Staggering down K2 after a failed summit attempt in 1993, Greg Mortenson accidentally stumbled into the impoverished village of Korphe in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan. He was so completely moved by the inhabitants’ kindness that he promised to return and build them a school. Back in California, Mortenson who was living in his car and working at night as a nurse in an ER, was not sure how he was going to fulfill his promise. For several months he typed 580 individual letters to celebrities asking for donations toward the $12,000 he needed to build the school. After his one response which included a check for $100, Mortenson was destroyed at the thought of not being able to fulfill his promise. Destroyed until he got a call from Dr. Jean Hoerni. Hoerni, a retired mountaineer, heard of Mortenson through the climbing community. A week after their brief phone conversation, Mortenson opened his P.O. Box to find a check for $12,000 with a note that said, “Don’t screw up. Regards, J.H.”

Described above is only a summary of the beginning chapters of the epic book “Three Cups of Tea,” written by David Oliver Relin about the remarkable Greg Mortenson. After many more obstacles Mortenson eventually fulfilled his promise and built a five room school in Korphe. With the financial backing of Hoerni, the Central Asia Institute was founded and Mortenson has built over sixty schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan over the last decade. From day one, Mortenson saw that the number one problem in these countries was a lack of education, especially for women. With little or no education and extremely impoverished lifestyles, boys were prime candidates to be persuaded by fundamentalist groups like the Taliban. With Mortenson’s help, over twenty-five thousand children have received an education and personal empowerment to not be lured by such fundamentalist groups.

This is hands down the greatest book I have ever read! It is very well written and you will not be able to put it down. Greg Mortenson is truly a remarkable person and he will always have the support of World Minded. After re-reading the opening sentence of this passage, I realize that Greg Mortenson stumbling upon the village of Korphe was no accident. Prior to that trip he was passionate about the mountains, now he is passionate about humanity and promoting peace, one school at a time.

Please visit ThreeCupsofTea.com and purchase a copy of this book. A percentage of all sales will go toward a girls' education scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Reading it will change your life and hopefully inspire you to do your part to make the world a better place. Pass it on to a friend when you are done and encourage them to keep it in circulation. Better yet, buy several copies of this book and give them out as gifts. There is another organization called "pennies for peace" where school children in the U.S. save their pennies (which are pretty much useless to us) and donate them to impoverished schools in other countries. A penny over there can buy pens or pencils. It’s a great way for children to feel connected to other children of the world by helping them out. Encourage your school to check out PenniesForPeace.org and sign-up. Last, if you ever feel the need to make a monetary tax deductible donation to promote world peace, we highly recommend the Central Asia Institute. They are the real deal and are making a difference. Look them up at Ikat.org. By the way, World Minded has absolutely no financial interest in pitching Greg Mortenson and these organizations. We are so completely moved by what they do, that we wanted to tell you their story. Thanks!