This book was exciting, heartwarming and educational. It opened my eyes to a region of our world that I knew nothing about and a man who has dedicated his life to the education of their children. In doing so, he has also changed many attitudes towards Americans, for the better, in that part of the world. We could use many more Greg Mortensons in this world. Thank you Greg!

I always look at the negative reviews first as this can be where you find kernels of truth. I looked here but must disagree with most of what I saw. Yes the writing style is a bit different; Yes there are sometimes more detail than what you would expect; And yes Mr Mortenson definitely marches to a different beat, which can be distracting in parts.

However, this story is so compelling that a much worse author could have still made an impact. I actually found Mr Relin's flowery language quite picturesque - it brought me into the place with my minds eye. Whether there is artistic embellishment there or not - I don't care. I have seen a lot more of this in many staid history books (think Civil War books by well known authors). I am reminded of Ken Burns style in thinking about the prose.

This book did what every good book does - it prompted in me a call to action. I am off to the website to offer a little return gift for the gift I received in reading this book.

This book is a must read for everyone. Not only does it highlight the need for education in all communities, but it provides insight into the current area conflicts thereby adding another dimension to our understanding of current events. Greg Mortenson outlines the struggles and motivations of the people involved in conflict in a clear, consise way - - much better than any journalist I have read. Only my opinion, but if you have any interest in building a better world this is the book to read.

I am enjoying "Three Cups of Tea" THOROUGHLY, mostly because I am a pacifist. I also believe seriously in providing an education to the children, so that they can make a difference (social, political) in their country....

This is a well-written story about an amazing individual.

But it is much more. Every American needs to understand more about the cultures on the other side of the world that have shaped our history since 9/11.

Buy several copies, you will want to share them with friends and family!

I've read many climbing books, but none of them really captured the culture of the communities surrounding the mountain like Three Cups of Tea. As noted by many other reviewers, this book is not about climbing, but rather one man's quest to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan. Regardless of your political beliefs about what is going on in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Three Cups of Tea is a well written book and definitely worth the read.

I liked this book - I will confess I prefer reading fiction but for a non-fiction book this one was one of the better ones I have read. There were chapters here and there that sort of lagged but some chapters I was racing through with great interest. I have written another review else where on this book and it is as follows:

Three Cups of Tea is the true story of mountaineer Greg Mortenson and his impact in Pakistan (and later Afghanistan) by going into remote villages and building schools to educate boys and girls. There is so much more to this story ... It is an amazing and inspiring story. I admire the courage of Mortenson and the men and women who work alongside him to accomplish these feats. You will see that Mortenson and others with him know what it means to be selflessness, to sacrifice. Beyond that it is also a story of honor, courage, hope, joy, sorrow, love and commitment.

The story begins in 1993 when Mortenson fails on his attempt to climb K2 and stumbles into an impoverished Pakistan village. The people there care for him and embrace him. While he is there he sees a need and he makes a promise... to come back and build a school for these people. However, this is not an easy feat as he is not a man with the means to do this. He does not let that stop him from trying and succeeding in his effort. Upon his return however he sees the greater need of the area far and wide ... and so continues the story of the years after that first school was built, through the 9/11 era and after... Hardship, trials, perseverance and success are all part of the journey. This is a story of bringing about change through love and service, overcoming ignorance and hates to minister to those in need.

I do highly recommend this book to be read and hope that others might contribute to this worthy cause.

: ) very nice children's book , but I think it should have a simpler plot R.I.P. Christa

I resisted reading this book for some time because "everyone was reading it," and finally brought it out for a plane trip to Montana, strangely enough.

I was blown away. Sure, it's written in cooperation with a guy who writes the "Sunday magazine" type stuff. No, it's not Hemmingway (who had his own issues, by the way) or Hunter S. Thompson.

But the story got me in the gut. We all know that babies are not born to hate or fear. They are TAUGHT to hate and fear. The wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan will continue because they pay well. Human damage aside, who's getting rich? Not the farmers and villagers who are being bombed. It's those people, the "collateral damage" of the wars, that Greg Mortenson is trying to help. And he's doing a spectacular job of it. He is living proof that one person can do something to impact society. You can do something locally or globally. Your choice. But do something.

And that's the point of this book. It costs, according to the blurbs in the back, ONE dollar to educate a girl. And ONE PENNY (that useless coin we're thinking of getting rid of?) to buy a pencil.

"Average Americans" wonder what they can do to help make the world a better place. Funding education for those who are often forgotten and not "newsworthy" is the best place to put your money and time. Do THIS for your own grandchildren - so that THEY don't have to go to war.

Inspiring and beautifully written ....

I am blown away by the tenacity, fearlessness, and selflessness exhibited by Mortenson (and everyone who helps him) as he creates opportunities for the poor and neglected to get a chance at a better life through eduction ....

Eye-opening crash course in history (and heartbreaking commentary) on past and present U.S. strategies in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Middle East.

I am adding my vote to the group - BUY THIS BOOK!!!

When considering this book (based on its mention in a magazine article), I read a review that was somewhat negative and implied that the book was poorly written. I almost did not buy the book. I have only just begun to read it and can already tell that it will be hard to put down. The descriptions of the foreign lands (Tanzania and Pakistan so far) are vivid, with just enough everyday detail so the reader feels present with the author. It is hard to imagine living in a culture so different from what is familiar. Mortenson's culture shock occurred when he came to school in Minnesota at age 14. This book reads quickly even though it is generously sprinkled with names and locations that are hard to pronounce. It appears to be an inspirational book, though perhaps not a motivational one. At least, so far, I am not signing on to work in one of these exotic places.

This book should be required reading in all high schools-and by all Americans! What a mind opener!

this was an eye opening story... went out and bought a world map just to expand my mind a bit more in relation to the area in general, as i was a bit lacking in info. i would recommend to anybody

Greg is an honest man and fully commited with his promises. I admire him for not wasting the money given by Jean Hoerni at the beginning of his quest and specially for his capacity of understanding and respecting different cultures. He reminds me so much the initial spirit and state of mind of USAID in the early sixties, when it was called by President Kennedy, Alliance for the Progress, and Third World Countries were fully considered as partners of the almighthy North American country.
After reading this book I am wondering how many languages and dialects he has learned in Pakistan and Afghanistan? I met so many so-called experts on International Development who never bother to learn key words and phrases in local languages spoken in the areas where they were working! In contrast, one of the key elements of success for Greg is his willingness to listen and learn from locals before trying to teach and transfer foreign technologies. In this respect, the lesson given by his mentor in Korphe is an excellent example and Greg deserves all our admiration for humblely acknowledging this in Three Cups of Tea.
Our World would be a much better place if we had more people like him!

This is the most self-indulgent book I've ever read. I absolutely suffered through it. Please don't waste your time or money on this book. Mortenson, one of the co-authors, refers to himself in the third person through-out the book. He gives himself high praise and accolades for what he has done (which is indeed wonderful). At one point he even quotes someone else as saying he will get the Nobel Peace Prize! This guy is beyond full of himself. He uses the word "peace" in the title as a hook. In a nutshell: the guy fails to make it to the summit of K2, gets lost, stumbles upon a poor village, starts a foundation, builds schools in Pakistan. Done. Now go find yourself a truly good book to read by someone who isn't so full of himself.

Greg Mortenson's idea of teaching the girls is both brilliant and humbling. He has done so much with so little. This book, while like other reviewers could have been enhanced with more polish and tighter writing, glows with energy and purpose despite this challenge because of the topic and the man behind it. Read this book!

I just finished reading "Three Cups of Tea" - I just could not put it down. This remarkable true story should be read by everyone and I sure wish I could give it 6 stars! The work Greg and his supporters have done (and are still doing) is nothing less than amazing,
I hope he does get the Nobel Peace Prize, as he really deserves it, and who knows how many more schools he would/will build with the money.

This book was the best read I have enjoyed for a very long time. It is full of a wealth of information about a part of the world I had only vaguely heard of and a story of a man with incredible gifts of selflessness and caring for the people he encountered there. I read that it is required reading for our soldiers who serve there because it makes the Pakistani and Afghan indigenous peoples become real to us as fellow humans more than worthy of our respect.

I was looking for a book that could teach me about customs and conditions in other cultures. Greg Mortenson, the author presented an amazing story of what one person can accomplish with passion and committment as a result of a promise made and how his promise to help build a school in Pakistan, ultimately influenced the lives of so many children who otherwise would not have had the opportuntity to be educated.

Would like to recommend his second book "Schools from Stones" which helps to complete the cycle by introducing the first graduates of his schools and how they go on to change the world and give back to the people who educated them.

A beautiful story that makes one believe that we can relate to people of every culture person to person. Should be required reading for every child in American because there are children's versions of the books as well.

This book has changed the way I see the world and the future. I am inspired by Mortenson's call to action and his courage. If more people were willing to get involved even in their local communities the world would definitely be better and safer.
We cannot ignore the madrasa problem. Education is power and sometimes education is dangerous when the agenda and curriculum are centered on brainwashing. Undoing the damage of this misguidance will be our order of business for the next several generations.

I hesitate to be critical of Mr. Mortensen since I greatly admire what he has done in Pakistan. The book read well, much like an adventure story with danger and challenge throughout. The story kept my interest and I couldn't help but get drawn in, wishing Greg success and cheering him along. If the story is true, or even mostly true, then it is just wonderful and incredibly inspiring. But, if you're like me and sometimes tend to be skeptical of stories that seem too good to be true, then here is what nagged at me....

It was hard to separate out what was real and what was embellishment by the writer...and there certainly was a lot of embellishment. The book read like a puff piece for someone hoping to be considered for the Nobel Peace Prize. For example, the writer twice mentions that others had said Greg should be nominated. Considering that the book was written collaboratively with Greg and a ghost writer, one might think it would be more objective and a bit less self-aggrandizing.

Did everyone love Greg? Did all the projects end up providing opportunities for girls to get an education? Did the majority of schools continue to operate after Greg moved on to the next project? I do hope so. And even if they didn't, it doesn't negate what Greg did, or tried to do. But for all my desire to believe that this story is as wonderful as portrayed, and that Greg is cut from the same cloth as Mother Theresa, I would be less skeptical if the authors had seen fit to be more objective and had made Greg a bit more human and had discussed the degree of success or failure of the schools some years after they were built.

What starts out as a story of one man working to build a school in Pakistan, turns out to be wonderful insight into the civilization of that country and Afghanistan. The small Himalayan village that takes him in after a failed attempt at K2 needs a school. Greg returns to the US, and eventually finds a couple of generous backers. As he tries to build more schools, he runs smack into 9-11, the invasion of Afghanistan and a ban on travel in Pakistan. That's not enough, he's got a car that ...more What starts out as a story of one man working to build a school in Pakistan, turns out to be wonderful insight into the civilization of that country and Afghanistan. The small Himalayan village that takes him in after a failed attempt at K2 needs a school. Greg returns to the US, and eventually finds a couple of generous backers. As he tries to build more schools, he runs smack into 9-11, the invasion of Afghanistan and a ban on travel in Pakistan. That's not enough, he's got a car that may or may not run, warlords demanding half the village's livestock to allow the project to commence and a people who believe all things in good time (little grasshopper!).

The real value of this book is the insight it gives into the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. What you see here are the ordinary people, living in the back of beyond, just trying to eke out a living, feed their children and, with just a little luck perhaps educate them. One group of Afghans walked for 6 days to find Mortenson to ask him to build a school for them. What these people face is the sure knowledge that they're on their own; Government officials are so corrupt that the money set aside for schools and infrastructure goes straight into their pockets. Even as he tried to build his first school, the man who "helped" him find the materials absorbed a hefty portion of them.

I'll say this about Mortenson. He's probably quite crazy to have even thought up this project. He's totally nuts to ever believe he could finish it and seriously wacko to attempt any project in the middle of a war zone. We could use a few more like him.

Only 3 stars because he should have written the book himself.

You can tell it was written by a journalist, rather than a creative writer. Journalism is much better suited to short format (think newspaper); in longer format it can become tedious or boring. Despite the fact that the man who is being written about is a fantastic individual.

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is the story of how one man overcame some great obsticales in order to make a real difference in the world. In the 90s Mortenson went on an expedition to climb K2. His bid for the summit failed and on the way down from the mountain he got separated from his party and wound up in the small village of Korphe. This village was not used to seeing outsiders because it is so remote. Yet they welcomed Mortenson in with open arms. After spending a night there and learning about this place Mortenson made a rash promise that he would build them a school. For while he was there he saw that the children would attend classes in the open air a few days a week because they shared a teacher with another village.

Many people make rash promises in the heat of the moment and then when they put time and distance between them and the event they forget about the promise. Mortenson thought about doing that. On his flight home he knew that it would be an easy thing to not honor it. After all, when would he be back in Pakistan again? However, Mortenson is one of those good people who try to honor promises when he makes them. And while it took a ton of sacrifice and years of struggle he managed to raise enough funds to build the school. He soon found though that raising the money was the least of his problems.

Yet despite all the obstacles Mortenson never gave up and along the way he met many people from other villages and started to build more schools throughout the remote region of Pakistan. With the help of a benefactor and through donations he started the Central Asia Institute (CAI) which is dedicated to bringing education, especially education to girls, to those areas that the government forgot about. At the time of the book printing the CAI was responsible for building well over 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Mortsenson has traveled deep into the heart of devote Muslim areas and even after 9/11 and the war in Afghanistan started he never gave up on his mission. In fact the events of 9/11 only made him more dedicated to the cause. For in his belief the best way to end terrorism was to educate the children. To give them a reason to live, to give them hope for a better future and not waste time on hate. Three Cups of Tea is one of those remarkable stories that can invoke real and powerful feelings from the reader. There were moments when it brought tears to my eyes and others that made me laugh.

Mortenson is a man to be admired. As is his wife and children who put up with his frequent (and often extended) trips to the remotest regions in Central Asia. I know that I would not be able to live the life that she does. To me, his dedication to building the schools is also a personality flaw as that is his first priority...even over his wife and children. However, his story is an inspiring one. Its also one that he doesn't think is so special, which is probably why it was written by David Oliver Relin. Mortenson saw a need and did what he could to help. To him the sacrifices that he made early on were worth it because of the end result. The world definitely needs more people like Greg Mortenson in it.

My one probably with the book was that it was a little choppy at times. The story line would sometimes jump back and forth and there was no smooth transition when that occurred. I've read other memoirs in which the narrator (for lack of better word) would also jump around. But with the way that the story was told it seemed natural, like you were having a conversation with the author. Since this book was written by a third party and not the actual doer it lost that conversational feel. Overall though this was a book that I really enjoyed and is something that I would recommend to others.


In Short: An excellent story about an ordinary man doing extraordinary things. Greg Mortenson is living proof that one person can make a difference in the world. Three Cups of Tea is an inspirational and emotional read. One that I highly recommend.

As originally posted on my blog Ticket to Anywhere

This book was so engrossing that I forgot that I was reading a true story and not a cleverly crafted drama. To say this story is inspiring would be to leave too much unsaid. It is an opportunity to view "normal" life in the midst of times of tremendous change and challenge in central Asia. The reader can absolutely smell the dust and feel the cold in this well written and riveting account of one man's efforts to bring schools to the otherwise forgotten regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Perhaps equally important is that it is absent any political agenda which keeps the narration true. It also provides splendid insight into the customs and traditions deeply rooted in this region reminding the reader the importance of respect - especially when a foreigner in a foreign country.

The editorial reviews tell you what the book is about, so there's no need to re-do that here. To say this book is compelling doesn't even begin to describe the impact it has.
Strangely, there have been some negative reviews, saying the book is not well written and is some sort of funding device for Greg Mortenson's Central Asia Institute. It is a pity that some can be so cynical and cannot appreciate the drive, the courage, the dedication packed on every page of this true story that reads like a gripping novel.
This book is life changing on a number of levels. For one, the reader sees Mortenson's life change from that of an itinerant ER nurse who works to support his mountain-climbing habit to the demanding life of a passionate humanitarian -- and the reason he was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize is pretty obvious. For another, over some 17 years or so, Mortenson -- and equally if not more important -- his Pakistani and Afghan partners have changed thousands of lives for the better. They have gone to what he calls "the end of the road," to places that are beyond rural, to places where mere survival is an accomplishment. And there he has found a hunger for learning, and there he and his partners have brought education to children, especially girls, and transformed lives that previously had no hope of improving over the life their people had led for generations.
He, as well, offers a balanced, basic education that competes with the scary number of fundamentalist madrassas teaching advanced jihad. In building his schools, he sits and listens to the elders, meets their needs and desires, and gives them ownership of their schools.
On another level, he changes the life of the reader -- showing us a world we didn't know; one filled with fascinating, if sometimes unsavory characters, with people of great strength and purpose and love, and makes the reader (at least this one) face the question: "If this one man can endure all these hardships and do all this, I can do something, too, but what?" We all have to find our own answer to that, but it's a darned good question.

Am I the only reader who got just beyond 50%--Kindle readers go by percentages, not pages--and had had enough of Greg Mortenson writing in third person. I saw Mr. Mortenson on Bill Moyer's Journal and was so impressed with him. But this book is so patronizing and so self-grandizing. It is as bloated as apparently his body became. It led me to three glasses of booze!

I purchased this book while on vacation and could not put it down! It is well written, entertaining, and at the same time very informative. Besides being one of the best books I have read in awhile, it was a 338 page eye-opener of what American is doing wrong - and what we are doing right - in villages far from our own. Mr. Mortenson, I applaud you for your insight and your courage in the name of education!

I may be the only person in the US who finds this book objectionable. It is not well written and it is not an accomplishment I can get behind. [...]
As literature, Three Cups is in serious need of an editor. The basic rules of voice and point of view are violated in almost every chapter. Often the story is interrupted with direct quotes or lectures and book reviews.

The message is clear, schools for girls instead of bombs. And as any sane person would, I agree that US must help rebuild and education is important. But in concert with the locals, not in spite of them. These are basically warring villages disrupted by bombs and civil war. They need to be empowered to make their own decisions about schools, culture centers and health care, locally... not patronized as incapable so we have to do it for them. Nothing assures they won't provide their own solutions better than doing it for them.

There is a bigger good that could have been accomplished. There is money and skilled labor in those geographies; yet apathy, and lack organization and motivation prevented action. Why didn't Mortenson create a process and training so the Pakistani's and Afghani's could build their own schools, raise their own money?

Would that not have been a greater good and left the local residents to direct their own futures? The poppy war lords had a vested interest and money as did many of the people with whom Mortenson came into contact. He was the catalyst, but this reader feels his time would have been better spent teaching them how to fish rather than giving them fish.

He confesses in the beginning that he set out to change the culture. He lost me right there. What right? He had not been invited to do so and while the book is an interesting adventure, had it not been a book club selection, I would have stopped reading on ethical principles alone.

I wished there had been a suggested age or grade level. I bought it for my great granddaughter who is 8 and it is a little beyond her comprehension level although she is a good reader. But it can wait! Meanwhile I'll try and share it with some "young readers."

in sharing his passion to provide educational opportunity for the children of pakistan and afghanistan, greg educates us about the reality of day to day life in these countries....both the good and bad moments. his persistence and courage are commendable as is his creativity in solving problems outside the framework of red tape and naysayers. it is all and all a good read!

Every now and again, if you're lucky, you come across a book that stands out from the rest. Three Cups of Tea is one such book. It inspires and captivates and makes you question your own existence on this earth, and your relationship with God and with our fellow human beings that share the planet. Three Cups of Tea is informative and enlightening, helping us to learn things about our distant brothers and sisters that can only bring our global human family closer together. And that's a good thing. Bravo.

The author writes in the third person which I found a little hard getting used to. However, once I did, I found the book to be every interesting. In reading about what the author did to help the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan, one can't help wondering what the world would be like if, instead of bombing people we found out what they need and help them get it. This is a book that everyone should read. I enjoyed reading it and plan to read it again.

This is perhaps the most compelling book I've read in a long, long time. I couldn't put it down until I turned the last page.

Greg Mortenson, in Pakistan in 1993 as a member of a failed climbing expedition on K2, found himself in a remote mountain village where his life took a most improbable turn. It began when he made a seemingly impulsive promise to build a school in that village without the wisp of an idea how he would bring that promise about. The rest, as one might say, is history. Not only did he make good on that promise, he has since repeated it over and over. But that is only the beginning of this remarkable story.

I am not concerned whether this book is or is not well written; that is for others more qualified to decide. The real point of this book which is poignantly achieved is that of building relationships and trust between peoples of vastly diverse cultures (American and Pakistani/Afgani) through building schools and opportunity where such was hitherto not available. Mortenson passionately believes that education is the path to peace, not bombs or war. Judging from the achievement he has realized over years of striving it is hard to argue that premise. That he has been successful in the midst of turmoil, war and religious dogmatism is nothing short of amazing. Mortenson is an incredibly unique individual. He did not understand that what he set out to do was not possible, but his passion and perseverance demonstrate that committment and hard work can overcome the impossible. In the process he has brought more credibility to the United States and Americans than all the war and bombs have accomplished since 9/11. That is just an opinion; it is hard to argue with success.

The world is a much different place than it was just a few short years ago. It is much smaller than it once was; it will become smaller still. Peoples with diverse cultures and thought will bump into one another. They can respond with distrust and anger, or they can make an effort to understand each other. Three Cups of Tea symbolizes the latter choice by teaching us that we need patience to learn about others and understand their point of view, their needs. The only way the world will survive is if we learn toleration and conjure up the will to help others where we have the resources to do so. Mortenson provides a powerful example of this latter choice, and this example is beautifully portrayed in this book.

Mortenson's work over the years resulted in the founding of the Central Asia Institute (CAI) located in Bozeman, MT, thanks to a generous benefactor who believed in what he was doing. The Institute is dedicated primarily to the building of schools (particularly for girls) in Pakistan and Afganistan. The underlying concern I had while reading this book is that while Mortenson has good people to help him the inescapble fact is that he brings such a unique skill set to the table he is the Institute. No one could replace his ability to navigate his way through the religious and political maize of Pakistan and Afganistan; and yet he time after time demonstrates his willingness and ability to do just that while putting himself at great personal risk. If anything were to happen to him the Institue would have difficulty continuing its work. Perhaps the Institute could and should try to find a way to mitigate that possibility, but I think the way to look at this for now is that Mortenson's work is the "seed" to show political entities (e.g., our government) a more practical way to achieve peace without resorting to bombing backward countries even further into the stone age than they already are. Mortenson cannot do that by himself, but has shown that one man acting virtually alone can accomplish great things; how much more could be realized by looking at things a bit differently?

Just finished it. A great read: intriguing characters, harsh environments, and a compelling story. Mass media tends to showcase our inhumanity; as such, one may be tempted to give in to cynicism. However, this read may help keep those darker thoughts at bay. It may even spur you to action.

This book was recommended by a friend. It was a little diffult to read at first because all the names and places were so foreign to me. I am so glad I did read the book and really feel enlightened. Now, when I read news stories about that area of the world, I am looking at it through new eyes. I am looking past the terrorists and seeing the children and good people in that part of the world. I will recommend this to my friends.

This book was a great read, and opened my eyes to the many good this that happen in Afghanistan

This book will change the way I live for the rest of my life! What an example of true love for humanity! Please read this book, and then encourage everyone you know to read it too!

I am a Christian, and Greg has not made the claim of Jesus being his Lord. However Greg's life shows God's amazing love for others, better than my own life has! Greg refers to himself as an infidel among the Muslim world (so he is not a Muslim either.)

Greg's peaceful work in Afghanistan and Pakistan are shining examples to us of how we as American's need to address the war we are still mired in. Each and every dollar our military has spent would have been better used the way Dr. Greg has been using it. THAT would've put an end to the Taliban's terrorism already! Love is more powerful than hate, any day!

It was a requested gift for my daughter, a law professor at SMU, Dallas, Texas

PLEASE read this book and pass it on. Tell everyone you meet to read this book. It is the most inspiring book I have ever read. If you are frustrated or just plane tired of the American Empire, READ THIS BOOK. We can change things if we want too. george

This book was one of the finest pieces of literature I have read. The subject matter was timely and very educational. The author is a very good story teller which is unusual for non fiction. I sat down and read it in two sitting. It was compelling. I have not read many books that have moved me as much as "Three Cups of Tea".

The story has resounded in my mind months after I read it. His theory is so profound yet so simple in concept. If our leaders would only listen to what he is trying to tell us. The story is so current I sent it to my granddaughters to read. One is a school teacher and hopefully she will use it in her classround.

I'm in my 40's and haven't read a non-fiction book in years. I prefer FBI thrillers and the like. This book was so inspiring - it was simply incredible. I have told so many people about this story - I'm going to buy additional copies because I want others to read it and I can't borrow my copy to everyone. Not only have I read this book but I have also read much about Greg Mortenson online. I've also found various videos - they were wonderful and gave a glimse at the humble man behind this awe-inspiring story. I can't believe I hadn't heard of Three Cups of Tea" earlier - now that I have I will do my part in making it known to as many friends, family and acquantenaces as possible. I consider this story a "must read" for all people of all creeds.

I am not sure if it is true, but I heard that the black baseball player Satchel Paige once stated "It's not what you don't know that can hurt you, it's what you know that just aint so"
This is one these book that you just cannot put down.
If you thought you understood what the problems are in Afghanistan and Pakistan, you will gain a very different understanding after reading about Greg Mortenson's experiences.
I am going to pass this book on for others to read.
J

this is an inspiring tale of a someone exceeding all reasonable expectations. a very enjoyable and worthwhile read.

This book has rocketed to the top of my very long list of favorites. Well written and easy to read, this is one of the most compelling true stories I have ever read. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

This account of Greg Mortenson's project is the most significant book of our time in my opinion. I strongly recommend it to all. There is a children's version for young readers.Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan

A great book to help anyone understand what life is like in today's Afganistan. The author demonstates how one man or for that matter a country can really help these people return to normal and produictive lives for themselves and future generations. Three Cheers for a great book. I am going to put his follow up book on my reading list.

I loved this book. The story is incredibly inpiring and I found it to be easy to read. Some of the reviewers have complained about the verbose writing style of the author. I can understand that criticism, as there were parts of the book that I read through quickly because I was anxious to get on with the story. But I think that is more a testament to how great the story of Mr. Mortenson's work is than anything. Overall, I didn't think the writing style detracted from the book.

In addition to beimg inspirational, I found the book to be educational as well. Afghanistan and Pakistan are areas of the world we often only mention or think about in the context of terrorism. This book does a great job of highlighting what life is like for the many rual poor in those countries. It's nice to put humn faces and names to a prt of the world that seems so foreign.

Highly recommended!

I found this book wonderfully compassionate and also culturally insightful

Thanks!!!!

Chaplain McCain (US ARMY)