Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson

Jan 19, 2008 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Here are a few things I’m suspicious of:

1. A book with two authors. It’s kind of like having too many cooks in the kitchen.
2. A book in which one of the two authors is the main subject of the book.
3. A book in which even though one of the authors is the main subject of the book, the book is written in third person.
4. Cultural imperialism.

With these four suspicions in mind, I started in on Three Cups of Tea, which was my book club’s choice for this month. Mortenson is a quirky do-gooder who c...more Here are a few things I’m suspicious of:

1. A book with two authors. It’s kind of like having too many cooks in the kitchen.
2. A book in which one of the two authors is the main subject of the book.
3. A book in which even though one of the authors is the main subject of the book, the book is written in third person.
4. Cultural imperialism.

With these four suspicions in mind, I started in on Three Cups of Tea, which was my book club’s choice for this month. Mortenson is a quirky do-gooder who commits himself to building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan in order to educate the poor (especially the girls) who are so often lost in the rural mountains of these isolated areas. He started his quest after stopping in a small village after failing to climb K2 in the early 1990s and since then has built over 50 schools, health centers, and women’s centers.

There were lots of things I liked about this book. First off, I love reading adventure stories about far-away places, and learning more about the variety of cultures in Islamic Pakistan and various other -stans was enough to pull me all the way through the book. I also love reading about single-minded esoteric people with crazy missions who stop at nothing to accomplish their goals. Thirdly, I love the idea of fighting the war on terror through education instead of fighting - it seems like it will be more successful long-term and way less expensive, not to mention way, way, less violent.

I’m not sure I was so hot on the book itself - the writing wasn’t interesting (and it had so many chances to be) and, more importantly, the book was terribly skewed in Mortenson’s direction. He’s referred to as a hero at least a few times a chapter and praised non-stop by the people around him. Only smaller sub-prose hints clue you in to the real negative stuff - which I’m as interested in as the positive stuff: Mortenson is kind of crazy and obsessed, he has trouble with delegating jobs to people and handling money, he unapologetically spends months and months away from his family in Montana. He seems to be hurting his health in order to continue with his cause.

Now, I think these negatives could have been dealt with well by the authors - I don’t think any hero is all good or absolutely flawless. In fact, most people who have ever accomplished great things have more than his or her share of weirdo personal problems. I would have loved for the book to explore his flaws in light of his accomplishments instead of brushing his flaws to the side and dropping the Hero-bomb over and over again.

By the end of the book, I felt pretty good about his mission in general, thought. I haven’t taken any developmental studies classes and I don’t know much about rural development, but I can’t see how building schools and educating girls could possibly hurt anything. I was impressed by the way Mortenson adapted to the Islamic culture - learning the languages, dressing the part, and even learning to pray to Allah. He didn’t seem into forcing Western ideas onto the villages, beyond simple wants to educate and equalize.

More than that, though, I was interested in learning about how the Taliban is using the same tactics as Mortenson in order to win support in these rural areas - and they are winning. They have already established tons of schools called madrassas in these places, barring women and teaching only Islam and warfare. They also offer something that is rare in these isolated areas: paid employment. If Mortenson is right, giving these people options other than joining the Taliban, and giving them schools where you learn basic skills instead of extremist propaganda, might be the best step toward a long-term solution for everyone.(less)

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Mar 20, 2011 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

This book is driving me fricking nuts. I'm struggling to finish it, and can I help it if I feel like a bad person for HATING this book even though I totally support its main purpose and the mission of the subject??

I hope not. Jeez, where do I start. The writing? It's terrible. I am now going to randomly pick a page, any page, and find a ridiculous, klunky morsel for you:

"Suleman sat like a smiling Buddha next to Mortensen, his arms crossed over the beginning of a pot belly."

or,

"the inspiring vi...more This book is driving me fricking nuts. I'm struggling to finish it, and can I help it if I feel like a bad person for HATING this book even though I totally support its main purpose and the mission of the subject??

I hope not. Jeez, where do I start. The writing? It's terrible. I am now going to randomly pick a page, any page, and find a ridiculous, klunky morsel for you:

"Suleman sat like a smiling Buddha next to Mortensen, his arms crossed over the beginning of a pot belly."

or,

"the inspiring view that greets these students from every classroom - the roof of the world, represented by Masherbrum's soaring summit ridge-has already helped convince many of Hushe's children to aim high."

or, (my personal favorite)

"And by the time the rising sun iced the hanging glaciers of Masherbrum pale pink, like a gargantuan pastry dangling above them at breakfast time, Mortenson had agreed to shift the funds his board had approved for the doomed Khane school upside to this village whose headman had traveled so far downriver to educate himself."

I could go on, but I'll spare you. If you'd like 350+ pages of the above prose, by all means read this book.

What else besides the writing? The methods - I was always told that non-fiction writing is a pretty specific genre, and that if you don't have a quotation written down from a source, or have it recorded somehow, you don't use quotations at all. The whole time I'm reading, I keep thinking, "there's no way Mortensen remembers every exact conversation he had 15 years ago!" (and that's an exact quote from my brain, by the way).

Plus, there are historical inaccuracies all over the place that made me question the validity of the hyperbolized text and the way in which the "co-author" (For Mortensen is the other) idolizes his subject beyond, well, objectivity. For example, there's an entire passage about the year 2000, when Mortensen is struggling with his lack of management skills, his frustration with the lack of sustainability of his foundation's finances, and fulfilling his duties to his family. He goes on a trip to SE Asia to observe other development projects, and ends up in Calcutta, and wouldn't you know it, Mother Teresa just died and he buys himself a big ole bouquet of flowers to honor her, and goes to pay his respects to her shrouded body. It's a quite moving passage (naturally it's littered with horrific metaphor, but I'll leave that alone for now), until it occurred to me that Mother Teresa died in 1997. Yeah, right after Princess Diana. I mean, I know that it's OK to take a little poetic license with this stuff, but the writer has Mortensen strutting his stuff triumphantly all over the Pakistani mountain ridges in 1997...guess it didn't fit in with the narrative arc that Mother Teresa had the indecency to die 3 years too early for Mortensen to mourn her loss at the same time he's reached his own personal crisis of faith.

Wow this sounds bitter. I guess my ultimate point is this: I believe in community-driven development. I believe that education and other related iniatives create stronger societies and really work to promote peace and alleviate violence and terror. But for such an important topic, I really feel that Mortensen deserved a writer who could be more objective and yes, gasp!, critical at times. I am left disbelieving in this foundation, and I am skeptical of its management and practices. I am wary of those who claim to forge the solutions for all in one single bound. I hope that I read another account of Mortensen that changes my mind. This book did little for me but make me despair for the unmentioned NGOs and others who are working (likely) toward the same goal in the same region, without the benefit of collaboration with this Mortensen's access to resources.

Oh yeah, and I resent the book jacket referring to Mortensen as a "real-life Indiana Jones." sheesh.(less)

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May 23, 2008 Daniel rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Daniel by: Ann Donahue

Shelves: book-club, 2008

While it's hard to give a negative review to a book with its heart in the right place, "Three Cups of Teas" is so full of weaknesses it'd be impossible to give it a rating with any more stars. In fact, the book's writing style alone is so poor, I feel generous giving it even two stars.

Though the work Greg Mortenson is doing -- building schools in impoverished parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan sorely in need of them -- is certainly laudable, his mission seems ill-served by "Three Cups." The book,...more While it's hard to give a negative review to a book with its heart in the right place, "Three Cups of Teas" is so full of weaknesses it'd be impossible to give it a rating with any more stars. In fact, the book's writing style alone is so poor, I feel generous giving it even two stars.

Though the work Greg Mortenson is doing -- building schools in impoverished parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan sorely in need of them -- is certainly laudable, his mission seems ill-served by "Three Cups." The book, billed as being coauthored by Mortenson and David Oliver Relin but obviously written by Relin alone, is so worshipful of Mortenson and the work he has done, the reader almost begins to feel Relin is being defensive. Did someone at one time attack Mortenson's good name? Is this the defense's argument? It seems that on almost every other page Relin rolls out yet another person -- "Into Thin Air" author Jon Krakauer, Congresswoman Mary Bono, people Mortenson's worked with -- to talk about how wonderful a person he is, how deserving he is of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Beyond that, there's simply not enough material here for a full-length book. Entire sections feel like padding that do nothing more than get the story to book length. (Pages and pages about a failed relationship Mortenson had before he met his wife, for instance, are almost entirely tangential.) The story would have made a good profile in "The New Yorker" or "The New York Times Magazine," but there's simply not enough material here to justify a 350-page book.

It also doesn't help that there's almost nothing here about how the education Mortenson's schools are giving to boys and girls is actually affecting life in their villages -- or if it is. Granted, it's probably too early to see many results, but is that not also an argument that this story is not quite book-worthy? Maybe Mortenson and Relin needed to wait another 10 years before telling their story.

So far, though, I've ignored "Three Cups"'s writing. Bad and often inappropriate puns, failed attempts to be poetic, and clunky, overwrought sentences make the book particularly hard to get through. It got to the point that I began writing down particularly egregious sentences. Here are a few from my notes:

"Mortenson sat on a boulder and drank from his water bottle until it was empty. But he couldn't drink in enough of this setting."

"As they drove past the scale model of the mountain where Pakistan had detonated its `Muslim Bomb,' Mortenson told his friend and fixer about the explosion of support Americans had provided for the CAI." (Get it? Bomb, explosion? Feel free to groan.)

"He leaned over the side of the truck to request a stop and saw the top of the bearish assistant's close-cropped head stretching out the window, and beyond it, straight down fifteen hundred feet to the bottom of the rocky gorge, where a coffee-colored river foamed over boulders." (Wow, the assistant's head stretched down fifteen hundred feet to the bottom of the gorge? Tell me more about this guy.)

"When Haji Ali handed him a cup of butter tea, Mortenson drank it with something similar to pleasure." (So it wasn't pleasure then? What is this something that's similar to pleasure?)

"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." (Talk about tortured metaphors. Ouch.)

This may seem like nitpicking, but these types of sentences occur throughout the whole book. (I easily filled five pages of a small notepad with only the worst of the worst.) Mortenson's story is worth telling, but I wish he'd found a better way -- and a better writer -- to tell it.(less)

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Feb 18, 2012 Hayden Casey rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of fabricated stories that have no depth and ramble on and on for centuries about random people

Recommended to Hayden by: my World Cultures teacher (-_-')

Shelves: a-travesty, doesnt-deserve-publication, author-should-be-murdered, used-for-kindling, ★, not-even-worth-a-star, worst-books-ever, hate-with-a-passion, fabricated, awkward, prose-is-purple-as-barney, friends-hate-it, ghost-writer, own-it, started-slow, thank-god-it-s-a-stand-alone, wish-i-could-unread-it, they-cut-down-trees-for-this-sh-t, expect-the-worst, dreaded-english-summer-reading, purple-prose, main-character-deserves-death, deathly-long-descriptions, doesnt-deserve-the-goodreads-rating

EDIT: Just so you guys all know, the word "Mortenson" is in the text a total of 1,943 times. That's right. 1,943.

What I wish to do so badly to this book.

0 of 5 stars

Before I get started, I just want to say that no review I could ever write ever would ever portray how much this book sucked for me. To me, Three Cups of Tea is the perfect embodiment and representation of the most tragically horrible book I've ever read.

In fact, for you today, I'm going to make a list of the 10 most tragic things i...more

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Sep 15, 2007 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I approached this book with some reservation. If nothing else several years of study in Development Studies has made me very wary of "do-gooders". As others have noted, there is a strong element of imperialism in the idea of of an American's mission to "fight terrorism and build nations" and I was quite ready to be critical about it.
However I am happy to admit I really enjoyed and was inspired by the book. As Relin writes- "Supposedly objective reporters are at risk of being drawn into his orbit...more I approached this book with some reservation. If nothing else several years of study in Development Studies has made me very wary of "do-gooders". As others have noted, there is a strong element of imperialism in the idea of of an American's mission to "fight terrorism and build nations" and I was quite ready to be critical about it.
However I am happy to admit I really enjoyed and was inspired by the book. As Relin writes- "Supposedly objective reporters are at risk of being drawn into his orbit... The more time I spent watching Mortenson work, the more convinced I became that I was in the presence of something extraordinary." Mortenson appears to have a genuine humanitarian motivation and a deep affection for the people he works with.
I was surprised as I read the book to note that many of the paper lessons I learned about "doing development" were the lessons Mortenson learned through his work and his mistakes. "Participation" is one of the biggest buzzwords in development today and this is what Mortenson learned, and one hopes, how CAI continues to practise. This is what the three cups of tea is all about.
I do however a have a few niggles with the book. While acknowledging it was never written as a academic text I found the overwhelming positivity somewhat unrealistic. Whereever "outsiders" come in to do development or aid work, there are both positive and negative consequences, one just hopes the positive outweigh the negative. I believe in this case it does, but a more rounded discussion of the work would have been good.
And there is, possibly unavoidably, a touch of imperialism. Mortenson is American. He started out as a penniless individual who wanted to help but he now leads a growing organisation with a significant budget. I hope he continues to maintain the relationships that take this organisation above being just another development project.
Overall, I highly recommend this book, taken with just the tinest little grain of salt to aid digestion.
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Elle Wow. Even though you have given the book five stars, you are still suspicious of the intentions of the Yankee Boogieman. You remind me of those Americ...more
May 21, 2010 08:28pm

Shelbyakaginger:) I just have a question....where is the heart of the book...im trying to find where he states "one cup of tea at a time" i read the book but i forgot w...more
Aug 06, 2010 08:36am

Aug 31, 2008 Sparrow rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: The US Government

Recommended to Sparrow by: Linda Harrison, Shannon Kearney, and the Fed Ex lady

Shelves: non-fiction, hate-the-writing-respect-the-story, memoir-biography, reviewed, audio

Such an important story . . . so distracted by the writing. The sun is not "lemony." I hope that Balti porters are not in any way like "Lear's jester." I listened to half of it on audio because I was so distracted by the way it was written, but the reader did voices and accents for everyone. Then when I picked it back up to read, all I could hear in my head for the voices were Abu from the Simpsons.

"After they'd traveled half a kilometer, he saw the firefight resume. The widely spaced streams o...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Katharine rated it 1 of 5 stars

Recommended to Katharine by: Amicus Books in Marysville

I'm about in the middle of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin and I'm ready to quit. First of all because when I just typed my first sentence here, I realized how sick I am of the words "Greg Mortenson". Half way through the book and the author is still immortalizing him by full name. I'm not a big fan of non-fiction but I've read plenty of third person accounts and don't remember this being so irritating in all of them.

Greg (smile) built schools in the high mountains in...more

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Feb 29, 2008 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Three Cups of Tea contains a hint of a beautiful story. There were parts that made me tear up. Some of the parts that made me tear up were touching; other parts that made me tear up were painfully written.

Greg Mortenson is really an American hero. His work in Pakistan and Afghanistan is truly amazing. David Oliver Relin is an American journalist. His work, at least on this book, is not so heroic. The following are some of my favorite, terrible sentences from the book:

“And by the time the rising...more

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Dec 13, 2007 Heidi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: non-fiction, read2007

I had the honor of presenting the author, David Oliver Relin, at our library book group.

Greg Mortenson failed to climb K2, and while he headed back down the mountain, he took a wrong turn, missed his bridge, and found himself in Korphe, a village not found on his maps. (Ridges in the glacier are as big as highways.) The people there welcomed him and brought him back to health. He happened to ask them to take him to their school. There was none. The children met under the cold sky and used stick...more

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Aug 28, 2009 Meredith rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Recommended to Meredith by: Kokomo-Howard County Public Library

Shelves: book-discussion-selections

Three Cups of Tea is one of the worst books I've ever been forced to read. From the first page of this memoir, the ghostwriter's sickening tone of hero worship has Greg Mortenson healing the sick, making the lame walk, and performing superhumanly selfless acts on a daily basis since his earliest childhood. Luckily, the author stops short of having Mortenson deliver his wife's baby and walking on water. What was probably intended to be an uplifting tale about how even the smallest among us can ch...more

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May 01, 2008 Malbadeen rated it 2 of 5 stars

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...more

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Dec 26, 2009 Lisa Vegan rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: all world leaders; readers who want peace, care about literacy & education & human rights

Shelves: non-fiction, biography, bookclub, social-culture, reviewed, gr-author, altta

Heartbreaking, uplifting, suspenseful, at times very funny.

If everyone on earth did 1/10 of what Greg Mortenson does for others, we’d have a much better world. If a hefty portion of the world’s population put in 10% of the work and effort and cash that Mortenson has done, for people in need all over the world, we might not have a perfect world, but it would be vastly improved.

At first I thought Mortenson must have some incredible amount of charisma, but really he just had the urge to help and w...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Phayvanh rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: peace workers

Recommended to Phayvanh by: Eric

Shelves: reviews, 2008, reportage, book-group

I borrowed this book, having heard the story of it, and knowing that other people I knew were/had been reading this book. And I'm returning it so it may be passed along.

The premise is great, an inspiring story, whether real or not, and one I'd love to continue to know about. My main problem with the book is the storytelling, how it abruptly snaps back and forth in place and time so that I am not always sure where the scene is taking place or when until fully into the scene. And some scenes are l...more I borrowed this book, having heard the story of it, and knowing that other people I knew were/had been reading this book. And I'm returning it so it may be passed along.

The premise is great, an inspiring story, whether real or not, and one I'd love to continue to know about. My main problem with the book is the storytelling, how it abruptly snaps back and forth in place and time so that I am not always sure where the scene is taking place or when until fully into the scene. And some scenes are left completely hanging at the end of a chapter only to be dealt with later, almost as an after thought.

It would have been far better to read and understand if presented in a more linear fashion, although David Oliver Relin did address the time/place conintuum problem in the intro. There are a lot of missing dates, such that by the end of the book, I was still unsure as to how long it took for the first school to get built.

But you keep reading ( or I did, at least) because the story is full of hope and frustration, and you really want the best of everybody, even the conivvers. But Relin's verbose prose keeps tripping you up:

...burned fuselages lay like the decomposing carcasses of whales along the cratered runway...

Besides, how many times can he emphasize just how magnificent the view of K2 is? Or how treacherous a journey every journey was? Puleeze.

In the end, one hopes for the best of all involved and is encourages that the work will continue. I'd rather knwo this story though from watching a TV movie or reading some expanded Sunday story in the New York Times Magazine rather than this book.

Also, the other thing that bugged me in this book is how the author describes the "people" of Pakistan, which I do take some offense at, just lumping them into a sort of stereotypical group like that. Talking about their gentle, simple ways, etc. Even though, admittedly, he does go on to illustrate the extreme kindness of the Pakistanis involved, I still bristle at any sort of generalisations from outsiders. And the OTHER thing that also began to wear by the end of the book was how EVERY woman was beautiful, or at least, as Greg Mortenson saw them--village women, his future wife, Senator Mary Bono. Not beautiful in that spiritual way, but physically, a little too much so.(less)

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May 02, 2008 Carrie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE

Recommended to Carrie by: Costco

Shelves: all-time-favorites

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...more

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Feb 09, 2008 Debbi rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone who wants global peace to be more than a pipe dream!!

I wish goodreads had a 10-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. (NOTE: buy through the link at http://www.threecupsoftea.com/Intro.php, and you will be sending 7% of the cost ba...more I wish goodreads had a 10-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. (NOTE: buy through the link at http://www.threecupsoftea.com/Intro.php, and you will be sending 7% of the cost back to this amazing charity.) 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. If for no other reason, please, PLEASE, read this book for its empowering message of the earth-shaping, history-altering power that begins with a SINGLE PERSON (you, me!) -- but can leverage the hearts and hands of millions to move mountains toward a common good. 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.

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Dec 01, 2007 Susan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who want to see Pakistan in a different light than mainstream media portrays

Having lived and worked in Pakistan for many years, and travelled to many of the places described, I enjoyed this book as a 'fun read.' I think it is very helpful for people who only have access to information about the country through mainstream media to see a side of the people, especially poor people in rural areas who are not very educated who many in the west assume to be fundamentalists, that more accurately reflects their culture: their hospitality, their concern for the future of their c...more

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Jul 18, 2007 Shelley rated it 5 of 5 stars

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. "Yeah, Yeah. Rich America throwing their weight and money around. I'...more

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Apr 18, 2011 Stephen Gallup rated it 1 of 5 stars

Some books I really enjoy reviewing. They’re either important, enjoyable, well-written, or some combination thereof. There are a few others I read (or start to read) that simply aren’t worth the effort of discussing at all. In a third group are books that bother me by triggering one of my pet peeves: Some may be well-written fiction, with great characters, but the author’s clear purpose is to push some kind of agenda. Others exploit children (especially disabled children) as a means of manipulat...more Some books I really enjoy reviewing. They’re either important, enjoyable, well-written, or some combination thereof. There are a few others I read (or start to read) that simply aren’t worth the effort of discussing at all. In a third group are books that bother me by triggering one of my pet peeves: Some may be well-written fiction, with great characters, but the author’s clear purpose is to push some kind of agenda. Others exploit children (especially disabled children) as a means of manipulating cheap emotions. Then there are books that needn’t be well-written at all but have been given some mysterious boost by the publishing world and soar to far greater acclaim than is justified by their own merits.

Three Cups of Tea is in the latter bunch. It was given to me as a gift last Christmas, and because of the subject I was eager to get into it, despite the fact that Greg Mortenson had relied on a “real” writer to interview him and pull his story together (generally not a good sign, the quality of prose being inversely proportional to the number of co-authors). 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. The street outside was still jammed with cars, circling in search of parking spots that weren’t there, and the security guard was warning people that they’d never get in. Turns out, the local NPR affiliate had announced the event, and somehow this particular writer generated enthusiasm like I’ve never seen before. (And I’ve been to hear quite a few prominent literary figures speak or read.)

Why the big deal? It couldn’t be the quality of the writing, which is just passable at best. (I like a reviewer’s comment that “if you actually can finish this blather, it will be as if you climbed a mountain. A long, boring mountain.”) The clue to the excitement, I guess, is on the jacket copy and in the subtitle. This may well not have been Greg Mortenson’s original thought at all. 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. He’s treated as some kind of icon.) Apparently he did indeed do something remarkable, and that should be commended. But the packaging of his book suggests to me that the opinion shapers are really saying that if we only built more schools in impoverished countries as he did, and generally gave more in foreign aid, lunatics from that part of the world wouldn’t hijack airplanes and fly them into our buildings. Again, I’m inclined to believe Mortenson wasn’t thinking this way at the time, but I see he now has a blog post entitled “It Takes a School, Not Missiles.” So apparently he’s going along with the theme that is working so well.

When I was unable to get into the auditorium that night, my copy of the book went back onto my table. Several months have passed, and I’ve felt no desire to pick it up again. In fact, I just got rid of it. But unfortunately, the important thing about it is that it isn’t really a book at all, now. It became a sort of political phenomenon around a book. And that’s something altogether different. 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.(less)

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Sarah I agree with the "america saves the world" angle. I didn't even finish this book. I got to the part where he's returned to Pakistan to build the schoo...more
May 31, 2009 05:55pm

Arelya J. Stephen, I liked the perspective you put on your "Three Cups of Tea" review in that the book has evolved into an aspiring political event. How ironic...more Stephen, I liked the perspective you put on your "Three Cups of Tea" review in that the book has evolved into an aspiring political event. How ironic that it now has become a political controversy. I have not read it yet, but do look forward to doing so. I especially think your following quote is apropos: "Then there are books that needn’t be well-written at all but have been given some mysterious boost by the publishing world and soar to far greater acclaim than is justified by their own merits." Your quote is most definitely one worth keeping. I also look forward to reading "Revolution Is Not A Dinner Party". I am glad you're letting your daughter read it, because we are on a historical timeline not all those many years removed for Mao's China. Having studied China and its politics, I still continue to find this whole era fascinating and frightening. Just think what would have happened had Mao not scourged the country of its educators, but as we all know when studying any type of revolution, the educated ones (either formally educated or informally) are the first to go as a form of cleansing the previous society. However, that 'closed' society that Mao created did make the Chinese dependent on the Chinese, and that in itself gave the Chinese as we know it today a certain self-reliance. But again, just think how much stronger the country would have been if this so-called Cultural Revolution had not happened. Once upon a time, I presented a paper in which I stated that China would become more capitalistic in its economic outlook, and you see every day the Communist Party has to loosen the economic grips to stay in power. There's a political science book entitled "An Economic Theory of Democracy" by Anthony Downey, which still holds water. How soon (on what could be perceived as a small scale of historic time) we have so conveniently forgotten about this event in China or that China was formally a closed society. Again, I enjoyed the two reviews and will put these two books on my list. Thank you and take care.(less)
Apr 21, 2011 02:43pm

Stephen Gallup Thanks for your response. Regarding China, or at least Chinese people, my observation is that nobody in the world is more inclined toward doing what i...more
Apr 21, 2011 04:59pm

Feb 02, 2009 Idle Hippo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiksi

Bintang empatnya saya tujukan khusus buat sosok Greg Mortenson, bukan gaya penceritaan bukunya yaaaaaaa. Kalo mau mending si Mortenson aja sendiri yang nulis bukunya. Ato serahkan semuanya ama si Relin buat nulis bukunya :D

Ternyata di dunia ini ada juga sosok seperti Greg Mortenson. Sosok yang percaya bahwa terorisme bisa diperangi dengan memberikan pendidikan kepada penduduk miskin *terutama perempuan* di tempat-tempat terpencil yang tak terjamah dunia pendidikan.

Gara-gara gagal mencapai punca...more Bintang empatnya saya tujukan khusus buat sosok Greg Mortenson, bukan gaya penceritaan bukunya yaaaaaaa. Kalo mau mending si Mortenson aja sendiri yang nulis bukunya. Ato serahkan semuanya ama si Relin buat nulis bukunya :D

Ternyata di dunia ini ada juga sosok seperti Greg Mortenson. Sosok yang percaya bahwa terorisme bisa diperangi dengan memberikan pendidikan kepada penduduk miskin *terutama perempuan* di tempat-tempat terpencil yang tak terjamah dunia pendidikan.

Gara-gara gagal mencapai puncak K-2 di Pakistan, tersesat dan ditolong oleh orang2 dari desa Khorpe, suratan nasib Mortenson pun berubah. Ia prihatin melihat kondisi anak2 yang bersekolah diruang terbuka dengan suhu yang begitu dingin. Dan ia pun berjanji kepada Haji Ali sang kepala desa untuk membangun sebuah sekolah bagi anak2 di Khorpe. Janji yang awalnya dianggap basa basi seorang lelaki "kafir" oleh sebagian besar penduduk desa Khorpe.

Buku ini selanjutnya bercerita tentang perjuangan Mortenson untuk memenuhi janjinya. Dengan perjuangan berat ia akhirnya bisa mewujudkan janjinya sekaligus memenuhi impian penduduk desa Khorpe (yang jelas-jelas diabaikan pemerintah Pakistan) untu memiliki sebuah sekolah yang layak. Tak hanya satu sekolah saja. Sekolah-sekolah lainnya terus didirikan Mortenson secara bertahap. Beruntunglah ia bisa berkenalan dan bersahabat dengan tokoh-tokoh lain yang ikut membantunya dalam mendirikan sekolah2 di desa terpencil. Tokoh2 seperti Jean Hoerni (jutawan eksentrik yang menghibahkan dana sebesar 1 juta dollar buat yayasan CAI), Haji Ali, orang yang sangat dikagumi oleh Mortenson, Syed Abbas, Saidullah Baig, Gulam Pharvi, Mouzzafer, Suleiman Minhas dan tentu saja Sara Bishop, sang istri tercinta yang menjadi sekutu dan memberi kontribusi yang tak bisa diremehkan begitu saja bagi keberhasilan Mortenson.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Here, 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."

"Kali pertama kau minum teh bersama seorang Balti, kau masih orang asing. Kali kedua kau minum teh, kau adalah tamu yang dihormati. Kali ketiga kau berbagi semangkuk teh, kau sudah menjadi keluarga, dan untuk keluarga kami, kami bersedia melakukan apa saja, bahkan untuk mati sekalipun." Haji Ali

"Dokter Greg, kau harus memberi waktu untuk berbagi tiga cangkir teh. Mungkin kami memang tidak perpendidikan. Tetapi kami tidak bodoh. Kami telah hidup dan bertahan disini untuk waktu yang lama." Haji Ali

"Aku berharap orang-orang Barat yang salah paham tentang kaum Muslimin bisa melihat segala perilaku Syed Abbas hari itu," kata Mortenson. "Mereka akan segera sadar bahwa sebagian orang yang benar-benar melaksanakan ajaran sejati Islam, bahkan mullah konservatif seperti Syed Abbas sekalipun, meyakini perdamaian dan keadilan, bukan teror. Seperti Taurat dan Injil mengajarkan kepedulian pada mereka yang membutuhkan, Al-Qur'an memerintahkan seluruh umat Islam untuk merawat janda-janda, anak yatim piatu, dan pengungsi sebagai prioritas utama."
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Jul 29, 2008 Lena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Greg Mortenson was a mountaineer with his sights set on Pakistan’s unforgiving K2 when a disaster in his climbing party forced him to abort his attempt on the summit. On his way down, the exhausted climber got lost and wandered into a remote and impoverished village that had never seen a Westerner before.

As the kind residents helped Mortenson regain his strength, he committed to repaying them by building a school for the dozens of children he saw carving their lessons into the dirt with sticks....more Greg Mortenson was a mountaineer with his sights set on Pakistan’s unforgiving K2 when a disaster in his climbing party forced him to abort his attempt on the summit. On his way down, the exhausted climber got lost and wandered into a remote and impoverished village that had never seen a Westerner before.

As the kind residents helped Mortenson regain his strength, he committed to repaying them by building a school for the dozens of children he saw carving their lessons into the dirt with sticks. That promise would go on to transform Mortenson from a part-time nurse and climbing nut to a man obsessed with bringing education to some of the world’s most neglected people.

The story of how Mortenson managed to fulfill his naïve promise and go on not just to build one school, but dozens more across the remote mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan, is nothing short of astounding. The fact that he survived this hostile environment at all, let alone succeeded in a humanitarian endeavor of such enormous proportions, is truly inspiring.

Part of what permitted Mortenson to make so much progress is that he allowed himself to learn how things needed to be done from the local people. Though American, Mortenson was raised by missionaries in Africa, and his sensitivity towards and ability to integrate into another culture was a crucial part of what made this project work.

In addition to providing valuable insight into the lives of a people the West knows little about, this book also offers a unique perspective of the events in Pakistan and Afghanistan that led to the current war on terror. Mortenson began building his small schools at the same time fundamentalist madrassas were also springing up in that part of the world. Though Mortenson couldn’t compete with either the pace or the money spent by those with a religious agenda, his success provides a powerful model for filling the gaps that the US military has left wide open in those vulnerable places.

I would recommend this amazing and educational book to pretty much anyone, but I do have to add one caveat. Though I was very moved by the story, I did not like the writing so much. The author and I seemed to have different pacing—he spent long passages talking about things of little interest to me while barely touching on aspects I wanted to know much more about. I was also put off by the book’s opening, which was a pumped up mix of macho adventure writing and fawning hero worship. Mortenson’s story is so extraordinary it doesn’t need this kind of inflation. While the author’s admiration for Mortenson is understandable, I would have enjoyed this book more without this kind of embellishment.
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Mar 25, 2009 Osho rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, around-the-world

Pakistan (though I may substitute something else later)

Both emotionally satisfying and deeply engrossing, this is the history of Mortenson's many years of building schools in Pakistan and, more recently, Afghanistan. A nurse by profession and mountain climber by avocation. Mortenson literally stumbles into the school-building trade. I especially enjoyed the parts of the book that describe the futility of making infrastructure decisions without input from the community, and the necessary buttress...more

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Aug 15, 2008 Wils Cain rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had no idea what this book was about - and it has completely blown me away. This story of Greg Mortenson's actions to build schools for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan as a means to fight terrorism with knowledge. This book makes me question what I'm doing with my life in a very positive way. Everyone should read this - it should be required in our education system. Tell everyone you know to read this and then go out and do something just like Greg.

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Apr 14, 2009 Harun Harahap rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: punya, terjemahan, non-fiksi, middle-east-muslim

kenapa gw ngasih lima bintang buat buku ni????berikut alasannya:
1. Buku ini ngajarin gw untuk salalu menepati janji..jarang banged kan orang yang bisa nepatin janjinya..yah ga usah deh se-ekstrim greg yang berjanji buat sekolah di pegunugan terpencil..janjian katemuan aj kadang2 telat malah lupa sama sekali.."gw ga kyak gitu lho ya..ok deh kdang2 sih suka telat juga..hehe"

2. Buku ini ngajarin gw untuk selalu semangat dan ga mudah putus asa klo dalam menuju tujuan kita banyak banget masalah yang...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Doug Bradshaw rated it 2 of 5 stars

Much of Greg's work is valid still, but when I hear a lot of it is fiction and that he has been raiding the charity, I want to send him permanently to Afghanistan to run one of the schools. Here's my original review which I gave five stars:

This book affected the way I think about other cultures and the relationship the United States has with them. The writing was fun and well done, sometimes a bit too many adjectives and flowery descriptions were thrown in to make sure we didn't bored, and plent...more Much of Greg's work is valid still, but when I hear a lot of it is fiction and that he has been raiding the charity, I want to send him permanently to Afghanistan to run one of the schools. Here's my original review which I gave five stars:

This book affected the way I think about other cultures and the relationship the United States has with them. The writing was fun and well done, sometimes a bit too many adjectives and flowery descriptions were thrown in to make sure we didn't bored, and plenty of time was taken to point out that Greg is a bit of a loner, a bit odd, not really much of a businessman, and sometimes inefficient. Here are the things I found very helpful, eye opening and excellent:

1. The US has exercised its military might to fight off terrorism and extremism that is directed toward the US, Great Britain and Israel. But what we learn very quickly from Greg's book is that the military solution will only take us so far and that we need to follow up with solutions to help and educate the people in these backward societies. And it's not just throwing money at the problem. Greg has done what it takes to get things done properly by lovingly getting to know the people one on one and then through years of work and thrift and effort has built up the relationships, built schools, bridges, helped provide clean water sources, etc. The people know Greg, trust him, love him and give Americans a good name.

2. I think it has been very wise of Greg to keep "Christian" teachings and religion out of the formula. In fact, much of what he has tried to do would not have happened if he were trying to push Christian ideals in the schools. The schools teach the very basics, from math and writing, to good hygiene and science.

3. Not only do the people love Greg, but Greg loves the people. Perhaps this is the most time consuming and difficult lesson to be translated to the normal American, that these people are good, hard working, lovable people. Obviously, some of the leaders and businessmen are cutthroat and greedy. Our prisons in the US are full of such people. But the core values of the Muslims are good and the people, once they trust and know someone, are loyal and full of integrity. It's worth the effort to get out there and help them, which gets me to the next idea in the book

4. If we don't get out there one on one and help with our money building schools for appropriate education, water systems, sewer systems, etc., there will be money flowing in from anti american organizations to do the same thing but with an emphasis on educating the people to hate the West and new terrorists will emerge and we'll be in the same rut we're in.

5. I loved Greg's hugely efficient and thrifty ways. The first nice school was built for $12,000. How many American's could afford to build one school? Thousands of people. The one on one effort with the people to get these projects done for an affordable price with their participation is unbelievably more efficient and effective than what we've tried to do in Iraq. And because the people are so involved, the school is a thing of pride for them and their children love going and the education immediately begins to change there lives in amazing ways.

I guess these are the main things I loved about the book and it's amazing message. I know where my charity efforts will go in the future.(less)

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May 10, 2013 miaaa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to miaaa by: Windy Ariestanty, Moto Moto

Shelves: memoirs-biographies

During his inaguration as the elect president of United States of America, Barrack Obama in his speech said 'You will be judged on what you've built, not what you've destroyed'. 7,678 miles from the states, years before he was sworn as the first African-American president, his fellow American has been building schools for thousands of children around the most isolated terrains in Pakistan.

Greg Mortensen, known as dr. Greg in his second homeland, has been doing what for most people only ended up...more During his inaguration as the elect president of United States of America, Barrack Obama in his speech said 'You will be judged on what you've built, not what you've destroyed'. 7,678 miles from the states, years before he was sworn as the first African-American president, his fellow American has been building schools for thousands of children around the most isolated terrains in Pakistan.

Greg Mortensen, known as dr. Greg in his second homeland, has been doing what for most people only ended up in promises. He promised to build a school in Korphe, the isolated town who welcomed him when he was lost and extremely exhausted after his failure to conquer K2, the highest peak in the world only second to Everest, and a deadly one. He's not a rich man. He lived in his old car, took the night shifts that no one wants at work so he can save extra money for the school that he had promised to the people of Korphe, a town half the world away.

Building the schools were not as simple as we thought. The struggles were immense. Presumably, as some of his colleagues said, harder than climbing K2 itself. But he never gave up and as many great men before him, he has one strong woman who stood behind him and support the noble mission he carried. If Leonidas of Sparta has Gorgo, and even Hittler has Eva Braun, Greg Mortensen has Tara Bishop.

This memoir is written by David Oliver Relin, a journalist who if we returned to the ethic code must stay neutral to any of his subject. Yet in the introduction he admitted that in Greg's case, he can't and so am I. Although I believe this memoir could be written in a more sophisticated way, I love it, I love dr. Greg's works and maybe someday he does get the Nobel Peace Prize as he fights terror with books. He belives books and secular education, especially for girls, can prevent the unwanted wars with sectarian terrorism.

***

Dalam pidato pengukuhannya sebagai presiden keturunan Afrika-Amerika AS pertama, Barrack Obama berkata 'Anda akan dinilai dari apa yang telah Anda bangun, bukan atas apa yang telah Anda hancurkan'. Sekitar 12.357 km dari negara yang sekarang dia pimpin, bertahun-tahun bahkan sebelum dia memulai kampanye kepresidenannya, seorang warga Amerika yang lain telah mulai membangun satu dari ratusan sekolah bagi ribuan anak-anak di wilayah terisolasi di Pakistan yang sulit dicapai oleh pemerintahnya sendiri entah karena korupsi atau kondisi alam.

Greg Mortensen yang lebih dikenal sebagai dokter Greg di kampung halaman keduanya ini, telah melakukan apa yang bagi kebanyakan orang hanya berakhir dalam janji-janji. Saat dokter Greg berjanji akan membangun sebuah sekolah di Korphen, sebuah desa terpencil yang menyambut orang asing tersesat dan membantunya memulihkan kondisi setelah gagal menaklukkan puncak K2, puncak tertinggi kedua di dunia setelah Everest. Greg bukan orang kaya. Dia sebelumnya tinggal di mobil tuanya, mengambil jam kerja yang tidak diinginkan oleh siapa pun demi sejumlah uang tambahan untuk proyek yang telah dia janjikan kepada sahabat-sahabatnya di sebuah desa yang letaknya separuh bumi jauhnya.

Membangun sekolah-sekolah ini tidak semudah yang kita bayangkan. Perjuangan yang harus dia lalui luar biasa banyaknya, mulai dari ketiadaan dana, ditipu seseorang yang mencari keuntungan dari proyeknya, medan yang sulit, fatwa sepihak yang menyatakannya kafir yang mencoba mengkristenkan penduduk setempat, dan tiadanya dukungan dari pemerintahnya sendiri [sentilan sepatu Rumsfeld yang sekilat marmer hitam cukup membuatku tertawa dan mengingatkanku betapa politisi di dunia ini memang sama saja. Dan lebih ngakak lagi ketawanya saat Greg melalui interogasi konyol soal Taliban oleh orang-orang yang menurut Greg dari badan intelijen:]. Berusaha menembus Capitol Hill dengan proposal pendidikannya mungkin merupakan perjuangan paling membuat frustasi baginya, walau tidak sepenuhnya sia-sia karena ada segelintir orang yang mendengarkan.

Namun Greg tidak pernah menyerah, walau rintangan yang dia hadapi lebih banyak dan sulit daripada menaklukkan K2. Dan sama halnya dengan pria-pria bernama besar lainnya dalam sejarah yang memiliki seorang perempuan kuat di belakang mereka: Leonidas dan Gorgo, bahkan Hitler dan Eva Braun, maka Greg beruntung ada seorang Tara Bishop di belakangnya, seorang istri yang memahami kehausan Greg untuk melakukan sesuatu bagi anak-anak di Pakistan dan Afganistan ini.

Memoar ini harusnya bisa ditulis dengan lebih indah lagi, namun ini pun sudah cukup menyampaikan betapa para pahlawan di dunia ini adalah orang-orang yang melakukan sesuatu bagi orang lain tanpa pamrih walau jutaan halangan harus dilewati. Aku percaya dan berharap suatu hari dokter Greg akan merain Nobel Perdamaian, karena dia memerangi teror dengan buku. Dia percaya bahwa pendidikan sekular, terutama bagi perempuan, bisa mencegah peperangan yang hanya akan menyebabkan orang-orang tidak berdosa menjadi korban. Karena musuh utama manusia adalah kebodohan.(less)

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Nov 22, 2008 Marian rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is excellent. Sometimes books such as these, howbeit inspiring, are often tedious to read. This one was not. I was fascinated.

After a failed attempt to climb K2, Greg Mortensen is separated from his guide and wanders into a small Pakistani village he otherwise would have never known existed. The friendships he made altered the course of his life. He promised to build them a school after seeing the teacherless village children writing school assignments in the dirt with sticks.

After t...more

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Dec 10, 2008 Seth Jenson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Learned a lot about the culture of Islam. When I worked at HP I had (and still have) a good friend that's a Muslim, and he taught me quite a bit about his way of life, the Koran, the pillars of their faith, and some of their traditions and beliefs. Beyond that though my exposure to the world's second largest religion (right?) has been extremely limited. So, this book taught me a little more about Islam and some of the customs and practices of the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal. The b...more Learned a lot about the culture of Islam. When I worked at HP I had (and still have) a good friend that's a Muslim, and he taught me quite a bit about his way of life, the Koran, the pillars of their faith, and some of their traditions and beliefs. Beyond that though my exposure to the world's second largest religion (right?) has been extremely limited. So, this book taught me a little more about Islam and some of the customs and practices of the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal. The book is about a very unique mountaineer by the name of Greg Mortenson who stumbles upon a very poor mountain community after a failed attempt to summit K2. He promises to build them a school, and then returns to fulfill his promise in a wonderful fashion, and repeats it many times over in poor community after poor community throughout this part of the world. It's astounding to read about his courage and bravery, his commitment and determination. He risked his life time and time again for these people, and only accomplished what he did at great personal expense. What an amazing life cause. And to think amidst all of this he was able to find a wonderful soul mate whom he married after only 6 days of knowing her. Wow! It just seems like the stars really aligned for this guy time and time again, but not until he had made extraordinary personal sacrifices. I think one of the morals of this story that I took away is that the stars will always align for someone with a great purpose and with great determination and discipline.

The other thing I took away from this book is that wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and perhaps in Iran some day have probably and will probably do more harm than good. I think the war in Afghanistan was a necessity but if what I read in this book was correct then it should've been followed up with more investment in the infrastructure of the country so that we weren't just leaving a path of destruction and poverty in war's wake. I also think, more than ever before, that the war in Iraq has probably done a lot more harm than good. More than that, it was a waste of precious resources that could've been spent and invested in much more positive ways. Rather than spend billions on toppling regimes and trying to blow up terrorists why don't we build schools and invest in the infrastructure and economies of these countries. Let's give their people opportunity. Let's pull them out of their ignorance. Let's fight the pernicious spread of evil fundamentalist Islam madrassas. Let's recognize the root cause of the hatred of these people and solve the problem at it's core.

For the most part, I think the leaders of our country are and ever will be completely incapable of understanding what the greatest threats to our society truly are. They will miss the most important problems that threaten our way of life and throw billions at the easy, popular targets. They will never understand that the disintegration of the family is the greatest threat to our way of life. They will chase terrorists abroad, make new enemies, and all the while miss the opportunity to strengthen our families here at home and make friends abroad by investing in those countries, giving them a hand up, and eliminating ignorance. (less)

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Oct 02, 2008 Jay rated it 2 of 5 stars

I will preface my review by saying that I deeply admire everything Greg Mortenson and his Central Asian Institute have done, and are doing, for Pakistan and Afganistan. It definitely made me think about my own life, and how I could contribute more to the world around me. And there are parts of this book, particularly some of the description of the time period around 9-11, that shine and give us more context for what happened

However, I think Greg Mortenson's and his organization's story would hav...more I will preface my review by saying that I deeply admire everything Greg Mortenson and his Central Asian Institute have done, and are doing, for Pakistan and Afganistan. It definitely made me think about my own life, and how I could contribute more to the world around me. And there are parts of this book, particularly some of the description of the time period around 9-11, that shine and give us more context for what happened

However, I think Greg Mortenson's and his organization's story would have been better served and told through a different story.

1) For one, Greg Mortenson is listed as the lead author, when he's interviewed and quoted throughout the book. It led me to believe that his role as author was to overrule David Oliver Relin and maintain control, rather than to write any of the story. Perhaps the writing is so choppy and wordy because he wanted it to be written that way, rather than more quietly telling the story.

2) Instead of showing us what happened, and leading us to make conclusions, the narrative tells us every detail in great minutiae, making sure we come to the same conclusions we would have come to on our own. Yes, clearly Greg Mortenson is a hero, and providing children - and girls - with an opportunity to be educated when they never have had a school before is amazing. Yes, we get that the U.S. government's aid is not getting to where it needs to go But telling us over and over again that Mortenson was called a hero, and the schools are an amazing opportunity, and the U.S. government has failed us, dilutes the story.

3) There are small hints of it, but many of us in the nonprofit world know about the phenomenon called founder's syndrome. Founder's syndrome means that the organization is pretty much based on the work and talent and personality of one person, and the organization dies when that person burns out or moves on to something else, or faces a crisis in their own life.

4) The writing is overly flowery, and the metaphors don't always work. Here's one example: "...the approaching war with Iraq battered Mortenson early every morning as he sat down at his computer."

5) The book could have told the story with half the words. For example, he goes to see Mother Theresa after she dies in India. This takes up three pages of text, and basically could have been stated more powerfully in three paragraphs. Some of the text clearly is used to poke fun at the taxi driver, who is trying to make a few extra bucks in the unsavory way that taxi drivers in developing countries try to make money.

6) The book seems to publicize some of Mortenson's vendettas, including the one scene with an ex-girlfriend who had previously spurned him. I hope he changed her name, as I consider her an innocent.

He also goes after some individuals who, while clearly were not angels and got in his way, seemed underserving of the level of criticism launched at them.

He expresses disdain for those who are naturally curious about what he is doing, or actually can help his cause. While this paragraph is prefaced with Mortenson's reticence to become a public figure, I still find it curious to be included, as it does send a negative shadow that seems unnecessary: "Journalists and filmmakers called constantly, hoping to tag along with Mortenson on his next trip, wanting to exploit the contacts he'd made over the previous seven years to win access to restricted regions before their competitors could." Huh? Why would he not want to bring journalists along to see the conditions that he is so concerned about?

However, I think Greg Mortenson's story is a great story, and as I said previously, it did inspire me. I hope that the book will be re-issued -- or even rewritten -- to tell the story in a different way. It probably would serve his organization even better by being more accessible and to the point.(less)

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Feb 23, 2009 indri rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: novel-abroad, a-gift, asia-land

Buku yang sangat indah menceritakan soal bagian utara Pakistan, gunung2nya yang indah.. tempat impian semua pendaki, namun tersimpan rahasia dan harta karun dunia..

Greg Mortenson, seorang pendaki gunung asal Amerika, sedang mengadakan penjelajahan di Karakoram, Pakistan, yaitu obsesi menaklukan K2, puncak tertinggi kedua sesudah Everest. Namun, karena rekan satu timnya mengalami HAPE (High Altitude Pumonary Edema), membanjirnya cairan dan darah di paru-paru karena tekanan udara serta tipisnya at...more

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Dec 17, 2008 Uci rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Satu lagi manusia yang sukses membuat gw kembali bertanya: Apa yang telah kauperbuat di dunia, Nak? Oiya FYI, lima bintang ini sebenarnya lebih kepada perjuangan Mortenson, bukan gaya penulisan bukunya. Boleh yaa?

Greg Mortenson, seorang pendaki gunung yang bercita-cita menaklukkan K2, gunung paling kejam di Korphe, wilayah utara Pakistan, dan menjadi impian banyak pendaki lain. Dia gagal mencapai tujuannya, namun menemukan gunung lain yang jauh lebih sulit untuk didaki: membangun sekolah di des...more Satu lagi manusia yang sukses membuat gw kembali bertanya: Apa yang telah kauperbuat di dunia, Nak? Oiya FYI, lima bintang ini sebenarnya lebih kepada perjuangan Mortenson, bukan gaya penulisan bukunya. Boleh yaa?

Greg Mortenson, seorang pendaki gunung yang bercita-cita menaklukkan K2, gunung paling kejam di Korphe, wilayah utara Pakistan, dan menjadi impian banyak pendaki lain. Dia gagal mencapai tujuannya, namun menemukan gunung lain yang jauh lebih sulit untuk didaki: membangun sekolah di desa-desa paling miskin dan terpencil di Pakistan (dan belakangan Afghanistan).

Kisahnya mirip sebuah buku bagus lain, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. Bedanya, perjuangan Mortenson mungkin lebih berat karena dia bukan orang kaya. Bahkan saat pertama kali mencoba mengirim surat permintaan bantuan dana ke orang-orang kaya Amerika, dia harus diajari dulu cara menggunakan komputer oleh seorang Pakistan yang membuka usaha fotokopi di Amerika.

Ketika pembangunan sekolahnya mulai berjalan, terjadilah peristiwa 11/9, yang menyebabkan banyak rakyat Amerika memberi cap buruk pada dunia Islam. Di sini Mortenson kembali diuji, karena sekarang dia juga harus menghadapi perlawanan dari rekan-rekan senegaranya, yang mempertanyakan nasionalisme Mortenson karena terus bekerja membantu orang Muslim.

Untunglah Mortenson bukan orang biasa. Karena yakin pendidikan adalah satu-satunya cara untuk menjauhkan anak-anak Pakistan dan Afghanistan dari ajaran ekstremis, dia terus bekerja di kedua wilayah itu (ketika suasana masih sangat panas dan berbahaya untuk orang asing).

Mortenson menyebarkan pesan damai ke dua arah. Dengan pembangunan yang dia lakukan, dia membuat rakyat Pakistan dan Afghanistan melihat bahwa Amerika bukan negara yang harus dimusuhi. Di Amerika, dia membuka mata banyak orang bahwa Islam mengajarkan kedamaian, bukan terorisme.

Selesai membaca buku ini, gw berharap semoga Mortenson hidup cukup lama untuk menyebarkan benih perdamaian yang telah dia tanam.

Tapi tak ayal gw bertanya-tanya, seandainya Mortenson dulu memutuskan mendaki gunung Jayawijaya misalnya, betapa beruntungnya anak-anak yang kurang beruntung di Indonesia ya? Dan betapa tertamparnya wajah pemerintah kalau perjalanan Mortenson itu diabadikan menjadi sebuah buku seperti ini...
(less)

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