Cover of Three Cups of Tea
I finished writing this review before posting my Spring Reading Thing post. That’s why this book isn’t on that list. 
Title: Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time
Author: Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
Publication Information: Penguin (January 30, 2007) , 368 pgs.
Genre: Non-Fiction – Asia/History/Education
Explanation/Summary:
From the back of the book:
“The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his remarkable humanitarian campaign in the Taliban’s backyard.”
“In 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants’ kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and it’s extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools – especially for girls – in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the human spirit.”
The book is narrated by Greg Mortenson, and written by David Oliver Relin. Together they tell the incredible story of the hope, education, and peace given to the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Analysis and Evaluation:
Absolutely. This was an amazing, incredible, inspiring story of a man (Mortenson) who set out to climb a mountain. Yet it was his failure that brought him to the village of Korphe. When exhaustion set in and he could no longer move, the villagers cared for him until he was nursed back to health. It was during this time that Mortenson got to know, and fell in love with, the people of Korphe. He witnessed their extreme poverty first hand, and at that time made a decision that would change his life and ultimately the lives of the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The writing is fairly easy to follow, but some of the ethnic terms were a little difficult to follow at first, and keeping up with the Asian geography was a little bit of a challenge for me.
The strength is that it is an amazing story. I know I sound like a broken record, but really, it is THAT good.
The weakness, and this is a stretch, is the bouncing around in time. I don’t do well when a story is told and the time periods move forward and backward. This story offered that challenge for me.
My response to this book has been mixed. As a reader, this is an incredible story of a man who did amazing things for Muslim children. He obviously knows that knowledge is a powerful weapon. He built schools for the least of the least teaching a non-political curriculum, while the closest schools (at least 3 days travel) had a very political/pro-Taliban message. Mortenson has been “America” to a huge number of people in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has shown them that America is not the evil empire. As a Christian, I am discouraged that, while the author was raised by parents who were African Missionaries, he indicated in this book that he has not yet made a decision to accept Christ. Like I said in another post last week, I know that a parent can not make that decision for their child. However, I do think a parent can have incredible influence and help their child answer any questions, and ultimately point them to The Answer.
What I loved about this book, is that it is one of people helping people, and it is another example of how one person really can make a difference.
Yes, this is a book to add to your Want to Read list. Take what you learn from it and apply it to a need you see in your part of the world.
Why? I think I’ve said it plenty of times ~ this was an incredible story. 
Grade: B+
This is my book club’s selection for April. I have mixed thoughts about how much I would enjoy it, but since reading your comments I feel more like investing my time in it. Thanks! Glad to “meet” someone who loves books like I do.