Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

“Once you educate the boys, they tend to leave the villages and go search for work in the cities, but the girls stay home, become leaders in the community, and pass on what they’ve learned. If you really want to change a culture, to empower women, improve basic hygiene and health care, and fight high rates of infant mortality, the answer is to educate girls.”

…

“If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs.” 

Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

The things I liked most about this book was 1) It gave me a view into the lives of those in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and 2) I got to read about someone who was so dedicated to helping the women and communities that the rest of the world didn't think about.

It sounds like a massive task that Mortenson had taken on, and good on him for doing it (although his wife must be an absolute saint, because I can't imagine me being so understanding about my husband leaving me alone with 2 children for so long!)

There were a few slow parts in this book, but it was worth pushing through them to the end - although there is definitely a big blank at the end where a second book could continue on with the next stages of his work.

I wish the Central Asia Institute all the nest with their work and hope they continue on helping educate women for many years to come.