Book Review: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin:

The Book:

'Here we drink three cups of tea to do business; the first you are a stranger, the second you become a friend, and the third, you join our family, and for our family we are prepared to do anything - even die' - Haji Ali, Korphe Village Chief, Karakoram mountains, Pakistan. In 1993, after a terrifying and disastrous attempt to climb K2, a mountaineer called Greg Mortenson drifted, cold and dehydrated, into an impoverished Pakistan village in the Karakoram Mountains. Moved by the inhabitants' kindness, he promised to return and build a school.

Three Cups of Tea is the story of that promise and its extraordinary outcome. Over the next decade Mortenson built not just one but fifty-five schools - especially for girls - in remote villages across the forbidding and breathtaking landscape of Pakistan and Afghanistan, just as the Taliban rose to power. His story is at once a riveting adventure and a testament to the power of the humanitarian spirit.

Ref: Booktopia Australia

The Authors:

Greg Mortenson is the director of the Central Asia Institute, and he spends several months each year building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He lives in Montana with his wife and two children. David Oliver Relin is a globe-trotting journalist who has won more than forty national awards for his writing and editing. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reader's Reviews

*"I too, am learning so much about people I never really knew much about - the Balti and the Wazir of northern Pakistan. This is a very insightful read. I am certainly no mountain climber myself but to get a glimpse into that world is interesting, not to mention Greg's devotion and passion to get his school built is inspiring. It makes you want to help the world too :)": Amanda, Sydney (Booktopia)

*"I really can't say enough about this fabulous book.The stories it tells, and the information provided are outstanding, and educational, and inspiring.Makes me want to learn more, and to be more worthy of the space I occupy, and the resources I use,on this beautiful planet.Well done "Dr Greg"!” Lucy,NSW (Booktopia)

Our review:

This month there was no Book Club meeting so no discussion on the book.
I had read the book previously a few years ago and I enjoyed it. This is a feel good story of survival and giving back.
I recommend it.

Thanks to Margaret Cassidy for providing this review. Our Review: Most of us finished this book and all agreed that we liked the main character, Molly Hook. The little girl captured our hearts, we cared what happened to her and her two friends, the would-be actress, Greta Maze and the crashed Japanese pilot, Yukio Mikki on their heroic journey through the dark country south west of Darwin in search of the mysterious, aboriginal Longcoat Bob. Molly’s life is brutal and basic and she faces many trials. Her father and his brother are disgusting, rough, tough top-end characters. She turns to the Sky to guide her through life and to survive. This story is not pretty but it moves reasonably fast and holds your attention. We would recommend it. A good read.