Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortenson and David Relin (4 of 5 Hiking Excursions)

Three Cups of Tea is the story of one man's quest to end poverty in Pakistan and the surrounding areas, one school at a time.  In 1993, Greg Mortenson, an outdoors enthusiast, set out to climb K2.  In his journey to the top, he became lost, nearly dying on the mountain.  Disoriented, he ended up in the small town of Korphe.  As he recovered there he became very concerned for the well-being of the village's children.  In return for their hospitality he vowed to return to build them a school.

Upon returning to his life in the United States, Greg began writing letters to wealthy people asking for money to build his school.  Several months passed before he was offered a single check for $12,000 from software developer named Jean Hoerni.  It was just enough to build his school.  Greg soon discovered that he was going to have to build a bridge first to get the necessary supplies up to the town.  He built the bridge and asked Hoerni for additional funds.  Impressed with Greg's efforts, Hoerni sent another check.

Within a few years of his K2 attempt, Greg Mortensen had built his first school.  Other nearby villages asked for a school of their own.  Over the next ten years, Greg was able to establish the Central Asia Institute which constructed over 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Greg continues to build schools in spite of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.  He does so because he feels that education is the only way to effectively combat terrorism and poverty.

The story of Greg Mortenson is truly inspiring.  The book itself however didn't live up to my expectations.  I wish each chapter would have started with a date and a location.  The book is somewhat disorienting at times because Greg is constantly jumping back and forth between Pakistan and the United States.  I'm also not a big fan of the writing style.  It floats somewhere between a news report and a journal entry.

I really enjoyed the in depth look at life in rural Pakistan, but I think the pacing and direction of the book could have been refined a bit more.  It didn't seem like the plot was going anywhere.  It was just a collection of stories organized chronologically.  Granted, I realize that the "plot" of every life tends to wander here and there.  Nevertheless, when documented in a book, I believe the writer should leave out distracting details in order to hold the attention of the reader.

For those interested in contributing to Greg Mortenson's admirable cause, visit his website https://www.ikat.org/.