Albert Schweitzer Library – serie

Scion of the Pittsburgh oil and banking family, William Larimer Mellon, Jr., was married, the father of three, and a successful rancher in Arizona when, at thirty-seven, he read a Life magazine article about Albert Schweitzer's "reverence for life" that guided his mission hospital in a remote area of Gabon, Africa. Mellon immediately wrote to the famous humanitarian in Lambarene, expressing admiration of Schweitzer's life of service and the wish to engage in similar work with his wife, Gwendolyn. Schweitzer's reply in March 1948 was alengthy letter of realistic encouragement. He wrote, '1 was very much moved upon reading your letter and felt a certain responsibility towards you . . . Do not delude yourself about how difficult it will be. . . .Be sure from the beginning that you have a sound foundation in practical things: physical examinations and the laboratory procedures for blood and urine. . . .One thing that will astound you coming from me: avoid specialized study intropical disease! ... What matters most is to have knowledge that is both basic and practical, solid and far-reaching."In time, Mellon received his medical degree from Tulane University and later established a well-equipped hospital in one of the poorest regions of Haiti, where, with his wife, hespent the rest of his life working as a physicianand a community development engineer.The hospital continues to thrive.Brothers in Spirit brings together sixty-five of the letters written between 1947 and Schweitzer's death in 1965. Presented here inboth English and the original French, they eloquentlytell the story of a comfortable lifeabandoned for the goal of serving humanity.

In this charming autobiographical essay, Albert Schwenzer tells of his first nineteen years in Upper Alsace and his youthful discoveries of religion, music, and the inspiration of friendship. Even in his boyhood there were traces of what was to become his "reverence for life": as a boy, he writes, he managed to dissuade several companions from going fishing because of the pain he felt the deed gave to both the worm and the fish. In poignant vignettes, Schweitzer also describes his unhappiness at discovering that he had better food or better clothing than chose around him. Memoirs of Childhood and Youth offers wonderful insights on Dr. Schweitzer's childhood journey thateventually led him to dedicate himself to medical service in African colonies.This new translation also has rarely seen photographs of Schweitzer, both as a youth and as an adult.

The second edition of this biography of humanitarian Albert Schweitzer has been updated to include documents discovered since the work was originally written, including the letters between Schweitzer and Helene Bresslau written during the ten years before their marriage. This correspondence tells of a complicated love story and throws a completely new light on Schweitzer's personality and the genesis of his decision to go to Africa. The author's ongoing research has also included more recently released documents from the State Department regarding Schweitzer's battle with the United States Atomic Energy Commission to halt H-bomb tests.

Every Sunday in Lambarene, Gabon, Albert Schweitzer delivered an outdoor sermon in French. Although never intended for publication, the sermons were transcribed by some of Schweitzer's listeners. This text includes works that characterize Schweitzer's simplicity of language.

Albert Schweitzer's system of ethics as a way of life in which individuals live with compassion and respect for all living things - humans, animals, plants - is illuminated here through a series of essays by Schweitzer and renowned contemporary Schweitzer scholars from around the globe.