The Observation Deck

This is the most remarkable account of a true hero, Greg Mortenson. and the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia.

Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

Mind boggling, humbling and wise.

http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

Merry Christmas.

Sounds like a good book. I just received a Border's gift card for Christmas. Maybe I'll use it towards this book. Thanks for the information. Merry Christmas!

Jennifer,

I cannot see how you would be disappointed with this selection. I received it for my birthday in early December. Once I picked it up, it was difficult to put back down. It reads like an adventure novel or thriller, but the stories are all true.

It cuts through the political rhetoric and exposes a strategy so obvious, that it could not have been seen - as it's original purpose had nothing to do with prosecuting a war. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.

I think anyone who believes in the greater good, will love this story.

.

Dustin,

I could not agree with you more. This is perhaps the most amazing story that I have ever read, and I read all the time.

I think he has shown us the right way to win hearts and minds. And he clearly illustrates what one dedicated individual can do.

I'm glad you posted this, because the title sounds like it could be a woman's book and nothing could be farther from the truth, it is a book that I think would appeal to men as much if not more so than women.

I would say, if you only plan to read one book in 2009, this should be it. When I read about the Taliban threatening to kill Pakistani girls who attended school or bomb schools that allowed girls to attend, I kept wondering if it was one of the schools I had read about.

Though I do agree that the story is a great one, I found the writing to be a detriment to it and often had to resist putting it down. And, though I am alone in this so far here, I have heard similar things from other people. I guess I'd still say to go ahead and read it, but not to buy it.

It was rather disappointing to hear today that the Taliban is now in Pakistan and are tearing down the girl schools. I was looking at the reports and they seem to be in the exact same area that Greg was building them in - in this book.

Very disappointing.

Lynn Farris wrote:It was rather disappointing to hear today that the Taliban is now in Pakistan and are tearing down the girl schools. I was looking at the reports and they seem to be in the exact same area that Greg was building them in - in this book.

Very disappointing.

I agree, that is sounds dire. But I also think that the work Greg did, seeded a huge government sponsored surge to build hundreds of schools beyond the ones he built. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0531/p06s02-wosc.html

The Taliban are really scared of education, particularly for females. It's going to become high stakes. But these are very tough people and they believe in what has happened since those first schools were built. I think we will be over there in force again soon, but it's the grass roots native people that will ultimately shut down the Taliban. The enlightened and educated women are changing the whole region. With this, there is hope that the males will change and become strong against the Islamist fundmentalists who would love to get their hands on Pakistan's nukes. Let's pray that does not happen.

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Sadly, it has been alleged that much of what the author wrote is untrue.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110418/ts_dailybeast/13572_isthreecupsofteawritergregmortensonafraud

Grace O'Malley wrote:Sadly, it has been alleged that much of what the author wrote is untrue.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/20110418/ts_dailybeast/13572_isthreecupsofteawritergregmortensonafraud

Read Jon Krakauer's in-depth publication about this today. Very disturbing.