Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson is one of the books that makes me crawl into bed half an hour late and apologize to my wife, telling her that I need to find less interesting books so we can go to bed on time. Set in rural Pakistan, it's the story of how one man's broken dreams gave rise to something new and incredible. It's a story about keeping promises despite obstacles and the capability of one determined individual to transform the lives of thousands through hard work, little sleep and the support of others.

Greg Mortenson was a climber who became lost on his descent from a failed ascent of K2. He wandered into Korphe, the town that would change his life and change because of his life. It was there that he dedicated himself to building schools in rural Pakistan, with a special focus on educating girls. The book is well-written and capture the passion Mortenson has for his schools. Despite language obstacles, cultural obstacles and the difficultly of getting Americans to understand the urgency of this, he succeeds in raising the funds and helping these villages have educations for their children, the most precious commodity any village has. By giving them balanced educations in these schools, the students do not end up in the extremist Muslim schools, where hatred and intolerance are often taught. Mortenson helps provide a future, and he gives hope to so many in desperate need of it. I'd highly recommend this book. More can be learned at threecupsoftea.com