Current Read

I've taken a break from my usual chick lit fetish and am reading a fantastic book I picked up at Costco called Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. It is amazing true story of how one man..a mountaineer who after a failed attempt to climb the worlds second tallest summit, K2 in Pakistan ended up in the village of Korphe in Karakoram mountains. He was so taken by the kindness of the villagers that he promised to come back and build a school for the children. This particular passage pulled at my heartstrings "...the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with sticks they'd brought for that purpose..."Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, with out a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons...I knew I had to do something." 

Can you imagine what a class here would be like without a teacher???  I shudder at the thought. But the Pakistani children, especially the girls (pre-Taliban), were so eager to learn..it's truly amazing.  As I read the book I can't believe how lucky I am that my children attend a wonderful community public school, with amazing teachers and resources.

Greg Mortenson has ended up building not one...but fifty-five schools, especially for girls in Central Asia.

Three Cups of Tea is a New York Times bestseller and if you want to check out more go to www.threecupsoftea.com.

Pick it up...

Comments

[D. Parie]

The power of one is amazing! Another great book, albeit a bit disturbing, is "In the Name of Honor: A Memoir" by Mukhtar Mai. The truly amazing thing is how she, Mai, took a terrible tragedy (an honour rape) and used it as a vehicle allowing her to open a number of schools for girls and gain basic human rights for women across Pakistan. As you mentioned Mommy X, can you imagine!? Makes us realize how important the power of one truly can be.