The discussions are engaging and easy to follow, and for anyone who wants more, full video interviews are also available on YouTube.

A Shot in the Arm brings together a wide range of voices, mixing public health know-how with powerful storytelling. The show dives into how global health connects with equity and innovation, breaking down big topics in a way that feels both relevant and easy to understand. If you’re curious about how health really shapes our world, and what’s being done to make it fairer, this podcast is worth a listen.

During our last PIH Canada Reading Club, this essay sparked deep reflection and conversation. In it, Paul Farmer calls for a radical rethinking of foreign aid—challenging myths, exposing how most funding bypasses fragile public institutions, and urging a shift toward durable, locally led solutions.

Paul offers five steps forward: a guide to building development that strengthens infrastructure, elevates community leadership, and creates lasting health systems.