Reading and Tea in "The Taliban's backyard"

I love to read. I'm not voracious as some....but it's something I really value and enjoy.

I've never been part of a book club....but I think some day I would. Books are so powerful and they open up your mind to things that you have never experienced or been aware of. Books take you places that you have never traveled and they take you away when you need to escape.

Recently, I just finished a fantastic story. It was recommended by a good friend from high school, Casey, who also introduced me to one of my great loves ,U2. So when he mentioned it, I was sure it would be a quality book.

I am by nature a pretty fast reader. Although, there are times when I get impatient with descriptions of things with drawn out paragraphs and I will skim instead of soaking up the words.
So, I usually finish a book pretty quickly. Pre-kid age, I would finish a book in a day or two. Once I am engulfed in a book, I can't put it down. Now that I have kids and I actually have to stop and make dinner or help them do something...finishing a book that fast rarely happens .....like when I am on vacation alone- get my point? :-)
So, it will usually takes me a week or so to get through a book.

"Three Cups of Tea" took me almost a month to get through and another month to blog about... but not because it was hard to find time to read, but because it was so rich, I didn't want to miss a single morsel and I wanted to process slowly all the rich themes in the book.

"Three Cups..." written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin is a story of one regular guy who stumbled upon a Pakistani village while lost after a failed attempt to climb K2 and in the end built an amazing educational infrastructure to some of the poorest people in the country. It's the story of a man....who saw a need and actually did something about it and changed the future of women in rural Pakistan. And he did all this in"Taliban's back yard". Greg Mortenson is that man.....and after i read only the introduction to the book...I knew somehow I would be changed.

And I was.

My eyes were opened to see a culture and a people group that I knew little about. Beautiful people that live without much and want for nothing....except for education.

Education changes everything. Education ushers in hope...peace...and a chance to understand not only yourself but others as well.

Education is a powerful thing and after reading this book....I wonder why we don't help other countries gain access to education more. I know we do...but can't we do more? That's just one tiny question I was left with after finishing this book.....as well as many others.

I want to encourage you to read this book. I believe there is a great discussion to be had regarding the central themes within this story. If anything, it educates you about the people living in rural villages....as well as the majestic beauty of Pakistan. And boy, does it sound beautiful!

So go out and get it now...borrow, buy or steal....and you won't be sorry.
If you want more information on the book ( I know i didn't give too much) click here and you can also find out how to buy it through Amazon and 7% of the proceeds will go to the Central Asia Institute (the foundation founded by Mortenson).

Once you read it....email me and let's discuss :-)