Quicklet on Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin's Three Cups of Tea

ABOUT THE BOOK

Haji Ali taught me to share three cups of tea, to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects.

Three Cups of Tea was written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin in 2006 in order to raise awareness concerning efforts to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The story centers on Mortenson’s own evolution from a penniless mountain climber to a world-renowned humanitarian.

During his descent from a failed attempt at climbing K2, Mortenson gets lost in the Karakoram region of Pakistan. He ends up in the small town of Korphe, where he vows to build a school for its children. Although it takes years for Mortenson to build the promised school in Korphe, following its eventual completion, he begins work on new schools in other towns.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Lacey Kohlmoos is a writer, traveler and lover of the arts. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in Drama & the Studies of Women and Gender, the only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to travel. So, she embarked on a 10 ½ month round-the-world trip, then traveled to Costa Rica where she spent one year teaching elementary school English in a small mountain town. Throughout her two years of travels, she's always kept a blog.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

Once the Korphe school is complete, Mortenson feels as though his work is just beginning. Looking for adventure, as well as a new place to build schools, he travels to Waziristan. There he is kidnapped and held for eight days before being released unharmed. This turn of events leads to Mortenson’s decision to focus first on building schools in Baltistan, the area of Pakistan with which he is most familiar.

Upon returning home from Pakistan, Mortenson is reminded that time doesn’t stand still during his absences: Tara gives birth to a baby girl and Hoerni is on his deathbed. Before Hoerni succumbs to cancer, though, he endows Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute with $1 million.

Over the course of the next couple of years, Mortenson continues building schools in Pakistan. In addition, he becomes dedicated to girls’ education, providing services for refugees, and bringing improved medical care to rural Pakistan.

On September 11, 2001, Mortenson is in Pakistan dedicating a new school. The 9/11 attacks mark a change in the way that Mortenson talks about his work. He tells reporters that terrorism is rooted not in Islam, but in poverty and lack of education. He believes that building schools and educating the children of Pakistan and Afghanistan is the best way to fight terrorism…

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