Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

Read this book. It’s a well-written account of a brave and stubborn man who lost his way in the Karakorum mountains in 1993. People in an impoverished Pakistani village helped him. When he saw the children studying outdoors without a full-time teacher, he returned to build a school. Greg Mortenson had to learn how to raise money and how to get things done in a different language and culture. He found his life’s work.

I was so impressed by this story that I could hardly put the book down. A visit to Central Asia Institute’s (CAI) website told me that 131 schools have been built in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. They are dedicated to education and literacy, especially for girls, as well as health and small businesses. The idea is that empowering women raises the quality of life for all the people, and promotes peace and understanding.

Peace and understanding are things the world can use a lot more of. Join with me in supporting this work. Read Three Cups of Tea and donate to CAI at http://www.ikat.org.