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Hope in Hell (book)

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2006 book by Dan Bortolotti
Hope in Hell
AuthorDan Bortolotti
LanguageEnglish
SubjectMédecins Sans Frontières
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherFirefly Books
Pages304
ISBN1-55297-865-6

Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders is a 2006 book by Dan Bortolotti about Médecins Sans Frontières.

Summary

The book covers the activities undertaken by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) such as building hospitals and navigating conflict zones. Content covers the complexities of dealing with bureaucracies, epidemics, abductions and killings.

Bortolotti is critical of the mainstream media for its simplistic and heroic portrayal of MSF staff.

Style

The book is written in the style of a report.

Reception

Jenniger Prittie, writing for Quill and Quire described it as "gripping" and "clear" and noted that it would be of interest to a wide range of readers. Prittie also praised the book for not glorifying the international staff of MSF and for discussing the struggles they face integrating back into their home countries.

Amanda Walters Scarborough, writing in The Lancet, described the book as a "comprehensive picture of the essence of volunteerism."

Benjamin Bates of Ohio University is critical of Bortolotti for writing a simple and heroic caricature of MSF and its staff and accuses the author of "disaster pornography". Bates also criticizes the story for centering white, middle-class men and for missing the perspectives of MSF's patients.

Isabelle Leblac, writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, criticizes the lack of reporting on the activities of the local staff.

See also

References

  1. ^ Prittie, Jennifer (2005-01-21). "Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. Dwek, Jerry R. (2004-12-30). "Book Review". New England Journal of Medicine. 351 (27): 2887–2888. doi:10.1056/NEJM200412303512728. ISSN 0028-4793.
  3. Reisman, Anna (2006-09-01). "The good doctor: there is no sure formula when it comes to healing, but courage and compassion, combined with faith in one's instincts, go a long way". Science & Spirit. 17 (5): 47–50. doi:10.3200/SSPT.17.5.47-61.
  4. ^ Bates, Benjamin (November 2005). "Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors without Borders". ResearchGate.
  5. ^ Leblanc, Isabelle (2005-04-12). "The human right thing to do". CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. 172 (8): 1047–1048. doi:10.1503/cmaj.050182. ISSN 0820-3946. PMC 556046.
  6. Walters Scarborough, Amanda (September 4, 2004). "The Lancet" (PDF).
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