Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. From Publishers Weekly From Bookmarks Magazine Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. From Booklist Excellent! understanding An inspiring and educational bookProduct Details
Editorial Reviews
Starred Review. Some failures lead to phenomenal successes, and this American nurse's unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the world's second tallest mountain, is one of them. Dangerously ill when he finished his climb in 1993, Mortenson was sheltered for seven weeks by the small Pakistani village of Korphe; in return, he promised to build the impoverished town's first school, a project that grew into the Central Asia Institute, which has since constructed more than 50 schools across rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Coauthor Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls. Captivating and suspenseful, with engrossing accounts of both hostilities and unlikely friendships, this book will win many readers' hearts. (Mar.)
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While critics agree that Three Cups of Tea should be read for its inspirational value rather than for its literary merit, the book's central theme, derived from a Baltistan proverb, rings loud and clear. "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger," a villager tells Greg Mortenson. "The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family." An inspirational story of one man's efforts to address poverty, educate girls, and overcome cultural divides, Three Cups, which won the 2007 Kiriyama Prize for nonfiction, reveals the enormous obstacles inherent in becoming such "family." Despite the important message, critics quibbled over the awkward prose and some melodrama. After all, a story as dramatic and satisfying as this should tell itself.
On a 1993 expedition to climb K2 in honor of his sister Christa, who had died of epilepsy at 23, Mortenson stumbled upon a remote mountain village in Pakistan. Out of gratitude for the villagers' assistance when he was lost and near death, he vowed to build a school for the children who were scratching lessons in the dirt. Raised by his missionary parents in Tanzania, Mortenson was used to dealing with exotic cultures and developing nations. Still, he faced daunting challenges of raising funds, death threats from enraged mullahs, separation from his family, and a kidnapping to eventually build 55 schools in Taliban territory. Award-winning journalist Relin recounts the slow and arduous task Mortenson set for himself, a one-man mission aimed particularly at bringing education to young girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Readers interested in a fresh perspective on the cultures and development efforts of Central Asia will love this incredible story of a humanitarian endeavor. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reservedCustomer Reviews
Book was recommended by our local librarian...I wasn't disappointed and sent books to 2 other family members. Incredible insight into other cultures and what is possible by really getting to know other cultures via the people.
this is a book while true that sheds an enormous light--on the man and his quest and inner passions;on a country that defies the modern world; and a community that is profoundly traditional in its treatment of each other.
well recommended.
I'd heard about this book for a while before I picked it up to read. Everything I heard was good and I have to say what I read confirmed the good vibe I had been getting. Greg Mortensen has not had an easy life - it's not one full of material wealth or security, yet by a commitment to making a change he saw was needed and a determination to fulfil a promise made - no matter how hard it was - he has made changes in the lives of ordinary people that will help them for generations.
Mortensen's work is not world changing in the sense of great or dramatic events, but his quest to build schools and especially get girls educated in the backwater provinces of Pakistan and Afghanistan shows that if you truly want to make a difference and are prepared to make sacrifices for the future you can do just that. What's truly striking is that on a tight budget he has done what politicians only promise and never achieve. He has also had the support of local communities and does not impose his own values on the education given in his schools - except that it is an alternative to the extreme madarass religious eductions many would otherwise receive.
There is a lot to learn from this book. Mortensen is not perfect. He's always late for appointments, is terrible at delegating, leaves his family for long periods of time, but despite all this he really has made a difference in some of the poorest, violent and most deprived parts of the world. Not many of us can same the same thing and more stories like this need to be told.
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