Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder addressed approximately 800 first-years last night at Spingold Theater Center about his novel, Mountains Beyond Mountains. Orientation leaders, Roosevelt Fellows and Brandeis faculty and staff also attended."I'm sure you've learned by now that there's no free lunch, but there is a free book," said University President Jehuda Reinharz in describing this year's Helen and Philip Brecher New Student Forum novel selection, the committee that funds the event each year.

Kidder spent time documenting Paul Farmer's life in Haiti - a doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist and recipient of the McArthur grant - who since 1982 has been working in Haiti on a program, Partners for Health, to provide effective treatment of diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS.

Kidder said Farmer's achievements and viewpoints made him interested in writing the book.

Reinharz added the book was chosen partly because of Farmer's strong will and commitment to social justice.

"[The novel] talks about the kind of radical change in incidents that seem almost insurmountable," Reinharz said.

"The story of Farmer's life to me is like an adventure," Kidder said. "He spends more time on planes in coach going to Haiti than in Boston."

Kidder described how he would struggle to keep up with Farmer on 11-hour hikes when he was making house calls.

"If I said that not enough people would follow his example and that there's not enough to make a difference, he'd say he wouldn't care," Kidder said. "He'd say you're saying these lives mean less than others..."

When a first-year asked if Farmer's medical expertise could have been better utilized if he had focused less on individual attention to patients than more on saving as many lives as possible, Kidder defended Farmer's attentive approach.

"I think the whole genius of the thing is to pay attention to that individual," Kidder said. "If you go the other way you run the risk of looking at patients as pins on a needle, and you make errors...by caring for the individual patient you get to do something for the whole world."

First-years had the opportunity to stay behind after the speech and get their books signed by Kidder.