This book offered insight into a small segment of emergency medical operations in East Africa. The author actually refrains quite well from going into graphic detail while still capturing the day-to-day realities of emergency medical flights. There was some medical terminology, but it didn't overwhelm, so the book can be easily enjoyed by any reader, not just those who are familiar with the jargon. The author seems to be grappling, during the novel, with finding a place in the world, and often wonders whether the flights are doing any good at all, in the grand scheme of things. This book does not seek to definitively answer that question. Rather, it shows the reader the reality of the environment, and allows the reader to consider the pros, cons, and consequences. From nurses in starched white uniforms stoically organizing chaos to barefoot schoolkids happily checking out the plane, the description of the people encountered by the author adds depth and personality to the book. There are a wide variety of cultures and languages encountered, including a community which is being decimated by a change in cattle rustling. Before outsiders came along, it was a cultural practice somehow monitored by the elders of the community; a gentleman's cow rustling agreement, from the description. Now, herders are simply being shot by outsiders who then steal the cattle. Overall, this book was an interesting look at the clash between modern medicine and rural East Africa, but also the similarities between all people, no matter who they are or where they live. ( )

This book is a decent read. It took me a while to get into it. Each chapter is a different rescue and doesn’t always talk much about the medical side of things but rather talks about the culture and history of the country and therefore why flying doctors are needed and how the healthcare system in Africa has failed many- which is a good thing to address, I just didn’t expect that to really be the focus. It’s also hard to read because it feels like a lot of starts and then dead ends- he tells you of the mission and then it’s kind of just left alone, I suppose maybe he did that on purpose since that’s what it feels like being an ER doc, but it was very hard for me to personally connect to the book and become invested in reading the stories. I did learn a lot though and overall it was an okay read. Nothing spectacular in the way he writes but not terribly boring either.

Urgent Calls from Distant Places" by Dr. Marc-David Munk is a personal memoir detailing his time as a volunteering doctor in remote African areas. Beyond chronicling compassionate medical interventions, the book offers valuable insights into the challenges faced by people in war-torn, corrupt regions. Dr. Munk's concise prose captures the harsh realities of communities grappling with adversity, providing an enlightening perspective that goes beyond the medical narrative. A worthy addition to any summer reading list, the book offers a dual focus on healthcare and the broader socio-political landscape. ( )