Who is three cups of tea by

Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools — especially for girls — in remote villages across the forbidding and breathtaking landscape of Pakistan and Afghanistan, just as the Taliban rose to power. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit. Greg Mortenson. Greg Mortenson is the director of the Central Asia Institute.

A former mountaineer and military veteran, he spends several months each year building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He lives in Montana with his wife and two children. Search books and authors. He said local people had a different concept of time.

In an email to supporters he said the documentary "paints a distorted picture using inaccurate information" because it based its claims on a single year's tax return. CAI's board said on its website that it supported the author, adding that the fees paid for his speeches and expenses were appropriate. The board said Mortenson had accomplished the "real and extraordinary work of bringing education to girls and boys in Pakistan and Afghanistan who otherwise would have no educational opportunity".

Three Cups of Tea has sold over 4m copies and brought Mortenson not just celebrity but a wide audience for his views on how to win "hearts and minds" in the Islamic world. General David Petraeus, overall commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan, and his predecessor General Stanley McChrystal, were both fans of the book.

If I remember right, it was someone's illicit dinner. Ibex are protected, but, um, General Bhangoo had his connections. The teachers in the schools are graduates of the schools.

They have an equivalent of a 5th or 6th grade education, but that is what the villages need. They then get teacher training workshops during the summers. The earthquake zones "are still a nightmare. I thought this summed up the wise simplicity of the people that Mortenson grew to love: No human, nor any living thing, survives long under the eternal sky.

The most beautiful women, the most learned men, even Mohammed, who heard Allah's own voice, all did wither and die. All is temporary. The sky outlives everything. Even suffering. View all 3 comments. Aug 20, W added it Shelves: misc. I was browsing in an old bookshop when I noticed this book.

Young Pakistani girls with books in their hands. I bought it and I read it in a single sitting. I found it very interesting because it was about Pakistan and places I knew.

At first glance, the story was so uplifting and heartwarming. The book was full of good deeds and selfless humanitarianism. I had never heard of or read about Greg Mortensen. Pakistani media had certainly not mentioned him. But it seemed that he was quite a big deal in the U I was browsing in an old bookshop when I noticed this book. But it seemed that he was quite a big deal in the US. He had been given a million dollars by a Himalaya enthusiast to start the Central Asia Institute in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistan,by the way,is in South Asia. After that,Mortensen had started collecting donations from the US public for building schools here,and it seems the public gave generously. He then published Three Cups of Tea and promoted it massively. The book rocketed to the top of the bestseller lists. The fund raising drive seemed unstoppable. The storytelling seemed pretty compelling too.

The way he built his first school,collecting basic materials from Rawalpindi and took them by truck to a remote Balti village,to honour his promise to the village headman that he would build his village a school.

Then,other villages heard about it. They made similar requests and Mortensen made it his life's mission to help them all. There is also a story about how Mortensen got kidnapped while touring a remote area to build a school. That would lead to controversy later,if it was a true story.

In the final chapters,Mortensen would go to the inhosopitable,icy wilderness of Wakhan in Afghanistan. Survival is difficult but Mortensen's and the tribesmen's determination to build a school there,triumphs against the odds as well.

Before the headman dies,they'd present him with a finished school. It's such a feel good story. Along the way,he would surmount so many challenges and find good people to help him with money and good intentions. Greg Mortensen became a hero to me! Unfortunately,outside this book,this story did not have a happy ending. What transpired later was very unpleasant. Events in the book were alleged to be fabrications,Mortensen was alleged to have embezzled lots of money and the book's co-author committed suicide!

I haven't given this book any rating. I really liked it at first,I hated it later,especially when I read about the suicide of the co-author,David Oliver Relin. This book also made me feel very skeptical of do gooders. Another similar name that comes to mind is that of Malala Yousafzai,who has also minted money in the name of girls' education in Pakistan. View all 10 comments. Aug 07, Stephen Gallup rated it did not like it. Some books I really enjoy reviewing.

Others exploit children especially disabled children as a means of manipulat Some books I really enjoy reviewing. Others exploit children especially disabled children as a means of manipulating cheap emotions.

Three Cups of Tea is in the latter bunch. I was starting to bog down with the mediocre writing that several other reviewers have noticed, but then it was announced that the author was actually coming to speak in an auditorium at my place of employment. Re-motivated, I tried again to make headway in the book, and got as far as the point where our doughty hero returns to Pakistan with funds to start building a school. On the big night, I headed over to the auditorium about half an hour early, only to discover the place had been filled to capacity for a long time.

Why the big deal? A long, boring mountain. As far as I know, he was motivated only by a laudable desire to do good. That by the way is another problem with the book: His motivations are never really explored.

Apparently he did indeed do something remarkable, and that should be commended. When I was unable to get into the auditorium that night, my copy of the book went back onto my table. In fact, I just got rid of it. It became a sort of political phenomenon around a book. With all the copies out there, I wonder how many people actually read more of it than I did.

UPDATED to add this bit of news because, of all the book reviews I've posted, only this one has inspired people to flame me with comments. As the comments are borderline ad hominem attacks, as opposed to any kind of argument about the book's merits, as a book, I always promptly delete them. Everyone is entitled to beliefs, political and otherwise. When I write here, it's primarily about literary merit. I found little of that, and now, apparently, there's another reason to question the value of this thing.

Jul 18, Lyn rated it liked it. Reading this I was left inspired by Greg Mortenson's determination and endurance. As a mountaineer, he was trained at focused effort, but I would submit that building schools for girls in conservative Muslim Pakistan and Afghanistan was a higher summit than he ever attempted. This is written in a workmanlike, journalistic Reading this I was left inspired by Greg Mortenson's determination and endurance.

This is written in a workmanlike, journalistic style; not great literature, but a great story. Reminds me again what a difference one man can make - like Muhammed Yunnis and Bill Couch at Right Roads and hundreds more people working hard to do some good every day. View all 7 comments. Feb 09, Debbi rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: Anyone who wants global peace to be more than a pipe dream!!

I wish goodreads had a star rating for this book. Anyone who has ever wanted to make a difference, anyone who has ever dreamed the impossible dream of a diverse world living together in peaceful coexistence, anyone who has ever feared their own small voice was too small a drop in the bucket to matter -- MUST read this book, and then share it and its message with everyone you know.

The book is fascinating, inspirational and informative on so many levels -- exciting action story, moving human drama, exotic travelogue, social action miracle, bird's eye view of contemporary history in the making in the world's most complex and volatile region, a revelation of the tenaciousness and power of the human spirit under the most destructive conditions.

For the first time, I have a basic understanding of the roots of conflicts in central Asia, and how the very land and landscape and their role in outside powers' self-serving political decisions have helped to shape today's Pakistan and Afghanistan enough of a reason right there to read this book.

But the real MIRACLE of this book is that this is all done through the mind-boggling true story of one man's miraculous mission, and seen at ground level through the eyes and souls of those who call these lands home, in such a way that these foreign places and people feel as intimate as sisters and brothers -- which, in fact, as this story makes clear, they are.

The book follows GREG MORTENSON who has my vote, along with many others', for the next Nobel Peace Prize from his unexpected life-saving encounter with the hospitality and generosity of a remote village in Baltistan northern Pakistan through his fulfillment of a grateful promise to come back and build a school for this tiny, poor community -- and on through the unfolding of an incredible mission so incredible you can hardly believe it's nonfiction to bring nonsectarian education and basic humanitarian aid to tiny villages throughout remote, war-torn and povertry-stricken areas throughout northern Pakistan and, eventually, Afghanistan.

I have read dozens of eloquent pleas for and dreams of world peace -- but NEVER have I read so shockingly concrete a story of planting its actual seeds -- never have I been so moved to feel global peace can actually be more than mere dream.

Jul 18, Shelley rated it it was amazing. My 'book sharing' buddy loaned this book to me and it just sat on my shelf. She said it was an amazing true story which lead her to staying up way past bed times reading. It was only when she asked for the loaner book back that I cracked it open.

Next I knew, I was hooked too. It was a long week at work, but worth it. Anyhow, definitely read this book! It is an amazing story of Greg Mortenson's work in Pakistan building school. Rich America throwing their weight and money around. I' My 'book sharing' buddy loaned this book to me and it just sat on my shelf. I've heard that before. Not how it unfolds. His intentions are solid gold and his pockets are all but empty when he starts It was a great sociology lesson about cultures.

But they all share the dream of making the kids lives better with education. View 1 comment. Jun 06, Will Byrnes rated it really liked it Shelves: terrorism , afghanistan , nonfiction. Greg Mortenson is a remarkable man. Product of Minnesota parents who were both athletes and then missionaries, he spent much of his childhood in Tanzania.

A high-end climber he was on his way back from an unsuccessful attempt at K2, 30 pounds lighter than he had been before the attempt, when, exhausted and lost, he wound up in the remote village of Korphe. Saved from an icy demise, Mortenson recovered. When the locals showed him their village he noticed that the children had no school.

They stud Greg Mortenson is a remarkable man. They studied in an open area and were visited by a teacher who was shared with another village. He would dedicate himself to bringing schools, and ultimately much more, to remote rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.

But Mortenson was not so much a donator of funds. In fact, he had almost no financial resources of his own. But his single-mindedness led him to find others willing to provide money for this work. Mortenson was the man in the field, making connections with local leaders, negotiating political mazes, buying wood, concrete, nails and seeing that it was all put to the proper uses.

His focus became one of trying to see that girls got educated, as they tended to be ignored when education was discussed in this part of the world. He learned that girls tended to provide a more substantial bang-for-the buck in terms of improving life in a place when they were educated than was the case when only boys got to go to school.

He is clearly a card-carrying member of a class of people we might call secular saints. Although his upbringing was religious, he does not push any sort of religion on those he helps and empowers. It is not even clear from this book if he subscribes to any religion in particular. It does raise a question however.

What happens if we run out of Mortensons? Can development of this sort continue or spring into existence at all should Greg Mortenson or others of his sort are not present to make certain that good things happen? Mortenson formed the Central Asia Institute as an agency to help make the work more than his personal mission. Time will tell if it can continue his work when he is no longer available.

Three cups of Tea offers a very detailed look at what it takes to get things done in a part of the world that has received a lot more western ordnance than western development aid. There are complexities to complexities here and there is no substitute for developmental boots on the ground, interacting with local communities if the West ever wants to have any chance of turning potential enemies into potential friends.

No one work can provide a complete picture of any region. Three Cups of Tea is a must-read for anyone interested in developments in Pakistan, Afghanistan and the central and south Asian region.

Like a Seurat painting in which the dots combine to make a coherent image, Mortenson has offered another very meaningful dot that can combine with others to offer a rich view of the whole area. View all 6 comments. May 01, Malbadeen rated it it was ok Recommended to Malbadeen by: everyone and their dog.

Shelves: nonfiction. Greg Mortisen this, Greg Mortisen that, Dr. Greg this, Dr. Greg that blah, blah, blah. This book was such a glowing endorsment for the person Greg Mortisen that I had a hard time taking in the story of what he did, because quite frankly I was getting sick of him. Which isn't necessarly fair because he wasn't telling the story so I'm not saying he's narsacistic or anything but the person telling it could have toned it down a notch or two and let us come to our conclusion, and no doubt we would ha Greg Mortisen this, Greg Mortisen that, Dr.

Which isn't necessarly fair because he wasn't telling the story so I'm not saying he's narsacistic or anything but the person telling it could have toned it down a notch or two and let us come to our conclusion, and no doubt we would have, that Greg Mortisen is a super great guy for what he did.

I think i would have been more inclined to enjoy Morisen's story in a magazine article than in this extended page tribute to him. View all 18 comments. Shelves: non-fiction , hate-the-writing-respect-the-story , reviewed , memoir-biography , audio.

Such an important story. The sun is not "lemony. Then when I picked it back up to read, all I could hear in my head for the voices were Abu from the Simpsons. The widely spaced streams o Such an important story. The widely spaced streams of tracers leaped across the road like ellipses.

But to Mortenson, who wouldn't learn his friends had survived until the following week, when he returned to Kabul, they looked more like question marks" p. In my book, the one way to neuter a good firefight is to compare it to punctuation. Don't get me wrong, I think it's absolutely sexy to be able to name all English forms of punctuation in under a minute, but tracers are not like question marks.

It is a tribute to the story itself that it is important enough to still make the read worth it. And, as Tracey Coleman said, "Tara Mortenson is a saint". View all 23 comments. Feel-good, mandatory read for anyone interested in children, the future and in current events. My check to CAI will be in the mail soon- It makes you want to get involved. The story of one incredible man's love for mountain climbing, that leads to the adventure of a lifetime.

Working to build schools for villages in the remote corners of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Greg Mortenson shines as an example that even one person can make huge difference to world. He may be a future Nobel Peace Prize winner Feel-good, mandatory read for anyone interested in children, the future and in current events. He may be a future Nobel Peace Prize winner and he is undoubtedly a real-live hero. After reading, I understand more about the nature of middle East interests and of the importance of education for those who desire to learn.

Never give up, never lose hope. Allah says. Kheir p. But for the first time, knelling among a hundered strangers, watching them wash away There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don't you. I was just an average bloke. It was the media that tried to transform me into a heroic figure. But I've learned through the years, as long as you don't believe all that rubbish about yourself, you can't come to too much harm. We're the country of thirty-minute power lunches and two-minute football drills.

Our leaders thought their 'shock and awe' campaign could end the was in Iraq before it ever started. Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects.

He taught me that I had more to learn from the people I work with than I could ever hope to teach. All things pass. From my extensive conversations with many people, elders, military, and government authorities in Pakistan and Afghanistan all believe that Osama is dead.

Voice recognition and patterns are not as definitive as a fingerprint, and one must do extensive analysis on the messages, word patterns, references to the Koran etc. Although symbolic, to do business in Pakistan or Afghanistan, it takes three cups of tea first. In their culture, the first cup you are a stranger, and by the second tea gathering you become a friend, and with the third cup you become family, and they will protect you with their life and are ready to do business, but the process takes several years.

That ultimately to achieve global peace and defeat terror we must do it with education and books, not edicts and bombs.

I also hope it inspires our younger generation to know that anyone can make a difference and be pro-active. Martin Luther said that even if the world would end today, we will should still plant seeds and trees for tomorrow.

Even in America, we have extreme poverty, but I think the greatest poverty we face in our country is a poverty of compassion and that we live more in fear, than in hope. If you fight terrorism, it is based in fear, but if you promote peace, it is based in hope. Ignorance is the real enemy, wheather it is in Afghanistan, Africa or America, and it is ignorance that breeds hatred.

We can overcome that ignorance with compassion, courage and encourage all children and adults with to promote peace, and have hope through education. Search this Guide Search. Title Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson; David Oliver Relin The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban's backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school.

Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools--especially for girls--that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth.

As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

ISBN: Author Interview. Has anything similar happened in your own life? At the heart of the book is a powerful but simple political message: we each as individuals have the power to change the world, one cup of tea at a time. Yet the book powerfully dramatizes the obstacles in the way of this philosophy: bloody wars waged by huge armies, prejudice, religious extremism, cultural barriers. Have you ever known anyone like Mortenson?

Have you ever had the experience of making a difference yourself through acts of generosity, aid, or leadership?

The Balti people are fierce yet extremely hospitable, kind yet rigid, determined to better themselves yet stuck in the past. Discuss your reactions to them and other groups that Mortenson tries to help. Why was Mortenson compelled to return to the region again and again? In your opinion, does he repay his debt by the end of the book? Do you view him as continuing the work his father began? What were your reactions to the letters Mortenson received?

Discuss his repeated brushes with failure and how they influenced your opinion of Mortenson and his efforts. A lot of the book is about fitting into a foreign culture. Discuss your own experiences with foreign cultures—things you have learned, mistakes you have made, misunderstandings you have endured. Did the book change your views toward Islam or Muslims?

Consider the cleric Syed Abbas and also the cleric who called a fatwa on Mortenson. Has the book inspired you to learn more about the region? Author Interview K2 is one of the most difficult, dangerous mountains in the world to climb.

What inspired you to commit to building a school in Pakistan? How did the funding for the schools come about? How many schools have you established in Pakistan and Afghanistan? What can others do to help in this cause? What exactly is a fatweh? Who are two of your heroes male and female? Do you know where Osama bin Laden is, or if he is alive?