A beautiful, enlightening, and enjoyable book. The descriptions can be dense at times, but they are not unpleasant in their depth. It is slow going, but once you resign yourself to the fact that this book will not be a two night read, you really begin to enjoy it. I found myself charmed by Dr. Greg and his world. The mission he embarks upon is admirable, and I found myself cheering for him the whole way. The argument for education is eloquent, and in fact educates the reader by giving him or her an intimate look at a culture we are apt to so easily vilify in today's environment. ( )

A few edtorial clunkers, but the story is gripping and Greg Mortenson is very inspiring. I hope he finds a way to make his work carry on long after he retires. ( )

This book was lent to me by my good friend who is a high school teacher. It tells the story of a climber in his thirties who sets out to climb K2, near Mount Everest, fails, and then finds himself in a remote village in Pakistan where the children are teaching themselves, writing in the sand, outside, in the elements, because they have no teacher and no school. He vows to come back and build them a school.The man didn't really know what he wanted to do with his life (even if he had a good job as a nurse) and found his calling with this project to build a school. He manages to raise money and build that school, fostering life-long relationships with that community, and then goes on to build school after school for remote villages in Pakistan (and later Afghanistan as well).The book struck a chord with me not because of Greg's work, but because of his lifestyle: his family consists of a husband with a passion who leaves for weeks (sometimes months) at a time, and a wife who supports him in this passion. They raise two children together and seem to have a happy life. Which just goes to show that suburbia, with both parents working 9-to-5 jobs, isn't the only way to live a happy life. I don't really want that to happen to us - a family member we know moved to the suburbs after getting married and is now expecting a first child. We jokingly said that's what would happen to us too. But I don't think it has to.Another aside in this book is the way Greg met his wife: chance meeting at a fundraising gala, they hit it off right away, talk all night, and the next morning decide to spend the rest of their lives together. They're that sure they've found the right match. They get married four days later, and as of the book's printing, were still married 15 years later.Who says you have to be conventional? ( )

Bush, E. (2009). [Book reviews]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 62(7), 291. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from Article Citation database.

Kopple, J. (2009). [Three Cups of Tea]. School Library Journal, 55(2), 123. Retrieved December 2, 2009, from Article Citation database. 

Though long at times and not particularly well written, this book is one that should be read - especially by those looking to better understand the war on terror or those who enjoy touching stories of hope. Mortensen's tale of adventure and anguish in Pakistan is a good story with a strong lesson on world peace. One of the best parts is the pictures which support the writing and the diverse experiences of Greg Mortenson. It took awhile to read through the entire story but it certainly made the whole situation seem closer to home. Likely this book gets readers thinking about 'what they can do', therefore it is inspiring in that way which earns it 4 stars out of 5. ( )