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This Is a Soul: An American Doctor's Remarkable Mission in Ethiopia – The Biography of Dr. Rick Hodes' Devotion to the Sickest and Poorest
“A powerful, important book for our age.”
—Abraham Verghese, author Cutting For Stone Passionately written by journalist Marilyn Berger, This is a Soul is the moving and inspiring story of Dr. Rick Hodes, an American doctor living in Ethiopia, who has devoted his life to caring for the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor. Dr. Hodes’s life and work makes for fascinating reading, especially for those who have been profoundly touched by Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains .
—Abraham Verghese, author Cutting For Stone Passionately written by journalist Marilyn Berger, This is a Soul is the moving and inspiring story of Dr. Rick Hodes, an American doctor living in Ethiopia, who has devoted his life to caring for the sickest of the sick and the poorest of the poor. Dr. Hodes’s life and work makes for fascinating reading, especially for those who have been profoundly touched by Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains .
288 pages, Paperback
First published April 13, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
October 12, 2019
This well-written medical biography of Dr. Rick Hodes is an absolutely perfect (and much-needed) dose of faith in humanity. Dr. Rick has cared for countless patients during his career, ranging from the poorest children in Ethiopia, to victims of genocide in Rwanda, to those suffering from famine throughout Africa. A brief chronology of true altruism, this book succinctly and compassionately chronicles Dr. Rick’s accomplishments and struggles and also includes numerous mini-biographies of the children whose lives have been changed forever through the efforts of just one man (often with support of other experts throughout the world). I feel that books like this are so vitally important in order to take us out of our small privileged lives, awaken us to the human sufferings in our world, and inspire us to act in the most generous ways we can. Mrs. Berger does a fantastic job in chronicling Dr. Rick’s work and giving genuine altruism a voice. A+!
March 28, 2011
Read before my trip to Ethiopia and got a chance to meet the man. Truly amazing story, simple read. It was a powerful moment to meet Dr Rick and his Ethiopian children. Will never forget it...
March 13, 2016
Rick is my cousin, and it's an amazing thing to read a bio of a person you know! Even if I didn't know Rick, his story is amazing and inspiring.
August 6, 2012
amazing, singular, dedicated human being. uncanny sensitivity and intelligence. dr. who went with the jewish joint as a dr. to ethopia and ended up staying there to take care of kids who would otherwise have died from preventable diseases no longer seen in the western world, due to vaccinations. he, now an observant jew, practices with no equipment, just a stethoscope, in an office next to mother theresa's mission. a unique example of someone who could not stand idly by as others suffer needlessly.
July 8, 2010
This is a fascinating account of the work that Dr. Rick Hodes has done for the past 20 years in Ethopia. Dr. Hode's dedication to saving children's lives is inspiring and transformative. His devotion, love and kindness reminds us that amid the most desparate circumstances, one person can make a big difference.
February 5, 2017
The author's obsession with her adopted son is deeply problematic. Dr. Hodes is certainty an interesting physician. I wish the author dug deeper into his story.
January 21, 2018
Wow! It’s amazing what one determined person can accomplish.
January 31, 2020
great story, not such great writing
August 29, 2022
Absolutely wonderful .. Cried through most of it. If I weren't so old I would adopt a child from Ethiopia...
April 15, 2023
Rick Hodes is an inspiration in the way he views and treats patients as real people with real souls. He genuinely seeks out the broken, hopeless, desperate, and gives every effort to offer them life. Not only breath, but a life that is meaningful. His approach to healthcare stands out because it is completely selfless; Rick lives in Africa full time, welcomes numerous children into his home, and without any hesitation gives away all he has. The stories that lie within this book will leave you in awe, emotional, hopeful, & inspired.
August 4, 2014
I can be a pretty harsh judge of books about Ethiopia. Early on in this book, I disagreed a bit with how the author characterized certain characteristics of Ethiopia, but after some time I realized that some of the time periods being described were early to mid 1990's. Since the Derg fell in 1991, this would certainly represent a very young democracy and I'm not surprised that some of what she said simply doesn't hold true any longer. Because Rick Hodes is an Orthodox Jew, he was very involved with the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel. I knew from past readings that Ethiopia was one of the only countries in the world where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived in peace and I also knew that most of the Ethiopian Jews had gone to Israel. This book filled in some of the missing pieces for me about that period of Ethiopian history.
Every so often I see or read something and think to myself, "If my life had taken a different trajectory, that is something I might have done." I like my life the way it is, but my interest in Medical Anthropology and public health could have led me down a very different road. This book made me wonder about that different road.
This book gave me hope that there really are very good people in the world who do good works just because a life is worth saving. Rick Hodes is a devout Jew who believes that God puts him in places to save lives. When he misses a flight, it allows a chance encounter with someone that needs his help. When he oversleeps and goes late to prayer he encounters a surgeon that can help his patients. While his religion shapes his value system and beliefs, never once is that belief system thrust onto others. While this book managed to stay not political, there was one deviation from that. Dr. Hodes worked in Rwandan refugee camps treating desperately ill people with dysentery and cholera. Rick Hodes judged some NGOs harshly, but particularly one. Pat Robertson's group "Operation Blessing" was woefully unprepared to treat the Rwandan refugees. But what made me shake my head was the realization that their true mission was anything but humanitarian. Yes, they were hoping to save lives, but more importantly to convert people to evangelical Protestantism. "They would approach people who had no plastic sheeting and ask them to pray to Jesus for sheeting. A week later, they would deliver the sheeting, a sure sign that the prayers had been answered." This angered me tremendously. Manipulation in the name of Christianity does not sit well with me. The juxtaposition between the quiet faith of Rick Hodes and the exuberant evangelism could not help but become obvious. And then as I read on, my jaw dropped and a turned down the corner of the page. "Officials told Rick that Robertson had struck a deal with Mobutu to prospect for alluvial diamonds in several Zaire riverbeds, and the planes were used to fly in diamond dredging equipment. The pilots themselves later publicly accused Robertson of diverting the planes from their humanitarian mission, a violation of the organization's tax exempt status." Yes, indeed, as wave after wave of disease went through the refugee camps, in the name of "Christianity" people with resources and funds to help instead went after blood diamonds. Despicable.
Every so often I see or read something and think to myself, "If my life had taken a different trajectory, that is something I might have done." I like my life the way it is, but my interest in Medical Anthropology and public health could have led me down a very different road. This book made me wonder about that different road.
This book gave me hope that there really are very good people in the world who do good works just because a life is worth saving. Rick Hodes is a devout Jew who believes that God puts him in places to save lives. When he misses a flight, it allows a chance encounter with someone that needs his help. When he oversleeps and goes late to prayer he encounters a surgeon that can help his patients. While his religion shapes his value system and beliefs, never once is that belief system thrust onto others. While this book managed to stay not political, there was one deviation from that. Dr. Hodes worked in Rwandan refugee camps treating desperately ill people with dysentery and cholera. Rick Hodes judged some NGOs harshly, but particularly one. Pat Robertson's group "Operation Blessing" was woefully unprepared to treat the Rwandan refugees. But what made me shake my head was the realization that their true mission was anything but humanitarian. Yes, they were hoping to save lives, but more importantly to convert people to evangelical Protestantism. "They would approach people who had no plastic sheeting and ask them to pray to Jesus for sheeting. A week later, they would deliver the sheeting, a sure sign that the prayers had been answered." This angered me tremendously. Manipulation in the name of Christianity does not sit well with me. The juxtaposition between the quiet faith of Rick Hodes and the exuberant evangelism could not help but become obvious. And then as I read on, my jaw dropped and a turned down the corner of the page. "Officials told Rick that Robertson had struck a deal with Mobutu to prospect for alluvial diamonds in several Zaire riverbeds, and the planes were used to fly in diamond dredging equipment. The pilots themselves later publicly accused Robertson of diverting the planes from their humanitarian mission, a violation of the organization's tax exempt status." Yes, indeed, as wave after wave of disease went through the refugee camps, in the name of "Christianity" people with resources and funds to help instead went after blood diamonds. Despicable.
February 26, 2016
This book is a breath of fresh air, an account of one man taking on the most serious diseases in one of the world's poorest countries. Dr. Rick's path to Ethiopia (and beyond e.g Rwanda and Bosnia) begins in a suburban American setting, moves on to Middlebury College where he studied geography and then went on to travel to many of the places he studied where he was touched to his core by the poverty and illness he saw. His response was to become a doctor in which profession he was drawn to Ethiopia for a short term assignment but ended by making that country his home front in the battle against conditions too long ignored.
While he was making this journey to far flung places, he sought a spiritual home which he found in Judaism and became an Orthodox Jew. As an employee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, he ministered to a host of Ethiopian Jews living in unimaginable conditions as they waited in a refugee camp for migration to Israel. He also tried to patch a small hole in the broken war that was the civil war in Rwanda and also treated those fleeing another civil war in the former Yugoslavia.
It was at a home for the helpless and hopeless, run by Mother Teresa's nuns, in Addis Ababa that he began touching the lives of the miserable in near miraculous interventions. The account of his special vocation to lift young people out of a lifetime of suffering due to spinal tuberculosis reveals the profound impact this one doctor had on the lives of his patients. There was no bureaucratic
obstacle or medical hesitancy that he did not confront and generally overcame.
The media-seasoned author went to Nigeria to write a book about this unique man and ended up staying to help, eventually adopting a little boy she had found begging on the street, a victim of the prevalent spinal tuberculosis, that she took back to Dr. Rick's compound and surgery that changed his life. The stories of similar medical miracles abound in this book which at times seems to wander un-tethered even as she creates a detailed portrait of a determined, talented doctor who gave his life to so many souls in Ethiopia.
My one complaint about this book is that the author tended to discount events that were clearly divinely guided by repeatedly terming them "coincidences." Dr. Rick, however, a devout follower of the Talmud, knew that God was behind so many of the surprising turns of event he experienced.
This book is truly a breath of fresh air, bringing to light an amazing story of an inspirational man. Viewing Dr. Rich's daily commitment to do whatever he can no matter the personal cost stands in sharp contrast to the violence, greed and indifference that we see in the daily headlines. He is truly a man who looks beyond the disfigurement of disease, the disastrous effects of poverty and sees the valuable soul of each human being who seeks his help. Dr. Rick Hodes, a contmemporary model of faith in action.
While he was making this journey to far flung places, he sought a spiritual home which he found in Judaism and became an Orthodox Jew. As an employee of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, he ministered to a host of Ethiopian Jews living in unimaginable conditions as they waited in a refugee camp for migration to Israel. He also tried to patch a small hole in the broken war that was the civil war in Rwanda and also treated those fleeing another civil war in the former Yugoslavia.
It was at a home for the helpless and hopeless, run by Mother Teresa's nuns, in Addis Ababa that he began touching the lives of the miserable in near miraculous interventions. The account of his special vocation to lift young people out of a lifetime of suffering due to spinal tuberculosis reveals the profound impact this one doctor had on the lives of his patients. There was no bureaucratic
obstacle or medical hesitancy that he did not confront and generally overcame.
The media-seasoned author went to Nigeria to write a book about this unique man and ended up staying to help, eventually adopting a little boy she had found begging on the street, a victim of the prevalent spinal tuberculosis, that she took back to Dr. Rick's compound and surgery that changed his life. The stories of similar medical miracles abound in this book which at times seems to wander un-tethered even as she creates a detailed portrait of a determined, talented doctor who gave his life to so many souls in Ethiopia.
My one complaint about this book is that the author tended to discount events that were clearly divinely guided by repeatedly terming them "coincidences." Dr. Rick, however, a devout follower of the Talmud, knew that God was behind so many of the surprising turns of event he experienced.
This book is truly a breath of fresh air, bringing to light an amazing story of an inspirational man. Viewing Dr. Rich's daily commitment to do whatever he can no matter the personal cost stands in sharp contrast to the violence, greed and indifference that we see in the daily headlines. He is truly a man who looks beyond the disfigurement of disease, the disastrous effects of poverty and sees the valuable soul of each human being who seeks his help. Dr. Rick Hodes, a contmemporary model of faith in action.
September 6, 2010
Berger's book examines the work of Dr. Rick Hodes, an Orthodox Jew who moves to Ethiopia to utilize his skills in medicine to save the lives of countless Ethiopian children.
This is a Soul provides a revealing look at the effects of poverty on the human body. Suffering the devastating consequences of diseases long ago eradicated in the industrialized world, many Ethiopian are left hunched over with terrible back problems (and other symptoms) eventually leading to death. Dr. Hodes not only assists these children personally but also works tirelessly to procure international medical specialists to supply them life saving surgery as well.
Berger excels not just in providing intimate glances of Dr. Hodes with his patients/children, but also in including Dr. Hodes' insights on attempting to get assistance from others, his work attaining medical visas for select patients and also his down to earth perspective on how international charities throughout Ethiopia are assisting (or, in the case of at least one, pretending to assist). Berger also touches upon Dr. Hodes' relationship with his adopted Ethiopian children. This is a Soul also documents Dr. Hodes' involvement with Operation Solomon, in which thousands of Ethiopian Jews were transported to Israel.
The pace of This is a Soul was pretty brisk, with the exception of a prosaic examination of the trait of altruism, towards the beginning. Overall I greatly enjoyed the various glimpses into the lives of Dr. Hodes and his patients.
This is a Soul provides a revealing look at the effects of poverty on the human body. Suffering the devastating consequences of diseases long ago eradicated in the industrialized world, many Ethiopian are left hunched over with terrible back problems (and other symptoms) eventually leading to death. Dr. Hodes not only assists these children personally but also works tirelessly to procure international medical specialists to supply them life saving surgery as well.
Berger excels not just in providing intimate glances of Dr. Hodes with his patients/children, but also in including Dr. Hodes' insights on attempting to get assistance from others, his work attaining medical visas for select patients and also his down to earth perspective on how international charities throughout Ethiopia are assisting (or, in the case of at least one, pretending to assist). Berger also touches upon Dr. Hodes' relationship with his adopted Ethiopian children. This is a Soul also documents Dr. Hodes' involvement with Operation Solomon, in which thousands of Ethiopian Jews were transported to Israel.
The pace of This is a Soul was pretty brisk, with the exception of a prosaic examination of the trait of altruism, towards the beginning. Overall I greatly enjoyed the various glimpses into the lives of Dr. Hodes and his patients.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2015
There are a couple of reasons that this works so well. Number one is, Dr. Hoade is amazing. I admire him, but I do not envy him. I am very glad that he is doing what he's doing, not that I don't value serving and helping others and I do so in my own way, but he has given so much more than just his time, effort and money. The great thing is that I believe he would do it all again if he had the chance and that's a wonderful thing to be able to say about your life...he found his calling and is fulfilling it to the fullest.
The second reason this works is that it gives you just enough insight (shock) as to what is happening in another part of the world, here it's Ethiopia for the large majority. It's amazing how he has learned to work with and around all the constraints and difficulties that arise from trying to practice medicine in a third world country. And although it was a short time in his life and in the book itself, but the glimpse into the workings of a refuge camp were to say the least, eye opening.
I could pick apart a few things I didn't love about the writing and such, but the life Dr. Hoade leads deserves a 5 star in and of itself.
The second reason this works is that it gives you just enough insight (shock) as to what is happening in another part of the world, here it's Ethiopia for the large majority. It's amazing how he has learned to work with and around all the constraints and difficulties that arise from trying to practice medicine in a third world country. And although it was a short time in his life and in the book itself, but the glimpse into the workings of a refuge camp were to say the least, eye opening.
I could pick apart a few things I didn't love about the writing and such, but the life Dr. Hoade leads deserves a 5 star in and of itself.
July 2, 2010
Rick Hodes is a doctor working with orphans and street children in Addis Adaba, the capital of Ethiopia. He cares for and arranges treatment for children with horrible deformities, such as TB of the spine, facial deformities, cancer and other illnesses. He has brought a number of orphans into his home and is raising them as his own children. The author, Marilyn Berger, interviews Dr. Hodes for an article. She becomes so involved with his program and the children, she and her late husband, Don Hewitt, eventually take one of the street children, Danny, into their own home in New York and provide him with an education and a massive amount of love. Don Hewitt has died of pancreatic cancer. However, Danny has come into the author's life at the right time. Danny allows Marilyn to absorb some of the grief and give her life, at age 70, new purpose. Most of the orphans treated by Dr. Hodes are very appreciative and devoted. Once in a while, however, there is someone who expects too much, such as an IPod. Rick tells them to "KD", meaning "keep dreaming".
November 21, 2011
This book combines two of my current reading interests, non-fiction works that take place in Africa and non-fiction books about or by doctors. The latter interest relates to a project I anticipate starting in 2012 about a family doctor. "This is a Soul" did not get great reviews by other readers, but for my purposes it was good. I feel like Marilyn Berger managed to give a fairly clear picture of Dr. Rick Hodes. Yes, he is a compassionate man who is doing good works, but he also gets angry, his house is a mess, and his kids annoy him at times. The cases Berger describes are fascinating and the nature of humanitarian work in Africa seems to be frankly revealed--humanitarian work is clunky at best and disastrous at its worst. Hode seems to have found a niche in Ethiopia. He is helping some of the sickest--those with spine and heart problems. I enjoyed learning about him. Berger's writing is adequate, not sterling but competent. It was a quick read and it helped me understand better how I'd want to structure the book I want to write.
June 12, 2016
What an amazing biography!
A poignant, beautifully written account of the life of a truly inspirational being.
Dr. Rick Rodes is a gentle soul, challenged by society limitations in his desire to help as many children as he can. His humble nature, pragmatical and prompt approach to situations and drive have achieved the impossible were many before him failed.
I loved to read about how he overcame the struggle to get funds for the operations the kids he treats needed. Loved to read of how he managed to get helped, as if by miracle and often unexpectedly, of his undying faith in God and his belief that he brings us always close to those we can help or can help us.
Even more, I loved his humbleness, which is in my view what managed to gather people around him, to support those kids. We need more men alike him in this world!
This book makes the perfect companion for anyone wishing to restore one's faith in humanity and belief in possibility. Best reading in a very long time.
A poignant, beautifully written account of the life of a truly inspirational being.
Dr. Rick Rodes is a gentle soul, challenged by society limitations in his desire to help as many children as he can. His humble nature, pragmatical and prompt approach to situations and drive have achieved the impossible were many before him failed.
I loved to read about how he overcame the struggle to get funds for the operations the kids he treats needed. Loved to read of how he managed to get helped, as if by miracle and often unexpectedly, of his undying faith in God and his belief that he brings us always close to those we can help or can help us.
Even more, I loved his humbleness, which is in my view what managed to gather people around him, to support those kids. We need more men alike him in this world!
This book makes the perfect companion for anyone wishing to restore one's faith in humanity and belief in possibility. Best reading in a very long time.
March 18, 2011
I enjoyed this book very much - not necessarily because of the writing, but because I have been fortunate to have met Dr. Hodes, as he gave a tour of Mother Teresa's to a mission group I was with in October 2008. He is an amazing man with a tremendous dedication. We all left there so thankful that he was "accidentally" our tour guide (they forgot we were coming and he happened to greet us when we came in - when he found out we didn't have anyone to show us around, he took the time to do it). He showed us x-rays of kids he has helped and a couple of the young boys were excited to peek their heads in and beamed when Dr. Hodes talked about their progress and how smart they were.
So many of us take most things in our life for granted - Dr. Hodes shows us that caring for others gives meaning to all our lives.
So many of us take most things in our life for granted - Dr. Hodes shows us that caring for others gives meaning to all our lives.
June 13, 2014
This is one of those books that has caused me a great deal of introspection. Dr. Hodes has devoted his life to helping sick children primarily in Ethiopia. He lives there permanently, has two homes where he houses several children and has adopted 5, which is the legal limit in Ethiopia. He has treated hundreds. When complex surgeries or treatments are required, which are unavailable in Ethiopia, he hunts for sponsors and specialists until he is able to provide the needed treatment. He could be living a lavish life in America, but instead chooses to live in a place where he can make a significant difference. He is an orthodox Jew who believes that by allowing himself to be led, he can act as an instrument of God.
I was inspired and deeply moved by this book.
I was inspired and deeply moved by this book.
November 14, 2016
Rick Hodes is an American born doctor who has spent over two decades in Ethiopia treating patients with serious spine or heart issues. He does this with no attempt to laud his efforts. while he has adopted a few of the children, the house is full with many others under his care. Here is a humanitarian seeking to make his corner of the world a better place.
A feel good book full of amazing stories, and some heartbreaking ones as well. His work ethic and his humor come through. The reputation he has built through the years is through hard work and sacrifice and while the rewards may not be monetary, they are tremendous. The title comes from Rick's perspective that each is an individual and not just a medical case. I applaud his work.
A feel good book full of amazing stories, and some heartbreaking ones as well. His work ethic and his humor come through. The reputation he has built through the years is through hard work and sacrifice and while the rewards may not be monetary, they are tremendous. The title comes from Rick's perspective that each is an individual and not just a medical case. I applaud his work.
March 7, 2016
I really enjoyed this book and learning about Rick Hodes, his upbringing, and his inner heart. This book jumped around a bit, and sometimes a little hard to follow the stories. Overall, though it exposed me to another life in another country and the plight behind the scenes that we only heard or saw about on the news. This shares many of the details and challenges and hardships that this man and many others have been willing to make in order to "just help people". He shares his hope, his heart, his home with all that need help and continues to do as much as he can in this world, not to make a difference in his life, but in the life of others.
September 10, 2010
Powerful story, horribly told. Problematic on so many levels, particularly the author's preoccupation with herself, which leads her to focus too much on name-dropping and not enough on asking tough ethical questions, particularly as they pertain to her "adoption." (I use the quotes with purpose.) Story is told in a disjointed, haphazard manner. I'm inclined to respect Dr. Hodes, but find the author's groupie mentality to be off-putting, and to lead me to question whether she gave him the rigorous analysis that her journalistic training should have required, or quite frankly, he deserved.
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July 28, 2011This is a fantastic book. I couldn't put it down. If you liked Three Cups of Tea ( about Greg Mortenson) and Mountains Beyond Mountains ( about Paul Farmer), you'll love this book. It's about Dr. Rick Hodes and his business of saving and improving lives in Ethiopia. His specialties are spines, hearts and cancer and there are more than enough patients to go around. Because many of his patients are orphans, he tends to have about 20 children/teens living with him at any one time. His unorthodox Orthodox Jewish faith sustains and inspires him. His story will inspire you.
January 22, 2013
3.5 stars. It was a really interesting and a fascinating story of his life. The reason it didn't rank higher is that the story is somewhat jumbled in terms of time line and especially with all the names and people. That made it hard to follow, and I would have much preferred that the organization was easier to understand. Still worth a read to learn about Dr. Rick's passion and the effect he has on the world!
July 3, 2011
The book took me some time to get through. It is filled heavily with medical terminology, but wonderful stories of dr. Rick Hodes and the extraordinary work he does. The last two chapters were filled with personal and emotional happenings, unlike the rest of the book which felt much like a lecture. I recommend the reading for the incredible story, but not necessarily the story telling.
November 4, 2011
This book was selected by my book group as our next nonfiction read. While Rick Hodes is an inspiration and has done many amazing things, the writing did not grab me in the way that I felt this story should've been told. It seemed fragmented, and I really wanted to know more about Rick Hodes and his relationship with his extended family.
May 13, 2010
Due to the nature of his amazing work, this book becomes a list of all the children Dr. Hodes has saved. Little discussion of the reasons behind the poverty and effectiveness of efforts to relieve it. Not much followup on what happens after the operations he arranges either.
September 4, 2010
This is a story about Dr. Hodes work and life in Ethiopia. His passion for helping people, journey of faith and the web that connect us in ways we can only call miracles. This book was comforting to my soul for anyone looking for something more grounded than the surreal.
September 21, 2010
Although the book isn't well edited, it is worth reading. Because Rick Hodes is such an amazing human being, reading his story and all that he does for people, mostly children, suffering from life threatening illnesses is very powerful. The world definitely needs more people like Rick.
December 1, 2010
Totally agree with Christina's review. Although the writing is somewhat unpolished, Rick Hodes' dedication to the children of Ethiopia, his persistence, his selflessness, his huge heart are absolutely to be admired as a shining example of humanitarianism.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews