Book #6: Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea
by Greg Mortenson

I read this book over Christmas break while we were in Hong Kong, but realized I hadn't counted it (or a couple others) in my yearly total yet. So, here's book #6. :)

"Three Cups of Tea" is the true story of Greg Mortenson. Greg was an avid mountain climber, and had traveled to Pakistan to summit a very difficult peak when he got separated from his group and nearly died. People from a small village found him and took care of him until he was healthy enough to return home. As he was leaving, he asked what he could do to repay them, and their only response was "build us a school."

Over the next 5-ish years, Greg struggled to save enough money to go back and build this town a school...and through a LOT of difficulty, frustration and multiple setbacks, he succeeded. He also ended up founding a non-profit organization to continue building schools in the most unreached parts of Pakistan in order to allow children (and specifically girls) the chance to receive a secular education.

I LOVED this book - it is now required reading for the U.S. military, as it gives a real-life picture of the people most affected by the war. It ALSO gives Americans an alternative for "fighting terrorism" - providing these children with an unbiased education stops extremist groups from indoctrinating them with hatred and lies, and impacts future generations. Two thumbs up - book #6 accounted for!