Second Suns

June 24, 2013
Two ophthalmologistsâGeoffrey Tabin in the US and his Nepal-based mentor, Sanduk Ruitâform the heart of this book, as Relin explores both men's decision to eradicate curable blindness with a particular focus in helping the people of the Himalayas. The book's contents will likely be overshadowed by the author's November 2011 suicide, as well as the controversies surrounding the accuracy of his previous co-authored best-seller, Three Cups of Tea. That's a shame, since Relin left behind a well-crafted, moving, and thought-provoking meditation on two men determined to implement the "single most effective medical intervention on earth" for as many of the world's poor as they could. Relin's portraits of the manic Tabin and the more resolute Ruit are captivating, and their odd-couple friendship is particularly interesting to read, creating a far more vivid portrait than the typical "living saint" approach. This book will leave readers not just in awe of the work Ruit and Tabin do, but also of the possibilities for earth-changing work available to any who are sufficiently determined.