USA TODAY
Thursday, December 19, 2007
Mountaineer
builds schools in 'Three Cups of Tea'
By Bob Minzesheimer
A surprise best seller this season is a non-fiction book,
set in
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin has climbed the lists, thanks to word-of-mouth recommendations and a tireless author with an inspiring story.
Three Cups of Tea describes how Mortenson, an
American mountaineer, found a new cause: building schools, mostly elementary
and especially for girls, in 1993 during a failed attempt to climb the
In a Pakistani village, the former U.S. Army medic met children without paper or pencils. He promised to build them a school.
His book, written with Relin, a journalist, describes how he did that and more in the belief that "education can overcome the despot leaders, dictators and clergy who use illiteracy to control impoverished society."
The non-profit foundation (ikat.org) he started in his
hometown of
Via e-mail on his way to
"The public is interested in peace, just as much as fighting terrorism," he says. "So far, no politician seems to have their finger on that pulse."
In hardcover, the book rose no higher than No. 164 on
His publisher credits the author's personal appeal: He has visited 123 cities to promote the book and his foundation.
"What championed the book were women's groups, book clubs and independent stores," Mortenson says.
After he visited
Mortenson is planning a sequel, but first, "I'm negotiating with my wife on a way to strike more balance in our lives. … For the last 14 years, I've been gone from home about half the year and missed many precious moments parents cherish." (Their children are 11 and 7.)
He says he has been approached by
He says he has received death threats from mullahs and
post-9/11 hate mail from Americans, and he doesn't "need
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© 2007.