Three Cups O' Tea and then some

So I FINALLY finished this book.  I'm pretty much used to light reads, but this one gave me a lot to think about.  This man made it his quest to build schools (55 to be exact) in Afghanistan and Pakistan because he was so moved by the poverty and gender discrimination he saw on his failed summit of the mountain called K2.  I think the most powerful part of this book is the fact that he lived and breathed every day thinking about how to help these people.  His ambitions go through some rocky territory as well as some of his relationships back in the United States.  The message of the book is powerful though, one person can help change the world.  

I am currently looking into teaching English in Korea, and coincidentally this book happened to be the one I was reading.  To say the least it is swaying me towards leaving the States and doing good elsewhere.  I think sometimes we have all these ambitions to help others, but most of the time they are just ambitions and we tend to help ourselves first.  I will be the first to admit that sometimes I am more talk than I am action.  This book made me realize I need to make some changes.

On a journalistic note, it was funny reading what the main character (Mortenson) thought of journalists post 9/11 in his foreign territory.  He pretty much thought they were vultures and missing the story that was out there (something that would make our J-School professors cringe at).  He even suggested that the journalists should have paid for some of the interviewees dinners and then they would have gotten a better story.....I think I started yelling at this point, "That's journalistically unethical".  

Do I recommend this book? Absolutely.  You do however need time to digest this book because it is not a quick read.  I want to know what my lovely Logey ended up thinking of this book.  My grade is a B+ (It took me awhile to get into it!)

In a side note, Elizabeth Gilbert is having a book published in January called Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage.  My question is how can you write a book (Eat, Pray, Love) on being ok with being on your own and then GET MARRIED.  As far as I'm concerned she is on my shit-list right now.  Alas, I will be reading her book in January.  She better have a good excuse for herself.