Book Review: Three Cups of Tea

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount 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.

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While not a fantastic piece of literature for its writing, it is easy to get lost in the determination and force of will that Greg Mortenson brings to his mission.  Through the book, Mortenson teaches us that the only limitations on accomplishment are our own determination and willingness to achieve our goals.  Additionally, he gives a fresh and unique outlook on a political approach to solving difficult issues and bringing different cultures closer together.

Overall, an inspiring read that has something to teach us all.  More information about the book and the CAI can be found at the Three Cups of Tea website.