Farmers childhood definitely shaped his career path.  Farmer grew up in poverty and was used to little to no luxury.  Therefore, when he is backpacking across the world, from slum to slum, it did not bother him if he has a nice place to stay or clean clothes on his back.  On page 51, when Tracy Kidder asks farmer where he stayed as a boy when the bus broke down, Farmer responds "In a tent. Of course. What Kind of question is that?".  If Farmer had grown up in a fortunate family, he may have chose a different lifestyle because he would not have been so accustom to hardships like these.  For example, Farmer could have just as easily became a successful Doctor in Boston and Lived at home with his family but instead he decided to use his abilities to help others.  I think the most interesting part of Tracy Kidders talk was the pictures he showed.  Sometimes when I was reading I found it difficult to imagine the conditions of the slums in Haiti and Kidder's pictures really showed the poverty these people were living in.  I thought Tracy Kidder did a great job and I would definitely read another one of his books.