Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson *


EDIT: THERE IS SOME CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER MR. MORTENSON EMBELLISHED ACCOUNTS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ACCOUNTING AT CAI. I have researched BOTH sides, and while I feel neither one can fully back up their arguments, I feel it is important to use CAUTION here. Feel free to read the book and let it motivate you to do great things in your community! But please be leery of donating to this organization CAI, it's safer to donate to a group that shows you how they spend your money and has not had any questioning about the truth of their stories. And feel free to research these claims yourself and come your own decisions! ALSO, PLEASE CHECK OUT SOME OTHER WONDERFUL ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU CAN DONATE TO IF YOU WANT TO HELP OTHERS DOING WONDERFUL THINGS:

      Three Cups of Tea is a book I HIGHLY recommend reading! This is a book about a man who started off attempting to reach the summit of the world's 2nd tallest mountain, and ended up creating an organization to build schools and other needed buildings in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I am sure that there are those who are anti both places, but you needn't be lumping the whole of these people into one group of terrorists. They are not all out to kill and destroy us. Most of the people there are peace minded, which shows in the book. Through this book you not only get the amazing story of how this organization came to be and has helped so many, or completely motivated to help however you can. You also get to see a different view of the people in these countries, one many times we do not think of learning about. These are impoverished people who want nothing more than the best for their villages and their children. These are people who desperately want schools, and whole heartedly believe that education can change their worlds. I have to agree - schooling and education can make a huge difference in the lives of children. It's a perspective many people don't see, or don't choose to see, and it's incredibly humbling.

      Greg Mortenson is the author, and we get to follow his journey in building schools, providing ways to water and food, homes and medical buildings for so many villages. Through him we can learn about other countries in need, and why it's so important for us to help. Americans are extremely spoiled, wasteful, materialistic and selfish. I know I have been most of my life! Reading Three Cups of Tea gives you a chance to be different, and to see what putting others first can do. It's amazing how a man with no money and no means of building a school in this foreign country, beat the obstacles to do just that - and go on to do so much more! This book can provide us much needed motivation to start impacting the lives of others however we can. You can let this book motivate you to find ways to make an impact yourself. You can raise money for organizations that are important to you, or even create your own! Let this book spur you on to change the lives of others in need for the good, and to stop living a useless life of materialism and waste. Instead of buying expensive coffee drinks, a new lipstick, new shoes, a new game system, a new blender, or some ridiculous vacation, consider giving to people who need it more than you do! And trust me, you do not need those items as much as these people need medical assistance and schools! These are very poor people by our living standards. Even the poorest in our country is richer than them by tenfold. So please keep that in mind when you are about to purchase some item you really don't need. It is so much more important to help others than it is to buy a drink, another pair of shoes or sunglasses, or buy a game system. "To know that even one life breathed easier because you have lived - that is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson This should be the moto of each of us, as we strive to be help at least one other life breathe easier!

      For those of you, like me, who feel the importance if inspiring our children to be better and do greater, there is a young readers version of this book available here: Three Cups of Tea (Young Readers Edition). With this version you get an interview with the daughter of the author, and she shares insight that most adults I've met don't have! One of my favorite quotes of hers is, "Here (America), it's like we live to eat, and there it's like they eat to live." I couldn't think of anything more true! We have made eating here go beyond just sustenance, or eating to live. We eat just for the heck of it while people all over the world have so little to eat. It makes you think twice about wasting food and about money wasted on food in ways it doesn't need to be. For those who teach children or who have kids who'd love to do a fundraiser for a good cause, look into local fundraising ideas you can do with your kids. My daughter created a donation box necklace she takes with her to raise money for saving cheetah's. You can have a bake sale and make animal shaped cookies, do a car wash, and more! It's a great way to get kids involved in helping others! :0)

      Please take the time to check out the books! Get inspired to change lives! :0)


2 comments:

  1. I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings. I'm guessing you have not heard about this:
    Questions over Greg Mortenson's stories (60 Minutes):
    http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/15/60minutes/main20054397.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

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  2. @Betsy (Eco-novice) I had not heard about this, thank you for sharing it! I will look into this further.

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