Three Cups of Tea
Mortenson,Greg; Relin,David OIn 1993 a mountaineer named Greg Mortenson drifted into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram mountains after a failed attempt to climb K2. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but 55 schools - especially for girls - in the forbidding terrain that gave birth to the Taliban. Mortenson is a keen admirer of Sir Edmund Hillary.
Special Note: 'The Three Cups of Tea' charity, Central Asian Institute (CAI), was put under investigation by the Montana State Attorney General after it was the focus of a segment on CBS News '60 Minutes', April 2011. The programme, in conjunction with author Jon Krakauer (Into the Wild and Into Thin Air), raised allegations that Mortenson fabricated parts of the best-selling memoir and follow-up book Stones into Schools, and took benefits for himself from the charity. Based on the results of an investigation, Greg Mortenson was ordered to pay one million dollars to the CAI, the charity he co-founded. He continues to represent the organization in speaking engagements and work to rebuild relationships in Pakistan and Afghanistan where the charity builds schools and promotes education. (Source: https://doj.my.gov and www.huffingtonpost.com)
Comments from Groups
Fantastic read and despite the controversy ....thought it to be a worthwhile project. Great discussion. Nelson 022All found the book interesting - googled it and read the notes about parts of the book not being authentic. Discussion ranged over a number of topics regarding living standards and women's rights. Whakatane 008
Universally enjoyed the book especially the descriptions, characters in Afghanistan and Pakistan. ...We personally didn't feel [the investigation by the Attorney General] took away from the story - more that the organisation grew too quickly and should have had better financial controls from the beginning. Nelson 049
The book led to a great discussion about someone pursuing his dreams, about specific needs being acknowledged and eventually fulfilled. Coromandel 001
An inspiring book that we all enjoyed . We felt that we had been educated about life in Pakistan and the Muslim faith. It reinforced our belief that books and education create peace and understanding amoung people. Matamata 004
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2008