Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
Book Review: Amazing reading
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is about a modern day saint. Greg Mortenson is an incredible person telling an impossible story of events that he put into action through his devotion to an ideal. I only wish that everybody could read this story and understand the dynamics and importance of education throughout the world. If we, as a country, had spent as much money on education as we have on war in Iraq and Afghanistan, then we would have peace, in this most troublesome area and we would have stature as Americans, which we have lost.
June Zimmerman
Book Review: Amazing, uplifting, feel-good story
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is the amazing story of Greg Mortenson, and his quest to improve the lives of villagers in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Kirghizstan, by building schools in areas that otherwise wouldn't have them. His story includes snippets of his upbringing in Tanzania, life in Minnessota, his sister's illness and ultimate death, romantic life, military service, and other various details.
However, the main part of this book involves his mountaineering life, which led to him going to K2 in Pakistan. After a rescue of a fellow-climber, he became ill and was rescued by a villager, whose village nursed Mortenson. Mortenson promised to repay that debt by building a school in that village. He realized that other neglected villages also needed schools, and set about to do that. He worked so hard and selflessly to raise the funds to build these schools. Luckily, an "angel" came along and gave Mortenson the necessary funds to build the school, and later establish a foundation to help him continue this work.
Mortenson's problems and travails are well-documented. This book is definitely a "feel-good" story. It will leave you wanting to do more for the world.
If I had to give any criticisms, it would be that the book is uneven in terms of the level of detail in the coverage of events, places, peoples, etc. But I must say that I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see how one person can truly make a difference in the world.
Book Review: Amazing story
Summary: 4 Stars
Amazing story of Greg Mortenson's will, good heart, and intuitive sense of what is really needed in this world....A personal connection throuogh positive relationships and opened minds.
Book Review: The real answer to promoting peace
Summary: 5 Stars
A recent college graduate, I felt completely ignorant of the culture and social situation in the Middle East, and felt that the region would always be unstable. This book not only provides insight into the cultures of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but also provides a history of Soviet, U.S., and Taliban occupation. Most importantly, this book demonstrates that the key to solving many of the worlds biggest problems, including terrorism, is education. People everywhere, especially educators and leaders in the western world, need to read this book so that we can better address and more effectively alleviate the world's problems.Book Review: Secular Sainthood: One Man's Road to Saving Humanity Through Education
Summary: 5 Stars
Do you like to read heroic tales of overcoming daunting odds to achieve great things? Do you believe that we are past the age of heroes? If you answered yes to either question, you need to read Three Cups of Tea immediately!
Here's the overview of this book. Greg Mortenson was a determined mountain climber on his way back from challenging K2, one of the world's highest and most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas, when he lost his way. He was exhausted from just having helped in the all-but-impossible rescue of one of his fellow climbers. As a result of the second of his mistakes in leaving the so-called trail, Mortenson found himself needing help in a Balti village in Pakistan that he had never heard of, Korphe. The villagers nursed him back to health, and Mortenson began listening to their grievances against the Pakistan government which supported an on-going conflict with India over Kashmir, but did not provide a school for their children. The grateful Mortenson promised to build them a school.
Many people make such promises, but few fulfill them. Mortenson headed back to California and raised the $12,000 he estimated it would take to build the school. With the money in hand, he flew back to Pakistan and started buying supplies. Arriving at the village, his new Balti friends reminded him that there was no bridge to transport the supplies to the village. Mortenson headed back to raise the money for the bridge.
After many more trials, the school was built and a teacher installed. Mortenson had found his life work. He wanted to provide schools for all of the Pakistani children who didn't get an education, especially the girls, who were more likely to stay in their villages and improve living conditions. Everything was difficult. Pakistanis didn't trust him. Muslims thought it was all a plot to convert children to Christianity. Some wanted bribes. People in the United States were generally opposed to helping Muslims unless they had been climbers in that part of the Himalayas. Mortenson got hate mail. But he persevered.
Eventually, his vision expanded to helping with water projects and to providing scholarships for higher education for those who graduated from the schools he built.
Conditions in Afghanistan also called out to him, and he established a similar program there.
But his slim efforts were being overwhelmed by madrassas funded with Saudi money that were often used to recruit and train terrorists. His life changed forever when in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan Parade Magazine wrote an article about his efforts to secure a lasting peace in the region by supporting moderate Muslims with educational aid.
This book is powerfully coauthored by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I seldom recall reading such an excellent story about serving humanity in a selfless secular way that isn't tied to a religious vocation.
The book's title refers to a story that Mortenson learned from those who wanted him to slow down and stop acting like an American: The local people wanted to ally with him, and he was trying to run everything. Results improved when he stepped back and became an ally instead of an authoritarian leader.
Here's the basis of the reference: Haji Ali, his first Balti friend, told Mortenson that he had to respect Balti ways. "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger." "The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest." "The third time you share tea, you are family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die."
May God bless the authors, their families, and those who work with Mr. Mortenson to expand the light of education to those who wish to see with it.