“All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
As the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday approaches and the world response to the earthquake in Haiti gains momentum, we are highlighting a few of our books that guide those who provide health care and other human services.
Humanitarian Aid Work: A Critical Approach
by Carlos Martín Beristain
"An important guide . . . which describes what often takes years of experience in the field to understand. . . . Many of the concerns addressed and advocated, if put into practice, will have a lasting impact on the populations the humanitarian aid worker seeks to help."–International Social Work
"Drawing on over a decade of field experiences in Latin America as well as a burgeoning literature about the psychological and social effects of war and disasters, Martín Beristain developed this volume at the interface of theory and practice as one response to these complex social and political realities. Humanitarian Aid Work offers an excellent introduction to those seeking to respond to the complex social, political, cultural, and linguistic diversities within any humanitarian crisis."–from the Foreword
Caring for Patients from Different Cultures, Fourth Edition by Geri-Ann Galanti
"A must-read book for any healthcare professional. . . . It should be in every hospital library."–Caregiver Journal
Today's health care professional serves a multicultural population and must understand how cultural misunderstandings can result in inferior medical care and health care disparities. The fourth edition of this classic work provides over 250 case studies illustrating what can go wrong, as well as what culturally competent clinicians can do right.
Rebuilding Urban Places After Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina, edited by Eugenie L. Birch and Susan M. Wachter
"Invaluable. . . . Essential."–Choice
This volume examines the rebuilding of cities and their environs after a disaster and focuses on four major issues: making cities less vulnerable to disaster, reestablishing economic viability, responding to the permanent needs of the displaced, and recreating a sense of place.
