Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

About the Book

Three Cups of Tea is the inspiring account of one man's campaign to build schools in the most dangerous, remote, and anti-American reaches of Asia.

In 1993 Greg Mortenson was the exhausted survivor of a failed attempt to ascend K2, an American climbing bum wandering emaciated and lost through Pakistan’s Karakoram Himalaya. After he was taken in and nursed back to health by the people of an impoverished Pakistani village, Mortenson promised to return one day and build them a school. From that rash, earnest promise grew one of the most incredible humanitarian campaigns of our time—Greg Mortenson’s one-man mission to counteract extremism by building schools, especially for girls, throughout the breeding ground of the Taliban. 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.

Join the discussion about Three Cups of Tea

Greg Mortenson Biography

Greg Mortenson was born on December 27, 1959. His father, Irvin Mortenson was the founder and development director of the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, which was Tanzania’s first teaching hospital. Mortenson’s mother, Dr. Jerene Mortenson was also a very accomplished humanitarian and founded the International School Moshi.

Mortenson grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro in northern Tanzania, but attended high school in Minnesota. When he was 22 he signed up to serve in the U.S. Army in Germany and received the Commendation Medal. He then attended Concordia College and later graduated from the University of South Datkota in 1983.

Mortenson co-authored his novel Three Cups of Tea with David Relin and is a compelling story about his humanitarian efforts to bring education to remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Did you know?

Greg Mortenson has honorary doctorate degrees at 6 different universities – Concordia College, University of South Dakota, Montana State University, Villanova University, San Francisco University and the University of Washington

Reading Guide

1. There is a telling passage about Mortenson’s change of direction at the start of the book: “One evening, he went to bed by a yak dung fire a mountaineer who’d lost his way, and one morning, by the time he’d shared a pot of butter tea with his hosts and laced up his boots, he’d become a humanitarian who’d found a meaningful path to follow for the rest of his life.” What made Mortenson particularly ripe for such a transformation? Has anything similar happened in your own life?
2. Relin gives a “warts and all” portrait of Mortenson, showing him as a hero but also as a flawed human being with some exasperating traits. Talk about how Relin chose to write about Mortenson’s character—his choice of details, his perspective, the way he constructs scenes. Is Mortenson someone you’d like to get to know, work with, or have as a neighbor or friend?
3. At the heart of the book is a powerful but simple political message: we each as individuals have the power to change the world, one cup of tea at a time. Yet the book powerfully dramatizes the obstacles in the way of this philosophy: bloody wars waged by huge armies, prejudice, religious extremism, cultural barriers. What do you think of the “one cup of tea at a time” philosophy? Do you think Mortenson’s vision can work for lasting and meaningful change?
4. The Balti people are fierce yet extremely hospitable, kind yet rigid, determined to better themselves yet stuck in the past. Discuss your reactions to them and the other groups that Mortenson tries to help.
5. After Haji Ali’s family saves Greg’s life, he reflects that he could never “imagine discharging the debt he felt to his hosts in Korphe.” Discuss this sense of indebtedness as key to Mortenson’s character. Why was Mortenson compelled to return to the region again and again? In your opinion, does he repay his debt by the end of the book?
6. References to paradise run throughout the book—Mortenson’s childhood home in Tanzania, the mountain scenery, even Berkeley, California, are all referred to as “paradise.” Discuss the concept of paradise, lost and regained, and how it influences Mortenson’s mission.
7. Did the book change your views toward Islam or Muslims? Consider the cleric Syed Abbas, and also the cleric who called a fatwa on Mortenson. Syed Abbas implores Americans to “look into our hearts and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people.” Discuss this statement. Has the book inspired you to learn more about the region?

Heather's Suggested Reading

If you liked this book, you may like My Heart is Africa by Scott Griffin.

I read this book a few years ago and fell in love with the intricate details of the story, the people, and ultimately the hope that Griffin has for Africa. It’s a gripping tale, and all royalties are donated towards the Flying Doctors Service.

In 1996, successful businessman and certified pilot, Scott Griffin, decided to break from the comfortable routine of his life to go work for the Flying Doctors Service, an African organization that flies doctors to remote areas to administer medical assistance. Griffin also made the daring decision to fly his small, single-engine Cessna 180 solo from Canada to Africa and back again. My Heart is Africa is the engaging, personal story of Griffin''s two-year aviation adventure throughout Africa. Facing storms, equipment problems, fuel shortages and isolation, Griffin successfully made his way to Kenya – little did he know, his harrowing flight over the Atlantic was only the beginning of his adventure. Once in Africa, Griffin circumnavigated the continent, flying over deserts, mountains and jungles both as a medical volunteer and tourist.

Throughout his journey – which included being arrested and crashing, then re-crashing, his plane – Griffin discovered the heartrending humanity and beauty of Africa. My Heart is Africa is an absorbing adventure story, but it is also the story of Africa - its problems and people, its landscapes and limitations, its culture and courage. Griffin’s intrepid flying odyssey not only takes the reader on a journey across Africa but into the lives of all the doctors, nurses, aid workers and eccentric characters that crossed his path along the way. My Heart is Africa is a fascinating and gripping account of one man's quest to push beyond his personal limits in order to explore and experience a new way of life.