A real inspiration
The rare book that is both gripping and inspirational. It is an amazing story of what one man can accomplish when he is totally dedicated to his mission. One only hopes that Mrs. Mortenson will write her own book, since her life has been lived very differently as she supports his dedication to his work.

A dose of inspiration
I agree with other reviewers that the writing could have been tighter, but the story of "Dr Greg" comes shining through.

At the books beginning he is fumbling and struggling to build a first school based on a promise, by its end he's heading a full foundation, supporting hundreds of schools and educating thousands of students.

His unusual childhood, his medical training and his fascination with climbing turn out to make him the perfect person to do this, and the difference he's made is huge.

I was so inspired by the book that the first thing I did when I'd finished reading it was donate enough for a teacher for a year (about a dollar a day) I challenge other readers of the book to also donate - as little as 12 dollars pays for a student for a year.

'Abdu'l-Baha's View on Educating Females
From an Orthodox Baha'i perspective, this book could not have been more welcome and heartwarming. 'Abdu'l-Baha said it best many, many years ago, long before the frightening state that the world has entered into.

`Abdu'l-Bahá laid great stress on Education. He said "The girl's education is of more importance today than the boy's, for she is the mother of the future race. It is the duty of all to look after the children. Those without children should, if possible, make themselves responsible for the education of a child."

-- page 92 `Abdu'l-Bahá, "`Abdu'l-Bahá in London"

Although I do not know whether Greg Mortenson ever heard of 'Abdu'l-Baha, he has certainly taken the principles this great man, the Center of the Covenant of the Baha'i Faith, and put them into practical usage in a part of the world most in need of this Divine remedy. The formal educaton of girls in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan has apparently been almost non-extistent for centuries. Greg Mortenson intends to change that perception one school at a time.

His gripping book describes the impenetrable culture of these proud countries, and guides us through the almost excruciatingly deliberate steps required to at first get a foot in the door, then win the hearts of each village, and finally engage them into the accomplishment of building a school for its children, especially its female children.

What better gift to leave to humankind than the educating of those who have been denied its wonders for centuries. The benefits of this endeavor are apparently already manifesting positive results in the small communities who have participated in this challenge.

One child at a time. One village at a time. One country at a time. And who knows the limitless bounds that may be reached eventually as each of us longs for a better world, without the horrors of warfare.

An Orthodox Baha'i

Good deeds poorly written about
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

I applaud Greg Mortensen for his works, but found the account of them hard to follow, poorly written, and had the feeling of propaganda. It is obvious the book was published to get readers to contribute to his good cause, but it was quite a disappointing read.

Inspiring and hopeful
The title of the book is a reference to the customary way of doing business in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other parts of Central Asia:

For the first cup of tea, you are a stranger. By the second cup, you are a friend. By the third cup, you are family. It is a testament to the patience and understanding it takes to forge the kind of long-lasting ties to work in this region of the world.

By far, one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. Greg Mortenson single handedly started an initiative to bring education to rural Pakistan. I wish I had gotten a chance to read this before finishing my thesis on education reform for women in Afghanistan - because this story is more directly related to my work than any other book or journal article I used. It shows how one dedicated person can change the world.

Through persistence and a little luck, he made the right connections in Pakistan (and eventually Afghanistan) and in the U.S. with donors. This book recounts his efforts from their inception in 1996 after getting lost in the Himalaya through 9/11 and up to 2003 when the war in Iraq diverted promised American resources from Afghanistan (again). His work survived a kidnapping in Waziristan, several fatwas (that were eventually overturned by the highest mufti in Iran), and death threats (most of which came from his fellow Americans after 9/11 in the form of "how dare you help Muslims").

After getting separated from his guide leading him off the Baltoro glacier in Northern Pakistan after a failed attempt to scale K2, Mortenson found himself in a little village called Korphe in Baltistan, Pakistan. The first Westerner ever to stumble into Korphe intrigued the people. After being nursed back to health and served what little food the people had to offer, he witnessed children in Korphe studying outside, with no teacher and no school, scratching lessons in the dirt. He promised the village elder Haji Ali that he would build them a school, went back to the US, began writing letters and grants while living out of his car. After sending 580 letters, a single $100 check from Tom Brokaw, and $600 in pennies raised by elementary school children was the net result.

Then, fellow Mountaineer, physicist and silicon-valley pioneer turned philanthropist Jean Hoerni agreed to donate $12,000 for the school. Mortenson sold everything he owned, and returned to Pakistan, forged business ties and purchased supplies only to discover that the village did not yet want a school - but a bridge. Korphe was inaccessible except for a single hand-pulled makeshift lift cart that spanned the Braldu river. There was no way to get supplies into Korphe. Rather than storming off like many impatient Americans would, Mortenson entered a partnership with the people of Korphe - valuing their opinions, customs, and assessments of their own needs rather than dismissing them as primitive or assuming that an American knows what's best for them.

As Mortenson has said, it took 3 years and a lot of mistakes, but the Korphe school was finally built and has sent many of Korphe's children on to local towns for further education - including many girls.

It's a stunning account of an extraordinary man, who through his humility and respect for the people of the region, worked with them, heeding their input and their cultural norms, was able to do what no other humanitarian organization could -- build schools focusing on girls' education and bring long-lasting, meaningful change to one of the world's poorest and most unstable regions of the world where outsiders are usually regarded with cautious suspicion.

With Jean Hoerni's help once again, Mortenson founded the Central Asia Institute (see link to the left) and has built over 60 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan since 1996 and has provided countless services and monetary support for education in these regions.

He is fighting the war on terror with the only effective ammunition - education. Give people education, and you give them the means to take control of their own lives. In areas where the only free education available is in the form of conservative, fundamentalist madrassas (many funded by the Saudi government), access to broad general education is key to fighting terrorism while forging ties with the very people we're trying to help.

It costs $1 per day to pay a teacher in Afghanistan or Pakistan - Go, do something.