Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time
"Here (in Pakistan and Afghanistan), we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything - even die." - Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
This book is based on the experiences of Greg Mortensen, a former mountain climber turned humanitarian-in-action, who ended up in a small poverty-stricken village in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan after an unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world. After spending some time with the people of this small village he felt the need to help build a school for them and promised he would be back.
After a few years of work in Pakistan and Afghanistan there are now over 55 schools, especially for girls, operating in the same lands that gave birth to the Taliban. These schools stand as a force for good in a land where many Wahhabi Madrassas have been built, many with a single purpose to teach militant Jihad.
In reading this book I feel that I have learned a lot about the culture of a people I formerly had little knowledge about. I felt a great respect for Greg Mortensen and his abilities to immerse himself in the culture, learn several languages and dialects so he could communicate with others, and jump hurdles that came one after another.
Although the writing itself seemed a bit forced, especially near the beginning of the book, I had a hard time putting this one down. In the end I give this book **** stars and highly recommend it to anyone who desires to learn more about the people in Pakistan and Afghanistan and the recent conflicts in this part of the world. Of course near the end of the book you will probably be ready to give your life savings over to the cause - I think this is one of the primary reasons the book was written...
For more information about Three Cups of Tea or CAI (Central Asia Institute) go to:
www.ikat.org
www.threecupsoftea.com
2 comments:
not my favoirte pick, but I agree it was intreging to see into the life of the people and what he did.
I read this because my mom suggested it. I really enjoyed it. It made me relate so much more with what is going on now. I will read a news story and know what they are talking about. It made me feel smart!
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