Three Cups of Tea
I just finished (literally, not more than ten minutes ago) a pretty awesome book.
I don’t recall when I first heard of it, maybe on Amazon, I really don’t recall. I do remember being reminded of it when the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour came to RIT, because there was a blurb about it in the accompanying magazine, and I discussed it with my friend Brendon (who, when I last spoke to him, was in a cyber-cafe in Greece, but he had picked up the book before leaving the US, so he was working through it as well).
Three Cups of Tea is the story of Greg Mortenson, a mountaineer who, after being defeated by the treacherous heights of K2 and losing sight of his guide, mistakenly found his way into a poor village in the mountains of Pakistan. Not only did this stroke of luck likely save his life, but it also changed it, as the hospitality he received inspired him to return to build a school for the village. What began as a single promise grew into the Central Asia Institute, building schools in the rural heights of Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly focused on the education of girls.
The book, cowritten by David Oliver Relin, is captivating. I know a lot of people who insist that they don’t read non-fiction because it is boring – it is possible that I am wired differently, as most of what I’ve read recently has been non-fiction, but I defy people to call this story boring. It’s a statement of what American foreign policy at its best could be. In a part of the world where poverty and desperation feed the ranks of extremism, “Dr. Greg” aims to combat the source of the problem – giving people, particularly girls – education, and thus the means to improve their lives. Rather than trying to win an idiological war militarily (as killing people who believe that you are an oppressor is unlikely to change their opinion), Mr. Mortenson has been actively “winning the hearts and minds” of these people.
It’s quite a popular book, so you’ve probably heard of it. It was a New York Times #1 Bestseller, has won awards and probably been on many book-club lists. But if you haven’t read it, you should check it out. Grab it at Amazon, or visit ThreeCupsOfTea.com to learn more.