Customer Reviews

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time (Young Reader's Edition)

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Written for kids 8 and up, this young reader's edition of Three Cups of Tea tells the inspirational story of Greg Mortenson and his selfless mission to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson's original book, Three Cups of Tea, has become a worldwide bestseller. Since the goal is about building schools and educating kids, this book and the newly published picture book Listen to the Wind are naturals.

When mountaineer Mortenson got lost in the Pakistani mountains after a failed attempt at climbing K2, he was rescued by the villagers in impoverished Korphe. As he was nursed back to health, Mortenson was shocked to learn that Korphe's children had no school, with lessons taught outdoors just three days a week. Kids learned to write using sticks in the dirt. To repay the village's kindness, Mortenson promised to return, and help build a school.

Mortenson did come back to Korphe, and has indeed helped build not just one but fifty-five schools -- many for girls -- in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The idea of "three cups of tea" comes from Korphe's village chief, Haji Ali. "With the first cup of tea you are a stranger, with the second you become a friend, and with the third, you join our family."

Many parts of Mortenson's story are thrilling as he describes his adventures in such a dangerous part of the world. A trip to Afghanistan, for example, comes complete with red rocks that signal land mines: "There are millions of land mines buried all over Afghanistan, left there by armies after years and years of war. When one is found -- usually because it explodes -- rocks in the area are painted red, as a warning."

A story like this is both inspiring and eye-opening, and should help kids feel closer to children in other parts of the world.

Bonus features include maps of the region; a foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall; an interview with Mortenson's teenage daughter Amira, who has traveled with him in his work; and two sections of color photos printed on glossy paper.

Here's the chapter list:

Maps
Foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall
Introduction
Chapter 1: Failure
Chapter 2: The Wrong Side of the River
Chapter 3: I'm Going to Build You a School
Chapter 4: Growing Up
Chapter 5: 580 Letters, One Check
Chapter 6: Hard Way Home
Chapter 7: Korphe at Last
Chapter 8: A Bridge Before a School
Chapter 9: Hunting Ibex
Chapter 10: Building Bridges
Chapter 11: Six Days
Chapter 12: Beginnings
Chapter 13: Haji Ali's Lesson
Chapter 14: A Smile Should Be More Than a Memory
Chapter 15: A Picture
Chapter 16: New Schools -- and More
Chapter 17: Running From War
Chapter 18: Too Much to Do
Chapter 19: A Village Called New York
Chapter 20: Afghanistan
Chapter 21: The First Educated Woman in Korphe
Chapter 22: Stones into Schools
Q&A with Amira Mortenson
Time Line
Glossary
Who's Who in Three Cups of Tea
Readers Guide

Three Cups of Tea is a fabulous book. I could not put it down until I finished reading it from cover to cover (see below for a summary of the book). The Young Readers edition, tells a similar story to the original version and it has been adapted for young readers by Sarah Thompson, and involves Greg's 12 year old daughter Amira. Any "complex" words are highlighted and described in a glossary. There are beautiful photos of Greg's adventures and his daughter's travels. Amira is interviewed about her personal life and her relationship with her Dad, and her travels. A timeline of his travels, who's who section and readers group guide are also included. There is a great forward by Jane Goodhall.

Three Cups of Tea is the story of Greg Mortenson, a nurse from the US, who at the beginning of the book is forced to abort a climb of K2. He meets a community in remote Pakistan and promises to build them a school at their request. The book details how despite huge obstacles he builds a school for them successfully and goes on to build a series of schools for children and centers for women in remote mountain towns in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Along the way he experiences personal danger, hostility, adventure and financial strain. He persists and builds a non-profit (in his own way) to fund the schools for girls. There are endearing stories between Greg and the villagers, and the lessons he learned along the way.

This book is not be missed. It is extremely inspiring- watch how one determined man (or is he a saint) can change the world. I loved it! It is a great gift, a great text for older elementary and middle school ( aimed at 9-12 year olds) even some high school students. All libraries should also carry this book!!!!! Kids are in need of this type of inspiration. Students are also invited to become involved in one of his non-profits "Pennies for Peace"

The first book was written with David Oliver Relin who researched and wrote about all the details of Mortenson's amazing life.

Blessings to you, Andrea Joy Cohen MD, physician, and keynote speaker, Author of the LA Bestseller A Blessing in Disguise: 39 Life Lessons from Today's Greatest Teachers

See their other books:
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

If you encourage a child to read only one book this year, I strongly urge you to select this one.

Children need heroes who reach out to them and serve as life-long role models. Greg Mortenson is the kind of hero that any parent would be proud for her or his children to emulate. His work is aimed at helping children in poor countries (especially Pakistan and Afghanistan) get an education, his first encouraging financial support came from school children in the United States, and he has established a charitable giving program, Pennies for Peace, that children participate in. Did you know that a penny will buy a pencil (something few poor children have) in Pakistan and Afghanistan?

This book is a superb adaption and updating of the original volume by Sarah Thomson to appeal to those in about the 8-13 year-old group. She has added photographs, information, and a Q & A from Greg Mortenson's daughter, Amira, that make the book positively sing from a young person's perspective. The book also features a new foreword by Jane Goodall and some photographs of her with the Mortensons.

The adaptation keeps the drama and excitement of the original while slimming down the stories in ways that make them more iconic. At the same time, the perspective is shifted from adults thinking about children to how the children see and experience Mr. Mortenson's work.

Do you like to read heroic tales of overcoming daunting odds to achieve great things? Do you believe that we are past the age of heroes? If you answered yes to either question, you need to read Three Cups of Tea immediately!

Here's the overview of this book. Greg Mortenson was a determined mountain climber on his way back from challenging K2, one of the world's highest and most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas, when he lost his way. He was exhausted from just having helped in the all-but-impossible rescue of one of his fellow climbers. As a result of the second of his mistakes in leaving the so-called trail, Mortenson found himself needing help in a Balti village in Pakistan that he had never heard of, Korphe. The villagers nursed him back to health, and Mortenson began listening to their grievances against the Pakistan government which supported an on-going conflict with India over Kashmir, but did not provide a school for their children. The grateful Mortenson promised to build them a school.

Many people make such promises, but few fulfill them. Mortenson headed back to California and raised the $12,000 he estimated it would take to build the school. With the money in hand, he flew back to Pakistan and started buying supplies. Arriving at the village, his new Balti friends reminded him that there was no bridge to transport the supplies to the village. Mortenson headed back to raise the money for the bridge.

After many more trials, the school was built and a teacher installed. Mortenson had found his life work. He wanted to provide schools for all of the Pakistani children who didn't get an education, especially the girls, who were more likely to stay in their villages and improve living conditions. Everything was difficult. Pakistanis didn't trust him. Muslims thought it was all a plot to convert children to Christianity. Some wanted bribes. People in the United States were generally opposed to helping Muslims unless they had been climbers in that part of the Himalayas. Mortenson got hate mail. But he persevered.

Eventually, his vision expanded to helping with water projects and to providing scholarships for higher education for those who graduated from the schools he built.

Conditions in Afghanistan also called out to him, and he established a similar program there.

But his slim efforts were being overwhelmed by madrassas funded with Saudi money that were often used to recruit and train terrorists. His life changed forever when in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan Parade Magazine wrote an article about his efforts to secure a lasting peace in the region by supporting moderate Muslims with educational aid.

This book is powerfully written. I seldom recall reading such an excellent story about serving humanity in a selfless secular way that isn't tied to a religious vocation.

The book's title refers to a story that Mortenson learned from those who wanted him to slow down and stop acting like an American: The local people wanted to ally with him, and he was trying to run everything. Results improved when he stepped back and became an ally instead of an authoritarian leader.

Here's the basis of the reference: Haji Ali, his first Balti friend, told Mortenson that he had to respect Balti ways. "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger." "The second time you take tea, you are an honored guest." "The third time you share tea, you are family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die."

May God bless the authors, their families, and those who work with Mr. Mortenson to expand the light of education to those who wish to see with it.

Greg Mortenson is a fake!!! Dont buy the book. The money doesnt even go to the CAI. It goes to Gregs personal bank account. Most of the book is fake. 60 minutes did a show on it on April 17th. Go to their website and think again. A better read is «Three Cups of Deceit». This book explains the fact and fiction(there is a lot more fiction).

Yes, friends, just like THE EDUCATION OF LITTLE TREE; like ROOTS; like A ZILLION TINY PIECES or whatever it was called... just made-up nonsense which made old ladies of both genders weep. And this guy took money from school kids! I have another mission for SEAL Team 6...

Hasn't Mortenson taken enough from children with Pennies for Peace. Amazon do the right thing and stop selling this fiction!

I'm honestly surprised that the media attention hasn't caught up with the reviews yet. It is undoubtedly well written. The only problem is vast portions of this book are fake, and it's really hard to tell how much is the truth that the story was woven around.

But don't take my word for it. Over at CBS 60 minutes, they say "But last fall, we began investigating complaints from former donors, board members, staffers, and charity watchdogs about Mortenson and the way he is running his non-profit organization. And we found there are serious questions about how millions of dollars have been spent, whether Mortenson is personally benefiting, and whether some of the most dramatic and inspiring stories in his books are even true."

I certainly don't blame anyone for being fooled. It's been around for fourteen years with little scrutiny. It's a compelling story and it sounds so realistic. But save your $10 or so and find a more reputable place to put it. Or better yet, spend your reading time helping out so you know where your contribution is going.

The book Three Cups of Tea is about a man named Greg Mortenson who makes a journey to a mountain in Pakistan called K2 in memory of his sister who died of cancer. He doesn't make it to the top because someone on his team got sick. He gets lost on his way down the mountain and stumbles into a small village called Korphe. Korphe is in the Braldu valley. The villages here are very poor and do not have a lot of food and provisions such as medicine and water. Greg sees a group of kids practicing their math by drawing out numbers in the dirt. From that day forward Greg decides to do whatever it takes to build a school for the children of Korphe and all of the other small villages that are there. Greg returns home to San Francisco and raises money to build the school. He returns to Korphe to help build the school. When he gets there with all of the supplies, the village elder and Greg's close friend and mentor, Haji Ali, tells him that they need to build a bridge first. After they build the bridge, Greg returns to the United States to raise more money to build the school. Once he does that he is able to build the school and fulfill his promise.
I think the book was good but there were some parts that were boring. It had a good moral to not prejudge people and their motivations or intentions. It also has a good lesson that sometimes things don't happen as you plan but something better may come your way. The book describes the customs and way of life of many Middle Eastern people. It portrays them as gentle, kind, people; Different than what we often read about.

A wonderful book for the middle school child. It is adventurous and inspiring. My 11 year old grandson loved it.

Our elementary school has an annual "one school,one book" event. Books are distributed to every student to be read at home with their families. This year's selection was "Three Cups of Tea" the young readers's version. At first I was a bit worried that the content was going to be too complicated or political for my young children, but it was written in a way which definately kept their interest. There are also beautiful color photos of the people and places in the story and maps of where the events took place.

The book helps children to develop a greater understanding of how people live in central Asia, and how important it is for all children to be able to go to school and obtain an education.

"Three Cups of Tea" is above all, the story of the bravery and self-sacrifice of Greg Mortenson. He has risked just about everyting to build schools and educate children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His belief is that education, especially the education of girls, is the way to eventually achieve peace in this part of the world.

Our school was also blessed to have Greg Mortenson's sister and her family visit our school and talk to the students and parents about her brother's vision and hope for world peace! His "Pennies for Peace" project is also a wonderful way for children of all ages to get involved and understand the importance of giving to others.

As a mother of four children, who also believes in the hope for world peace someday, I highly recommend this book!