The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

Thank you for your interest in purchasing Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School At A Time.

Purchases of Three Cups of Tea from Amazon and Indiebound (for independent booksellers), using the links below, will generate up to 7% of proceeds to benefit Greg Mortenson’s non-profit foundation, Central Asia Institute (CAI). If you use these links to make additional purchases, including the Young Adult version, Listen to the Wind Children’s version, and the Three Cups of Tea Soundtrack (or any purchase), proceeds will also benefit CAI.

Our Pennies for Peace Program (P4P) educates children about the world beyond their experience and how they can make a positive impact on a global scale, one penny at a time. It teaches children the rewards of sharing and working together to bring hope and education opportunities to the children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. A penny is virtually worthless, but in impoverished countries a penny buys a pencil and opens the door to literacy.

The best hope for a peaceful and prosperous world lies in the education of all the world’s children. Through cross-cultural understanding and a solution-oriented approach, P4P encourages children, ultimately our future leaders, to be active participants in the creation of global peace.

The curriculum, reference list, and additional information on P4P can be found on our website www.penniesforpeace.org.

We invite you to participate in our P4P program and give lasting hope to children half a world away!

www.penniesforpeace.org

Help Three Cups of Tea (3CT) promote girls’ education, literacy and peace: one penny, one pencil, one child, one book, and three cups of tea at a time!

1. Recommend 3CT to at least one person or place: family, friend, colleague, book club, professor and teacher, student, and places of worship.

2. It also makes a great gift for birthdays, holidays, mothers and fathers day, and celebrations.

3. Visit 3CT website (Greg Mortenson’s Calendar) and tell friends, family and acquaintances to attend events in their area.

4. Recommend 3CT to be selected for ‘One Book – One Read’ book event in your community – usually done through a library http://www.loc.gov/loc/cfbook/onebook/.

5. Recommend 3CT as a University or college-wide read or summer freshman read – this is very popular. In 2008, there were 56 universities that used the book as a First Year Experience or common read.

6. Ask bookstores without 3CT to stock the book, especially airport bookstores.

7. Send 3CT with a personal note to your Senators and /or Representatives, and ask them to read 3CT and support global (and local!) education and literacy initiatives. Several U.S. and global leaders have read 3CT.

8. Write a ‘letter editor’ to suggest 3CT and to support education and literacy, especially for girls, to promote peace, economic development and prosperity.

9. Ask magazines, newspapers, or radio station to review 3CT book (it helps to send a copy).

10. Learn about the power of girls’ education in an excellent, ‘bullet-point’ quick, read): What works in Girls Education, Barbara Herz, 2004, ISBN 0876093446.

11. Learn more about grassroots book promotion in Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers by Shel Horowitz, 2007, ISBN 0961466634

12. Write a book review on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca (Canada), bn.com, borders.com, booksamillion.com, and independent bookstore website.

13. If you are unable to purchase copies, please contact Central Asia Institute .

14. Start Pennies For Peace in your school, library, or place of worship, or if you know a principal, teacher or student, ask them to visit www.penniesforpeace.org.

15. Make a tax deductible donation to non-profit Central Asia Institute, to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan www.ikat.org. Federal ID 51-0376237.

General Inquiries:

Media or Film Inquiries:

General Lectures, One Book, and Event Inquiries for Greg Mortenson:

Universities, Colleges, and Convention Inquiries for Greg Mortenson:
Tiffany Tomlin, Penguin Speakers Bureau Manager

Three Cups of Tea Publicist (Penguin Paperback 2007):
Louise Braverman, Associate Director, Viking Penguin Publicity

Three Cups of Tea Young Adult Book Publicist (Puffin 2009):
Shanta Newlin, Director of Publicity, Penguin Young Readers Group

For Information or to Donate to
Greg Mortenson’s 501(c)3 Non-Profit Foundation:
Central Asia Institute
PO Box 7209
Bozeman, MT 59771

www.ikat.org

1. How do I schedule Greg Mortenson for a speaking engagement?

   Please email .

2. How do I make a donation to Greg Mortenson’s non-profit organization?

   Please visit Central Asia Institute’s website www.ikat.org.

3. How do I initiate a Pennies for Peace drive?

   Please refer to our website www.penniesforpeace.org.

4. What versions of Three Cups of Tea are available?

   Please visit our Additional Releases page.

5. Is there a reading guide for Three Cups of Tea?

   Greg Mortenson has provided a Three Cups of Tea Reading Guide and a Question & Answer Interview for use in book clubs, interviews, classrooms, etc.

6. Is there a book for younger-aged readers?

   Yes, there are two books available. Young Adult Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Journey to Change the World, One Child At A Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, and Adapted by Sarah Thomson, released on January 22, 2009 by Puffin, ISBN 978-0-14-241412-5. For ages 8 and up.

   Children’s Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth released on January 22, 2009 by Dial, ISBN 978-0-8037-3058-8. For ages 6-8.

7. What foreign translations of Three Cups of Tea are available?

   Please visit our Foreign Translations page.

After working in the region for three years, Greg Mortenson co-founded Central Asia Institute (CAI), a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization in 1996. CAI’s IRS registration number is 51-0376237.

Central Asia Institute’s mission is to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The philosophy is to empower the local people through their own initiative. As of 2008, Central Asia Institute has successfully established 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide (or have provided) education to over 28,000 students, with a emphasis on girls’ education. Over the first decade of CAI’s evolution, our programs and projects expanded to several regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan with an emphasis on education, health issues, environment and cultural preservation.

Central Asia Institute community projects continue to focus primarily in remote, underserved regions where few organizations serve. Since 2005, CAI refined and focused its’ priority to focus mainly on rural education, literacy, teacher training, and scholarships, especially for females. CAI also continues to pioneer and promote education in regions where there are few or no education opportunities. We now put more resources into sustainable initiatives, to improve the quality of education, support teacher training, and help motivated students to achieve their education goals with higher education.

For more information, to make a tax deductible donation, or visit CAI website www.ikat.org

The hit song, “Three Cups of Tea” recorded in Nashville, by nine year old Amira Mortenson, and renowned jazz singer Jeni Fleming is available on Amazon.com as a one track CD Click Here. Proceeds will benefit Central Asia Institute (CAI) and children’s education scholarships through Hand Me Down Some Silver, Inc. (HMDSS, Inc.).

“Three Cups of Tea” was composed by Jake Fleming and sung by Amira Mortenson, daughter of Greg Mortenson. The song and book advocate education in the Islamic countries of central and southwest Asia – specifically, the education of girls. The heroes in the song are the children who, in the face of adversity, oppression and poverty, relentlessly pursue their dream of an education. For lack of adequate facilities, children often write their lessons in the sand with sticks. In reality, one penny buys a pencil and one dollar will fund a child’s education for an entire month.

To date, Greg has established 78 (mostly girls) schools in remote villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan with the help of his non-profit, Central Asia Institute (www.ikat.org). Proceeds from this CD will help support CAI and Greg’s efforts.

Proceeds from this CD will also help support Hand Me Down Some Silver, Inc., (www.handmedownsomesilver.org) a 501(c)3 corporation founded by Jake and Jeni Fleming. This scholarship foundation aims to fund private music lessons, purchase instruments, help students realize their own recording projects, and provides students with long-lasting, inspirational musical experiences similar to this project.

Jeni Fleming (www.jenifleming.com) of the Jazz influenced folk/pop group, the Jeni Fleming Trio is fast becoming one of the Northwests most sought after vocalists. Recording artists and tour musicians, she and husband Jake (lyricist, songwriter and producer) also teach 60 private music students in their Montana home.

Amira Mortenson is a 4th grader who loves music and aspires to sing on Broadway. A “Pennies for Peace” (www.penniesforpeace.org) activist, she inspires American students to buy pencils for their peers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Amira travels to the Islamic third world to personally deliver school supplies – and greets children with “Asalaam Alaikum” (peace be with you).

Words and Music: Jake Fleming, Bozeman, MT, © 2006 Flick The Fly Publishing
Sung by: Jeni Fleming and Amira Mortenson
Recorded / Mixed: Hilltop Recording Studio, Nashville, TN
Design and layout: Nathan Fleming
Photographs of Jeni and Amira © 2006 Audrey Hall (audreyhallphotography.com)
Clothing provided by: Twig Design, Bozeman, MT
CD Production: Copycatsmedia.com, Minneapolis, MN
Piano and Keyboards: Gary Prim
Bass Guitar: Jimmy Carter
Acoustic and electric guitar: Kelly Black
Electric Guitar: Jeff King
Drums and percussion: Brian Fullen
Background vocals: Margie Cates, Chip Davis
Children’s Choir: Tyler Eide, Amira Mortenson, Addison White, Samantha White, Tanner Wiegand, Courtney Yovich
Recording Engineer: John Nicholson

March 27, 2009
Person of the Week: Greg Mortenson ABC World News World News with Charles Gibson

March 12, 2009
Greg Mortenson: ‘Ordinary Oprah’ National Public Radio Tell Me More with Michel Martin

February 27, 2009
Religious Violence and Political Turmoil in Pakistan Yellowstone Public Radio To the Point with Warren Olney

February 11, 2009
Greg Mortenson shares why he thinks his books remain on best-seller lists PBS Interview with Tavis Smiley

February, 2009
Bestselling Book Now Adapted for Young Readers Washington Post - Book World Live Chat With Greg Mortenson

January 25, 2009
Author Greg Mortenson Talks About New Book WXYZ Action 7 News (Detroit, MI)

January 22, 2009
"Three Cups of Tea" A Humanitarian Tale NBC Today Show Interview with Natalie Morales

January 4, 2009
No Child Left Behind CBS Sunday Morning Interview with Anthony Mason

December 29, 2008
Freemont Pennies KQED FM Public Radio (San Francisco, CA) Interview with Cy Musiker

September 23, 2008
Three Cups of Tea: Greg Mortenson on building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan Forbes.com Interview with Jim Clash

September 17, 2008
An Interview with Greg Mortenson Bloomberg TV Night Talk with Mike Schneider

September 14, 2008
Interview with Greg Mortenson CNN International Fareed Zakaria interviews Greg Mortenson, author of the bestseller "Three Cups of Tea"

August 24, 2008
Q&A With Greg Mortenson C-Span Interview with Brian Lamb

August 23, 2008
‘Three Cups of Tea’ With Pakistan’s Musharraf NPR All Things Considered with Jacki Lyden

April 18, 2008
Greg Mortenson Interviews with Jerome McDonnell Chicago Public Radio NPR Worldview with Jerome McDonnell

April 14, 2008
Three Cups of Tea: Fighting Terrorism Wisconsin Public Radio WPR (NPR) Here On Earth with Jean Feraca

April 1, 2008
A Conversation with Greg Mortenson with NPR Senior Host Jacki Lyden KET TV, Louisville, KY: Kentucky Author Forum

March 31, 2008
VABook 2008: Three Cups of Tea with Greg Mortenson Charlottesville, VA: Virgina Festival of the Books

March 19, 2008
Reader’s Review "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson WAMU NPR Radio (Washington DC): The Diane Rehm Show

March 7, 2008
Man on a Mission Minnesota Public Radio: Mid Morning with Kerri Miller

March 7, 2008
Greg Mortenson, "Three Cups of Tea" WGCU Radio, SW Florida: Sasha Rethati

February 2, 2008
‘Three Cups of Tea’ Author Talks Building Schools for Peace’ KPBS Radio, San Diego, CA with Tom Fudge

February 2, 2008
Honoring ‘Citizen Diplomats’ Voice of America (VOA) Radio English Development Report with Jill Moss

January 21, 2008
Greg Mortenson on Simon Mayo BBC Radio 5

January 14, 2008
Greg Mortenson: International Peace Begins With Education KRCC – Colorado Springs, CO

September 28, 2007
Making a Difference: Greg Mortenson NBC TV (national) - NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

July 12, 2007
Greg Mortenson’s Mission is to Promote Peace, One School at a Time Voice of America (VOA) Radio News, Special Report "American Life" with Nancy Greenleese

July 5, 2007
The Morning Review with Eisha Mason KPFK Radio 90.7 FM Los Angeles

June 9, 2007
Three Cups of Tea: Greg Mortenson Builds Schools in Central Asia KUFM Public Radio, Montana, 91.3 FM Hamilton, 91.7 Dillon

June 8, 2007
Morning Edition KUNC 91.5 FM Public NPR Radio, Colorado

May 8, 2007
Making A Difference: Building Schools Half A World Away KSDK 5 NBC TV St. Louis, MO

April 29, 2007
10:00 PM News: Greg Mortenson KVLY 11 NBC TV, Fargo ND

April 29, 2007
10:00 PM News: Greg Mortenson NBC TV KUSA 9, Denver, CO

April 24, 2007
Living Islam with Janaan Hashim Radio Islam (Chicago, IL) Studio Call 773-777-1450

April 21, 2007
Live from Prairie Lights KUSI 91.7 FM & WSUI AM 910, Iowa City, IA

April 12-17, 2007
Etown from Boulder, CO with Nick & Helen Forster Public Radio Stations across the country, Boulder, CO

April 21, 2007
Live from Prairie Lights KUSI 91.7 FM & WSUI AM 910, Iowa City, IA

April 11, 2007
Book Talk with Gail 1620 AM Radio Sandy Springs, GA

April 10, 2007
Mornings with Sue Meyer KOHO Radio 101.1 FM and 101.3 FM, Leavenworth, WA

February 17, 2007
Podcast Live Tree Room KCPW NPR Radio, Sundance, UT

February 13, 2007
Weekdays with Bill Riddish WICO 1320 AM Radio, Salisbury MD

February 12, 2007
Utah Statewide with Blaire Feulner KCPW NPR 88.3 FM

February 12, 2007
Today at 10 with Jennifer Blome & Art Holliday KSDK 5 NBC TV, St. Louis, MO

February 12, 2007
Grecian Echoes with Peter Cakridas WNTN1550 AM Radio, Boston, MA

February 12, 2007
Grecian Echoes with Peter Cakridas WNTN1550 AM Radio, Boston, MA

February 12, 2007
Interview with Greg Mortenson WXCE 1260 AM Radio, Minneapolis, MN / Amery, WI

February 9, 2007
Radio with Jason Steinle KYGT 102.7 FM

February 9, 2007
The Lake Effect with Jane Hampden WUWM NPR 89.7 FM Radio, Milwaukee, IL

February 7, 2007
Steve Cochran Show Live in studio WGN 720 AM Radio, Chicago, IL

February 6, 2007
NPR Radio Live WOJB 88.9 FM, Superior, WI and Duluth, MN

February 6, 2007
Book Talk with Gail Cohn Radio Sandy Springs 1620 AM, Atlanta, GA

February 5, 2007
News at Nine with Jennifer Abney WKRG 5 CBS TV, Mobile, AL

February 4, 2007
Big Bad John with John Lund WOCA 1370 AM, Gainesville and Ocala, FL

February 4, 2007
Deb Lawlor Show WBZ 1030 AM, Boston, MA

February 4, 2007
Paul Smith Show WJR 760 AM, Detroit, MI

February 4, 2007
Live with Kelly Brothers and Amy Lewis KFBK 1530 AM, Sacramento, CA

February 4, 2007
Community Connection with Liz Saint John KYOU Community 1550 AM, San Francisco, CA

February 4, 2007
Sunday Magazine with Liz Saint John KLLC 97.3 FM Radio Alice, San Francisco, CA

February 4, 2007
Live with Liz Saint John KTIS Live 105 FM Radio, San Francisco, CA

January 28, 2007
Larry Kane: Voice of Reason CN8 TV Comcast (east coast)

January 28, 2007
Live with Jason Steinle 102.7FM KYGT Radio, Idaho Springs, CO

January 27, 2007
Special Edition with Larry Rifkin WATR 1320 AM NPR, Waterbury, CT

January 1, 2007
Jack Rice Show WCCO 830 AM Radio, Minneapolis, MN

January 1, 2007
World Talk with Patty Kim National Geographic Radio, XM Sat. Radio, channel 133 and NPR Radio affiliated station

December 31, 2006
Jack Rice Show WCCO 830 AM Radio, Minneapolis, MN

November 26, 2006
Book Review CCT TV Channel 31, Ft. Worth, TX

November 21, 2006
RAI 3 - Italy National Radio, Rome "Fahrenheit"

November 1, 2006
The Woowoo Girls Community TV Channel 7, Billings, MT

October 31, 2006
WCCO Radio 830 AM, St. Paul, MN

October 25, 2006
The Woowoo Girls Community TV Channel 7, Billings, MT

October 19, 2006
YPR KEMC 91.7 FM, Montana - Education and Poverty with Chris Lohse

October 15,2006
Grace Matters ELCA with Rev. Peter Marty 170 stations nationwide

October 7,2006
Culteral Energy with Juman Khweis KTAO 101.9 FM, Taos, NM

October 5, 2006
The Journey Home with Diego Mulligan, KSFR NPR Radio, 90.7 FM, Santa Fe, NM

August 14,2006
Gary Null Radio WPFW 89.3 FM Radio, Washington DC

July 17, 2006
Conversations KUOW NPR 94.9 FM Radio

July 2, 2006
Pakistan PBS Radio News

June 26, 2006
The Lori & Julia Show, WFMP FM 107 Talk Radio, St. Paul, MN

June 24, 2006
CNN Live

June 22, 2006
Today , CNN International TV

June 16, 2006
Contact Talk Radio, KKNW 1150 AM, Bellevue, WA

June 15, 2006
What if it really works? , KOTO FM 89.3 NPR Radio, Colorado

July 14, 2006
D.C. Roundtable Podcast

June 12, 2006
KERA 90.1 Talk Radio Dallas with Kim Malcolm

May 24, 2006
KTVM NBC TV (Channel 6/42) Bozeman, MT Evening News Profile

May 16, 2006
WCCO 830 AM Radio Minneapolis Pat Miles Show with Susie Jones

May 7, 2006
Radio Alice 97.3 FM San Francisco with Liz St. John

April 30, 2006
KCBS 740 AM Radio San Francisco News

April 30, 2006
WRLT 100.1 FM Nashville One on One

April 29, 2006
WPLN 90.3 FM NPR Nashville The Fine Print

April 25, 2006
WUNC-FM NPR Radio North Carolina The Story

April 24, 2006
WTVF 5 CBS TV Nashville Talk of the Town

April 22, 2006
WATR 1329 AM Hamden Special Edition

April 21, 2006
WCLH 90.7 FM Raleigh Who’s Talking with Doug Martin

April 21, 2006
WUNC-TV PBS ‘North Carolina Now’ Tea Time for Girls

April 21, 2006
WFMP 107 FM Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minn. - The Lori and Julia Show live

April 20, 2006
WRAL-TV, FOX TV Raleigh Noon News

April 19, 2006
WABE FM NPR Morning edition, Atlanta, GA

April 18, 2006
WAGA Fox 5 TV Atlanta, Good Day Atlanta

April 17, 2006
WGAU 1340 AM Athens, GA Barbara Dooley Show

April 7, 2006
KDFW Fox 4 TV Dallas, Texas, Good Day

April 6, 2006
KFAI 90.3 FM Minneapolis, St. Paul, MN, Write On Radio

April 5, 2006
KUT 90.5 FM Austin, TX, All Things Considered

April 5, 2006
KRIV Fox 26 TV Houston, TX, Morning News

April 3, 2006
KCMO - 710 AM Kansas City - Van Patrick Show live

April 1, 2006
WCCO - CBS TV 4 St. Paul, MN - Saturday Morning News live

April 1, 2006
KTSU - 90.0 FM NPR Texas Southern University - Live With Maurice Hope-Thompson

March 31, 2006
Minnesota MPR KNOW-AM, All Things Considered

March 31, 2006
KMSP FOX 9 TV Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minn. - Morning News

March 30, 2006
Omaha KFAB-AM Good Morning Show Gary Sadlemyer

March 28, 2006
WBEZ - 91.5 FM NPR Chicago Public Radio - Worldview with Jerome McDonell

March 28, 2006
WCEV - 1450 AM Radio - Chicago, Ill. - Radio Islam with Ruby Khan live

March 28, 2006
WGN - 720 AM Radio - Chicago, Ill., Steve Cochran Show live

March 27, 2006
Kansas City NPR KCUR-FM The Walt Bodine Show

March 27, 2006
WOCM-FM / Rude Awakening with Trevor McGrory

March 24, 2006
SLC NPR KCPW-FM - Mortenson SLC library lecture simulcast

March 24, 2006
Salt Lake City KSL 5 NBC TV Evening News

March 24, 2006
WCCO 830 FM Radio, Minneapolis, Minn. - Pat Miles Show live

March 20, 2006
SF NBC KNTV-TV Bay Area Today with Brent Cannon

March 17, 2006
Oakland KTVU FOX TV Mornings on 2 Ross McGowan

March 17, 2006
Napa KVON AM Radio Late Mornings Jeff Schechtman

March 14, 2006
Seattle CBS KIRO AM Radio Dave Ross Show

March 14, 2006
Seattle Evergreen Radio Literary News Tamara Bellen

March 14, 2006
Seattle KBSG AM Radio Conversations Lizz Sommars

March 13, 2006
Denver NBC KUSA TV Colorado & Co. Scott Patrick

March 13, 2006
Boulder KGNU FM Morning Magazine Sam Fuqua

March 13, 2006
Portland KPOJ AM (Air America) with Tom Hartman

March 13, 2006
KBCO AM Clear Channel Radio Focus

March 10, 2006
DC METROSOURCE Radio with Bill Thompson

March 9, 2006
Live from CNN

March 9, 2006
DC NBC Radio First Light with Dirk Van

March 8, 2006
Boston - East Coast CN8 TV Comcast Nitebeat

March 8, 2006
NPR WGBH / PRI / BBC Radio The World program

March 8, 2006
ABC TV Good Morning America (live second hour of show)
Also: Good Morning America Radio with Hilarie Barsky

March 7, 2006
NY WNYC FM NPR Radio Leonard Lopate Show

March 6, 2006
CNBC TV Power Lunch with Sue Herera

March 5, 2006
MSNBC TV Live Weekend with Contessa Brewer

March 3, 2006
Berkeley KPFA FM Radio Living Room Kris Welch

This calender lists events, lectures, book signings, schools, and fundraisers where Greg Mortenson will appear. Search event by month, state, or a chronological list below. We try to keep most events open to the public, however some conventions are limited to members or registrants only.

Most events reach maximum capacity or are sold out quickly, so please make early plans to attend. Please be respectful that some venues are in places of worship, or military bases, or set up by dedicated volunteers, small organizations with few resources or funding. The contacts listed below were kind and generous enough to provide their email or phone, please be respectful and mindful when you contact them with questions or inquiries. At some venues, volunteers or (for example) school secretaries are handling hundreds or thousands of emails and calls to help out. Please also realize that even if you drive for ten hours or fly cross country to attend an event, you may not get to meet Greg Mortenson personally.

For any questions or comments not related to the event details, please contact

Greg Mortenson has provided a Three Cups of Tea Reading Guide and a Question & Answer Interview for use in book clubs, interviews, classrooms, etc. Below is a summary:

Three Cups of Tea is the true story of one of the most extraordinary humanitarian missions of our time. In 1993, a young American mountain climber named Greg Mortenson stumbled into a tiny village high in Pakistan’s beautiful and desperately poor Karakoram Himalaya region. Ill, exhausted, and depressed after a failed attempt to scale the summit of K2, Mortenson regained his strength and his will to live thanks to the generosity of the people of the village of Korphe. Before he left, Mortenson made a vow that would profoundly change both the villagers’ lives and his own—that he would return and build them a school.

The book traces how Mortenson kept this promise (and many more) in the high country of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson was up against considerable odds. Not only is the region remote and dangerous, it is also a notorious breeding ground for Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists. In the course of his work, Mortenson was kidnapped and threatened with death; he endured local rivalries, deep misunderstandings, jealousy, and corruption, not to mention treacherous roads and epic weather. What kept him going was his passionate belief that balanced, non-extremist education, for boys and girls alike, is the most effective way to combat the violent intolerance that breeds terrorism. To date, Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute has constructed fifty-five schools, and the work goes on.
Mortenson initially approached Karakoram as a climber and he never lost the mountaineer’s appreciation for the region’s austere beauty and incredible physical challenges. His coauthor David Oliver Relin deftly evokes high-altitude landscapes haunted by glaciers, snow leopards, and the deaths of scores of climbers. As Mortenson transformed himself from down-and-out climbing bum to the director of a humanitarian enterprise, he came to appreciate more and more deeply the struggles that people of the region endure every day—struggles that have intensified with the recent explosion of war and sectarian violence.

In the course of this narrative, readers come to know Mortenson as a friend, a husband and father, a traveling companion, a son and brother, and also as a flawed human being. Mortenson made enemies along the way and frustrated his friends and family. Relin does not shy away from depicting the man’s exasperating qualities—his restlessness, disorganization, sleeplessness, and utter disregard for punctuality. But Mortenson never asks others to make sacrifices that he himself has not already made time and again.

The war-torn mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan appear in the news as the site of terrorist training camps, Al Qaeda hide-outs, and fierce religious extremism. In Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson and Relin take readers behind the headlines to reveal the true heart and soul of this explosive region and to show how one man has made a difference.

Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute www.ikat.org, founder of Pennies For Peace www.penniesforpeace.org, and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea www.threecupsoftea.com which has sold 3 million copies, been published in 34 countries, and a New York Times bestseller for 120 weeks since its January 2007 release, and Time Magazine Asia Book of The Year.

In March 2009, Mortenson received Pakistan’s highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan (“Star of Pakistan”) for his dedicated and humanitarian effort to promote education and literacy in rural areas for fifteen years.

Several bi-partisan U.S. Congressional representatives nominated Mortenson for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. The award recipient is chosen by a secret process and announced in October.

Three Cups of Tea is required reading for U.S. senior military commanders, for officers in the Norwegian War College, Forsvarsnett, for U.S. Special Forces deploying to Afghanistan, Pentagon officers in counter-insurgency training, and Canadian Defense Ministry members.

The book has been read by General David Petraeus – CENTCOM Commander, Admiral Mike Mullen - Chairman Joint Chief of Staff, and Admiral Eric Olson – SOCOM Special Forces commander, and several other U.S. military commanders who advocate for building relationships as a part of an overall strategic plan for peace. Mortenson has addressed the National Defense Senior Leadership Conference at the Pentagon, visited over two dozen military bases, NORAD, and been to the Air Force, Naval and West Point Academies.

Mortenson was born in Minnesota in 1957. He grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (1958 to 1973). His father Dempsey, co-founded Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) www.kcmc.ac.tz a teaching hospital, and his mother, Jerene, founded the International School Moshi www.ismoshi.org.

He served in the U.S. Army in Germany (1977-1979), where he received the Army Commendation Medal, and graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1983.

In July 1992, Mortenson’s sister, Christa, died from a massive seizure after a lifelong struggle with epilepsy on the eve of a trip to visit Dysersville, Iowa, where the baseball movie, ‘Field of Dreams’, was filmed in a cornfield.

To honor his sister’s memory, in 1993, Mortenson climbed Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain in the Karakoram range.

While recovering from the climb in a village called Korphe, Mortenson met a group of children sitting in the dirt writing with sticks in the sand, and made a promise to help them build a school.

From that rash promise, grew a remarkable humanitarian campaign, in which Mortenson has dedicated his life to promote education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As of 2009, Mortenson has established over 90 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 34,000 children, including 24,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before.

His work has not been without difficulty. In 1996, he survived an eight day armed kidnapping by the Taliban in Pakistan’ Northwest Frontier Province tribal areas, escaped a 2003 firefight with feuding Afghan warlords by hiding for eight hours under putrid animal hides in a truck going to a leather-tanning factory. He has overcome fatwehs from enraged Islamic mullahs, endured CIA investigations, and also received threats from fellow Americans after 9/11, for helping Muslim children with education.

Mortenson is a living hero to rural communities of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he has gained the trust of Islamic leaders, military commanders, government officials and tribal chiefs from his tireless effort to champion education, especially for girls.

He is one of few foreigners who has worked extensively for sixteen years (over 72 months in the field) in rural villages where few foreigners go.

TV newscaster, Tom Brokaw, calls Mortenson, “one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, who is really changing the world”.

Congresswoman Mary Bono (Rep – Cali.) says, “I’ve learned more from Greg Mortenson about the causes of terrorism than I did during all our briefings on Capitol Hill. He is a true hero, whose courage, and compassion exemplify the true ideals of the American spirit.”

While not overseas half the year, Mortenson, 51, lives in Montana with his wife, Dr. Tara Bishop, a clinical psychologist, and two young children.

Book tour, reviews and media on www.threecupsoftea.com
Central Asia Institute website www.ikat.org
Pennies For Peace website www.penniesforpeace.org

Awards

1975 US Army Commendation medal
1998 American Alpine Club David Brower Conservation Award
2002 Peacemaker Award from Montana Community Mediation Center
2003 Climbing Magazine “Golden Piton Award” for humanitarian effort
2003 Vincent Lombardi Champion Award for humanitarian service
2003 Peacemaker of the Year” Benedictine Monks, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Outdoor Person of the Year - Outdoor Magazine
2003 Salzburg Seminar fellow, sponsored by Microsoft
2004 Freedom Forum “Free Spirit Award” - National Press Club, D.C.
2004 Jeanette Rankin Peace Award - Institute for Peace
2005 Men’s Journal ‘Anti-Terror’ Award by Senator John McCain
2005 Red Cross “Humanitarian of The Year” Montana
2006 Golden Fleur-de-lis Award from Comune Firenze, Italy
2007 Medical Education Hall of Fame Award, Toledo, OH
2007 Rotary International Paul Harris Award for Promoting Friendly Relations Among People
2007 Mountain Institute Award for Excellence in Mountain Community Service
2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize – Book Award, Dayton, OH
2008 Citizen Center for Diplomacy - National Award for Citizen Diplomacy
2008 Courage of Conscience Award – The Peace Abbey, Sherborn, MA
2008 Graven Award - Wartburg College, IA
2008 National Award for Citizen Diplomacy - Citizen Center for Diplomacy
2008 Academy of Achievement Award
2008 Sword of Loyola – St. Louis University
2009 Sitara-e-Pakistan “Star of Pakistan” (Pakistan’ highest civilian award)
2008 Mary Lockwood Founders Medal For Education - Daughters of The American Revolution
2009 Archon Award - Sigma Theta Tau International (Nursing Award)
2009 National Education Association NEA – Human Rights Award
2009 Austin College Leadership Award – Sherman TX – life’s work to take a courageous stand on education issues for peace
2009 City College San Francisco Amicus Collegii Award – Promoting peace through education
2009 Jefferson Award for Community Service: Harvard Kennedy School of Business

Honorary Doctorate Degrees

2007 Concordia College, Moorhead, MN
2007 University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
2008 Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
2008 Villanova University, PA
2008 University of San Francisco, CA
2008 University of Washington-Bothell, WA
2008 Lewis & Clark College, OR
2008 Seattle University, WA
2009 Colby College, ME
2009 St. Louis University, MO

Three Cups of Tea - Book Awards and Mentions

2006 Time Magazine Asia Book of The Year
2006 People Magazine – Critics Choice
2006 Publisher’s Weekly – Starred Review
2006 Kirkus Review – Starred Review
2006 Borders Bookstore Original Voices Selection
2007 Banff Mountain Festival Book Award Finalist
2007 Kiriyama Prize Nonfiction Award
2007 Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association - Nonfiction Award
2008 Montana Honor Book Award
2008 Dayton Literary Prize Nonfiction Award – Runner up
2009 Mom’s Choice Award – Author of the Year

Click here for a full biography.

The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

Welcome to our Additional Releases page, where you will find information about all releases of Three Cups of Tea and how to purchase the #1 NY Times Bestselling book.

Our Three Cups of Tea Page provides information and links to our adult version of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time. It includes our hardcover, paperback, audio, mp3, and large print editions.

Our Three Cups of Tea - Youth Editions Page provides information and links to Three Cups of Tea Young Adult Edition and Listen to the Wind Children’s Edition.

Our Foreign Translations Page provides information and links to our foreign translations of Three Cups of Tea.

Purchases of Three Cups of Tea from the following link will generate up to 7% of proceeds to benefit Greg Mortenson’s non-profit foundation, Central Asia Institute (CAI). Click Here

Welcome to our Media and Press center, where you will find news, information, radio and TV interviews about Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, Central Asia Institute (CAI), and Pennies for Peace (P4P). If you are a member of the media and would like to contact or interview Greg Mortenson, please contact us at . Please note that we are not able to accommodate all requests for interviews, and appreciate 2-4 weeks advance notice.

Our Articles Page provides links to all articles related to Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace.

Our TV and Radio Shows Page provides links to TV and Radio shows related to Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace.

Our Three Cups of Tea Audio CD Page provides a link to the single hit audio CD, Three Cups of Tea, sung by Jeni Fleming and Amira Mortenson, Greg’s nine-year-old daughter.

Greg Mortenson’s Biography and Professional Photo may be downloaded and used for promotional materials.

Powerpoint Presentation and Book Signing by Greg Mortenson
“Three Cups of Tea: Promoting Peace, One School, One Child At A Time”

Every year Greg Mortenson visits over 100 cities a year to lecture and raise awareness about the value of literacy and education, to bring about global peace and prosperity. His 15 years of experience working in remote, rugged mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan has made him an expert in a region that few people know about - which is now front and center on the global arena of the war on terror. Through his unique perspective of the region’s culture, history, geo-politics and development aspects, Mortenson shares insightful commentary and stunning photography about his extraordinary journey of a decade long effort to promote girl’s education.

Mortenson has spoken at over 500 venues, reaching tens of thousands in diverse settings. These places include the Pentagon, Capitol Hill, think tanks, Universities, schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, women’s groups, outdoor, business and civic groups.

In 2008, Three Cups of Tea was a common read or First Year Experience in 56 universities, 200 community read programs, over 400 schools, and read by thousands of book clubs. In New Hampshire, <>Three Cups of Tea is a required read for all high school students. The book is also a required read for many U.S. military officers going into intelligence training.

Due to his lengthy travels overseas and extended travel schedule, the opportunities to accommodate Mortenson’s appearances are limited. If Mortenson is able to appear at a given venue, an honorarium and specific guidelines must be agreed to in advance by the host. Please note that Mortenson’s appearances are often scheduled over a year in advance.

A book signing of Three Cups of Tea is normally included with each of Mortenson’s appearances.

Greg Mortenson’s Biography and Professional Photo may be downloaded and used for promotional materials for events.

For information on scheduling Greg Mortenson please email .

#1 New York Times Bestseller
Three Cups of Tea
One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
VIKING Hardcover 2006 / PENGUIN Paperback 2007
ISBN 067003482

“Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world.” -Tom Brokaw

“Greg Mortenson represents the best of America. He’s my hero. And after you read Three Cups of Tea, he’ll be your hero, too.” -U.S. Representative Mary Bono (R-Calif.)

“Three Cups of Tea is beautifully written. It is also a critically important book at this time in history. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both failing their students on a massive scale. The work Mortenson is doing, providing the poorest students with a balanced education, is making them much more difficult for the extremist madrassas to recruit.” -Ahmed Rashid, best-selling author of Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia

Do you know anyone who would be willing to sell everything they own and live in their car just so they could save every dollar for someone else? Greg Mortenson, a great American hero, did just that when he followed through on his promise to an impoverished Pakistani village to build a school for its children, and in the process has found himself playing a major role in one of the most historically and culturally pivotal areas in the world today.

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace. . . One School at a Time Greg Mortenson, and acclaimed journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the unlikely journey that led Mortenson from a failed attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully building schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to fight terrorism with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote villages in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he eventually stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school.

From that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time: Greg Mortenson’s one-man mission to counteract extremism and terrorism by building schools—especially for girls—throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban.

Mortenson had no reason to believe he could fulfill his promise. In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities, businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100 check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only raised $2,000. But his luck began to change when a group of elementary school children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623 in pennies, thereby inspiring adults to take his cause more seriously. Fifteen years later he’s built over seventy schools.

Mortenson and award-winning journalist David Oliver Relin have written a spellbinding account of his incredible accomplishments in a region where Americans are feared and hated. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived an armed kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. Yet his success speaks for itself.

About the Authors:

Greg Mortenson, is the director of the Central Asia Institute. A resident of Montana, he spends several months each year in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

David Oliver Relin is a contributing editor for Parade Magazine and Skiing Magazine. He has won more than forty national awards for his work as a writer and editor.

The books that changed the way people think about changing the world: Peace Through Education

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

In 1993 Mortenson was descending from his failed attempt to reach the peak of K2. Exhausted and disoriented, he wandered away from his group into the most desolate reaches of northern Pakistan. Alone, without food, water, or shelter he stumbled into an impoverished Pakistani village where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering he observed the village’s 84 children sitting outdoors, scratching their lessons in the dirt with sticks. The village was so poor that it could not afford the $1-a-day salary to hire a teacher. When he left the village, he promised that he would return to build them a school. From that rash, heartfelt promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time.

In an early effort to raise money he wrote letters to 580 celebrities, businessmen, and other prominent Americans. His only reply was a $100 check from NBC’s Tom Brokaw. Selling everything he owned, he still only raised $2,400. But his efforts changed when a group of elementary school children in River Falls, Wisconsin, donated $623.40 in pennies, who inspired adults to begin to take action. The 283 foot Braldu Bridge (pictured above) was completed in 1995 and the Korphe School (left) was completed in 1996. Since then, he’s established 78 schools. In pursuit of his goal, Mortenson has survived an armed kidnapping, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, repeated death threats, and wrenching separations from his wife and children. Yet his success speaks for itself.

Three Cups of Tea is one of the most remarkable adventure stories of our time. Greg Mortenson’s dangerous and difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan is not only a thrilling read, it’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world .’ -Tom Brokaw

"Greg Mortenson represents the best of America. He’s my hero. And after you read Three Cups of Tea , he’ll be your hero, too." -U.S. Representative Mary Bono (R-Calif.)

"Three Cups of Tea is beautifully written. It is also a critically important book at this time in history. The governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan are both failing their students on a massive scale. The work Mortenson is doing, providing the poorest students with a balanced education, is making them much more difficult for the extremist madrassas to recruit." -Ahmed Rashid, best-selling author of Taliban: Militant Islam and Oil in Central Asia and Descent Into Chaos.

"A Template For Peace" -Bloomsbury Review

Greg Mortenson has provided a Three Cups of Tea Reading Guide and a Question & Answer Interview for use in book clubs, interviews, classrooms, etc.