Three Cups of Tea

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Three Cups of Tea
Author Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Country US
Language English
Publisher Penguin Group
Publication date 2006, 2007, 2008
Media type Hardcover, Paperback, Audio CD
Pages 368
ISBN 978-0143038252

Three Cups of Tea is a New York Times bestselling book by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin published by Penguin in 2006.[1] The book describes Mortenson's transition from a mountain-climber to a humanitarian committed to reducing poverty and educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He did this by co-founding the "Central Asia Institute," which has built over 55 schools in the most remote areas of the countries.[2][3]

The book's title comes from a Balti proverb:

“ The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family. ”

Contents

[edit] Summary

In 1993, Greg Mortenson, to honor his deceased sister Christa's memory, attempted to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain, in the Karakoram range of northern Pakistan.[4] After more than 70 days on the mountain, Greg and three other climbers had their ascent interrupted by the need to complete a 75-hour life-saving rescue of a fifth climber. The rescue took too much out of Mortenson, forcing him to accept failure and descend the mountain. After getting lost during the descent, he became weak and exhausted. Two local Balti porters took Mortenson to Korphe, a small and unremarkable village built on a shelf jutting out from a canyon. He was greeted and taken in by the chief of Korphe, Haji Ali.[5]

To pay the remote community back for their compassion, Mortenson promised to build a school for the village. After a frustrating time trying to raise money, Mortenson convinced Jean Hoerni, a Silicon Valley pioneer, to found the Central Asia Institute, which was tasked with building schools in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.[6]

Co-author Relin recounts Mortenson's efforts in fascinating detail, presenting compelling portraits of the village elders, con artists, philanthropists, mujahideen, Taliban officials, ambitious school girls and upright Muslims Mortenson met along the way. As the book moves into the post-9/11 world, Mortenson and Relin argue that the United States must fight Islamic extremism in the region through collaborative efforts to alleviate poverty and improve access to education, especially for girls.[7]

Faced with daunting challenges of raising funds, death threats from enraged mullahs, separation from his family, and a kidnapping, Mortenson eventually succeeded in building more than 55 schools in Taliban territory. Award-winning journalist Relin recounts the slow and arduous task Mortenson set for himself, a one-man mission aimed particularly at bringing education to young girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan.[8]

[edit] Two Subtitles for the Book

The original hardcover book was released in 2006 with a subtitle Mortenson fought against, "One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism One School at a Time." The edition sold poorly, only 20,000 copies. Mortenson prevailed upon the publishers to change the subtitle for the 2007 paperback edition of the book to his first choice, ""One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time." They did and the re-titled book soon made the New York Times nonfiction paperback bestseller list. Mortenson explained his reasoning in a talk given in Fairfield, Connecticut, "If you just fight terrorism, it's based in fear," he commented. "If you promote peace, it's based in hope."[9]

[edit] Themes

As with much travel writing, Three Cups of Tea is repeatedly concerned with overcoming cultural divides. Though gifted linguistically and with a childhood-bestowed familiarity with exotic cultures and developing nations, Mortenson is often seen struggling with cultural differences, from a foul-smelling butter tea to the commonly encountered attitude by many well-meaning Americans overseas of, "Don't tell us what we want; we'll tell you."

[edit] Perspective

Though Mortenson and Relin are given equivalent author credits, the book is written from Relin's perspective as an admiring journalist interviewing and observing Mortenson. In the book's introduction, Relin admits to liking Mortenson too much to be as objective as he probably should be.

[edit] Criticism

Though widely praised, Three Cups of Tea was subject to some specific criticism. Bookmarks Magazine wrote that, "Despite the important message, critics quibbled over the awkward prose and some melodrama. After all, a story as dramatic and satisfying as this should tell itself."[10] AudioFile echoed these comments, "Though Relin's writing is not top-caliber, Mortenson's story comes through as exciting and inspiring."[11]

[edit] The Central Asia Institute

The Central Asia Institute is a Montana-based non-profit organization founded in 1996 "to promote and provide community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Central Asia."[12] Dr. Jean Hoerni, a Swiss physicist who made his fortune in microchips, provided the initial funding for the Central Asia Institute and made Mortenson the director.[13] The Institute is run by a board of directors, all of whom have worked or lived in Pakistan and/or Afghanistan. Today, the Central Asia Institute has expanded its focus to include teacher training programs, the establishment of libraries, and the provision of temporary education programs for refugees of natural or man-made disasters.[14] The Institute also runs a "Pennies for Peace" program, where schoolchildren raise pennies to help fund building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan.[15] [16][17]

[edit] Awards

[edit] Editions

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers", The New York Times, March 16, 2008
  2. ^ "Mortenson Campaigned to Build Schools in Asia", ABC News, March 8, 2006
  3. ^ Worldview: The lesson jihadis fear most -- In the remote reaches of Pakistan, former mountain climber Greg Mortenson is besting extremists by building schools", Philadelphia Inquirer, January 13, 2008
  4. ^ "Schools for Pakistan and Afghanistan", Richard Halicks, The Atlanta-Journal Constitution, April 16, 2006
  5. ^ "Fresh Air", with Terry Gross,National Public Radio (NPR), February 7, 2002
  6. ^ "Another Way to stop Terrorism", Parade Magazine, March 5, 2006.
  7. ^ "To fight terror, Montanan builds schools in Asia", Todd Wilkinson, Christian Science Monitor, January 21, 2003
  8. ^ "A failed mountaineer becomes a philanthropist after a village without a school saves his life", Christian Science Monitor, Marilyn Gardner, September 12, 2006
  9. ^ "Educating the World One Step at a Time", Alison Walkley, Fairfield Citizen News, March 7, 2008
  10. ^ Bookmarks Magazine, Nov./Dec. 2007.
  11. ^ AudioFile, 2007, regarding AudioCD version; review available at amazon.com
  12. ^ "About CAI", Central Asia Institute
  13. ^ "Central Asia Institute History", Central Asia Institute
  14. ^ "About CAI", Central Asia Institute
  15. ^ "What is the power of a penny?", www.penniesforpeace.org
  16. ^ "'Three Cups of Tea' Talk of Town", Mansfield News, February 21, 2008
  17. ^ Students raise $3,700 in 'pennies for peace'", ABC7News, KGO San Francisco, California, March 5, 2008

[edit] External links