From Condoms to Cabbages: An Authorized Biography of Mechai Viravaidya

by Thomas D'Agnes

Book by D'Agnes, Thomas

Genres: Politics, History

Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Grace Teng · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually write reviews of books, but I felt like this one deserved the praise. My friends had the fortunate opportunity to meet Mechai while eating at one of his restaurants. He gave them each a copy of this book and signed it as well! We happen to be Peace Corps volunteers in Thailand and at our next volunteer meeting they mentioned the encounter and offered to let me borrow the book. As anyone interested in Thai history and politics might know, it can be pretty hard to find good digestible books, in English, about the topic. Finding this book was great because it was exactly what I was searching for. Although not specifically about politics, Mechai’s life and his work is so deeply intertwined. He’s lived a truly incredible life and done so much for development work in Thailand, it’s a very inspiring read.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone interested in community development and the positive influence one person can have on not just the rural poor, but an entire country would do well to become acquainted with Khun Mechai. I was amazed and inspired as his legacy and impact grew with each subsequent chapter. For his own part, D’Agnes does an incredible job of keeping the narrative flowing while still packing the book with the proper research, statistics, and objectiveness it requires.

[Morgan Shupsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mechai’s life is a masterclass in how to be an effective leader and make real change, it’s almost unbelievable how much this man accomplished, and is still accomplishing, in just one lifetime. All the history about the politics and practices that have effected Thailand in the past were also super interesting but I feel like the author got hung up on the data and history at points and it felt more like reading a textbook than a biography, hence the -1 star. Five whole stars for Mechai though!!

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had the privilege of meeting Mechai earlier this year having a personal connection with him 40 years ago.
This book is a wonderful tribute to the amazing work and character that he is.
Definitely work reading.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a biography of an amazing individual. I had the opportunity to meet Mechai when he spoke at Chautauqua, and so I came into this very impressed with him. It was valuable to learn more details about how he accomplished his important successes in public health, economic development, anti-corruption, etc. Anybody interested in those areas or global health or related topics could gain a lot from the second half of this book.
Unfortunately, the author was perhaps too enthusiastic about giving us as many details as possible about his subject. There is just way too much (>150 pages) family background before getting to the main topic. Moreover, I found it was counterproductive for trying to learn useful lessons. The underlying message is that in order to do the kinds of things that Mechai did, you need to have multiple generations of eccentric and extraordinarily talented forebears, an elite off-shore education, mixed-race outsider status, and a special family name bestowed directly by the king.

[Colin Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up for me and a friend after having the pleasure of staying at the Cabbages and Condoms resort in Pattaya... The place piqued my interest so much that I just needed to know the whole story. The book itself does a pretty good job with that too, having been written by a (pesumably close) pal that clearly held Mr. Viravaida in high reverence. Although it's not too hard to have as much of an impact in the world when you are from the 1%, one thing for sure is that Mechai has had quite a life! Also, it's interesting to hear about old timey Thailand (especially Bangkok) and how life was like back then.

[Luke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting story of the life and times of an amazing Thai politician and entrepreneur!

[Richard Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across the story of Mechai Viravaidya in Alan Weisman's COUNTDOWN: OUT LAST BEST HOPE FOR A FUTURE ON EARTH which I read this spring. Weisman's book deals with the PRESSING (my capital letter, his thesis) issue of population control, and he tells the story of Mechai Virsvaidya's work in Thailand as a prime of example of how it can be done well.

CONDOMS TO CABBAGES is a biography written by a colleague of Mechia's at Population and Community Development Association (PDA). Mechai is an interesting character but the book is not emotionally compelling, especially when Viravaidya becomes immerse in the world of NGO's, government agencies, politics and international finance. The fact that book starts out with two and half pages of abbreviations and acronyms is a bit of tip-off that there will be a bit of slogging along the way. D'Agnes tells the story well enough, but with the tangle of players and agendas he has to deal with, Mechai the man gets a bit lost.