Bortolotti relates the MSF history and experiences in a readable, workman-like way. Reading the book, you have a sense of the kind of service that MSF provides and why, and a hint at the motivations of the people who are involved. The book is eager to disabuse MSF's reputation as a "cowboy" organization, while emphasizing its independence as compared to other aid groups. It provides a solid overview of the organization without going into details of particular missions. Finally, the book serves as a reminder of the larger goal of humanitarianism, sometimes overlooked in an era that demands quantification of results, reminding us that is enough that humanitarianism is a "compassionate response to suffering [and that it] doesn't need to be justified by science."
(This review originally appeared on Fourth-Rate Reader.)
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
Nice review, on an extremely worthwhile topic. Thanks!