Three Cups of Tea

Once in awhile, I read a book that captures my attention long after the last page is read. Such has been Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. This real life story of a former mountaineer turned humanitarian working to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan offers words of promise to the human spirit. Through amazing trials and circumstances, Mortenson has been able to offer education – especially to girls – as a way to promote peace in this impoverished and war-torn part of the world. How has he accomplished what might seem an impossible task? As advised by his mentor, Haji Ali, he learned to take time to share three cups of tea as the way to do business. “The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die.” Mortenson learned “to slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects.”

This book not only tells a fascinating story, but also provides insight into the geography and culture of this region, plus an understanding of the Taliban. It is on the 2009 UMW Reading Program List and is available in our church library as an audio book. I recommend that others add this to their want-to-read list and then sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy this story of a real life hero.