Thursday, August 21, 2008

3 Cups of Tea - One Man's Mission to Promote Peace... One School at a Time

I just finished a 2nd read of "3 cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin. I had read it this past spring after my friend Brooke recommended it to me, and really loved it. Then our Diversity Committee selected this book for our quarterly book review and I got talked into leading the discussion so I figured I better re-read it so I would be on top of my game when the book discussion rolls around in September. It is simply a fantastic book! There is a ton of buzz around this book - it's on bestseller lists, and I have had lots of different people suggest this to me. So it's definitely worth reading!!

The book is about Greg Mortenson's efforts to promote peace in Central Asia, specifically in Pakistan & Afghanistan. Greg discovers the needs of this area of the world after a failed attempt to climb K2. He gets lost on his way back down the mountain and finds himself in a village called Korphe where he is amazed by the hospitality and kindness of the villagers. The village chief shows Greg their 'school' and Greg is amazed to find out that the village doesn't actually have a school - the children gather each day in an open area. Greg makes a promise to return to the village and help them build a school. (Greg is pictured below with the students of one of the schools he help build)

I won't give away too much more about the book so as not to spoil it for any potential readers. I think it's worth reading as it shows an alternative solution for our problems in that part of the country. If you have preconcieved notions about this part of the globe, it might change your opinions. If you read it, let me know what you think!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I have read this book as well. I was completely amazed by Mortenson's determination. The book gives one hope for that part of the world.