Three Cups of Tea                 

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin

  The worlds of Afganistan, Iraq and Pakistan have given us some remarkable recent literature. The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns are two of note, but another, set in the time before 9/11/2001 is my pick. 
 

  In 1993, Greg Mortenson failed in his attempt to climb Mr. Everest's neighbor mountain, K2. He escaped with his life, thanks to the people of the Pakistan village of Korphe, and in gratitude he promised to repay them by building a school for the children of the community. 
   Barely in control of his own life at the time, he began an improbable quest to raise money and bring something of value to a culture he struggled to understand. 
   The book is more than an adventure story, although it is one. It is the story of a man's psychological growth and accomplishment despite the flaws that we all share. And it is a lesson for all of us in trying to coexist on a shrinking planet.          
   "The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time you take tea you are an honored guest. The third time you share a cup of tea, you become family, and for our family, we are prepared to do anything, even die," he said, laying his hand warmly on Mortenson's own. "Doctor Greg, you must make time to share three cups of tea. We may be uneducated, but we are not stupid. We have lived and survived here for a long time."