The Authors: Greg Mortenson & David Oliver Relin
Publisher: Penguin (Non-classics), 2007
Length: 368 pages
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My Review: At the outset, this is the type of book that you're always being told, "You've got to read this book..." and you fully intend to - but hesitate because you have a hunch that it's going to be preachy or it'll try to make you feel guilty about being a Westerner. To that end, (1) you've got to read this book and (2) it's fairly guilt-free.
The story begins by telling of how Greg Mortenson found himself lost in the mountains among K2. He half-wandered, half-staggered his way into a small village where he was cared for, feed, and admired for his abilities as a climber and as a medical professional (Mortenson worked as nurse, but was called "Dr. Greg" by those who came to know him). He saw first-hand the abject poverty of that defines the lives of those who live in the region and that much of it stems from the lack of education - especially for girls. He makes a pact with those who befriended him to return someday and build a school.
The book transitions back to the US where Mortenson struggles with the difficulties of trying to be true to his word and also find his "purpose" in life and in love. The book does tend to overplay the notion of Mortenson's altruism and nobility, almost to the point of portraying him as a martyr (he sleeps on the floor, works graveyard shifts at the hospital, rebuffs the petty ex-girlfriend who returns to him).
Nevertheless, the story remains intriguing throughout as he returns to Pakistan and surrounding areas and deals with bureaucracy and graft, makes friends and enemies (many in the US as well), and re-examines his conception of the Muslim faith and the United State's "War on Terror."
The book does a fairly good job of offering fair criticism of how Mortenson created, funds, and operates the Central Asia Institute - the organization he helped found to build the schools throughout Pakistan and other areas.
One reason why I like this book and admire Mortenson, is because he never tried to debate the tenets of Islam, condem or condone Americans, nor attempt to "westernize" the people whom he was trying to help. Even the education that he fought to bring them was premeditated to ensure that it was consistent with the cultures and traditions of the region.
My one persistent criticism is that the story tends to lose the reader if he or she doesn't already have a good geographic understanding of Central Asia. Mortensen goes to and from so many villages, cities, and regions - all with unfamiliar names - that a reader can quickly lose track of where he went and what he did there. However, it's not critical that a reader understand all that in order to follow the larger narrative of the book: the story of how one man recognized that help was needed by the poorest of the poor and devoted his life to making their struggles his struggles and bringing their story to the Western world.
While Mortenson has done remarkable work, even he would recognize that more needs to be done and by more people than just him - and I wish there could have been some information in the book about what others can do - aside from giving money to his organization (which he does not ask for, to his credit).
While it isn't a book that may transform your life - it is a great book about the misunderstanding of one of the world's great religions and about how one person can truly make a difference in the world.
Amazon page: Three Cups of Tea
