Three Cups of Tea

I have been reading Three Cups of Tea for over a month now.  It has taken me so long because I only read it in the tub at night and I haven’t been taking as many baths lately as I once did.  Since the inception of my Ipad I now prefer to read on that.  I really hate straining to read small print but obviously I can’t take my Ipad in the tub with me so I have a tub book on hand.  It is interesting that I am I reading this book while history surrounding that region is in the making -- i.e., the elimination of  Osama bin Laden.  According to author Greg Mortensen the people in that region (Pakistan) knew immediately who was responsible for 9/11.  One of the most interesting thing the author opines is “terror doesn’t happen because some group of people in Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us.  It happens because children aren’t being offered a bright enough future that they have a reason to choose life over death.”  Hence his crusade to build schools and educate children, particularly girls, in that region.

Also in tandem with my reading this book is the release of Jon Krakauer's treatise entitled Three Cups of Deceit where he accuses Greg Mortensen of mishandling his charity and outright lying about his accomplishments.  I have downloaded that to my I pad but not yet read it.  I don’t know what happened or how much was embellished but I do believe he accomplished many good things.  It makes me sad that this cloud of suspicion has been planted but I know Krakauer was one of his biggest supporters at one time.  However it evolved, it is an interesting read I highly recommend.  It really explemifies the power of the human spirit to accomplish great things.  He was the hero we all wanted to believe in but unfortunately when people are exaulted they just have further to fall.  I applaud him for what he did actually accomplish...it's still more than most people will ever do.