Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson was suggested by a few students and faculty members. It has also been used by a few other universities. Unlike most other books on the list, as well as the books previously selected by the committee, it is not an Alex Award winner.
If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.
12 comments:
At least 18 universities are using this book as their "campus book" in 2008. This includes Chico State and San Diego State. Here is a list - http://homepages.gac.edu:80/~fister/onebook.html.
I haven't read most of the books on the list BUT I thought Three Cups of Tea was really inspirational. We could build all kinds of themes around it from the importance of service to the importance of education to
understanding other cultures.
As I recall the book was easy to get into because it starts with the author wandering half dead down the mountain and being saved by the local village. It was certainly an attention grabber.
From SJSU prof.
From a craft perspective Three Cups of Tea is not particularly well written, but it's a compelling and important story that has ongoing currency.
The personal story is fascinating, and the book also provides historical and cultural context in a way that shows the reader the complex nature of both. That's especially useful given the tendency American media and politicians have toward what has been called "confident ignorance" about religion, culture and world politics.
From Prof. Judith Lessow-Hurley
We dismissed this book fairly out of hand last year, because it was too similar to The Kite Runner.
This book was deeply affecting, and I strongly recommend it for our program. It's been a while since I've read a book of nonfiction that reads so smoothly and creates such memorable characters. There is a local angle as well--the protagonist, Greg Mortenson, was living in Berkeley and working in San Francisco (as a trauma nurse) when he began his work in Pakistan. The conclusion that he comes to, after building dozens of schools in the tribal areas of Northern Pakistan, is that the surest way to help developing nations out of poverty is to educate girls. Educated girls, in general, return to their villages to tackle public-health and infrastructure problems, whereas educated boys generally seek work in big cities or abroad.
From an SJSU employee: "The book is fascinating and shows resilience, dedication and overcoming hardship by following Greg’s life …Greg is connected with the Bay Area - he was living here when he started his efforts to build schools…These are the reasons the book resonates with me and I think it should resonate with the SJSU community. It is about service learning, it is about global connection, it is about making peace through peaceful ways, it is about goal setting and completion, it is about opportunity that presents itself and how it can change your life."
This book offers an inspirational story about a part of the world of which most of our students are ignorant. This area is currently in the news because of the war on terror flowing from Afghanistan to Pakistan. The book provides an uplifting theme, and useful information. I believe it would stimulate discussion among our students.
Frannie Edwards, PolS
Another book, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, by John Wood, tells an identical story. Wood's organization, Room to Read, that builds libraries and schools, is in SF. Wood was better educated about marketing than Mortensen--though maybe hearing about the movie stars not responding to his letters is a good topic for discussion with Three Cups of Tea.
I agree with Nancie that "Leaving Microsoft..." is a very similar story, and that the protagonist built a better charitable organization. However, I think "3 Cups..." tells much more about understanding and working with the local culture. I think it is a pretty good adventure story that our students might enjoy from several angles. It is not great literature, but if I understand correctly just getting students to enjoy reading was the goal.
This book has a lot to recommend it, both in terms of cultural sensitivity and political issues. It certainly fits with the campus goal of internationalizing. I sometimes found it a little difficult to keep going because I found it gruelling (and might discourage some of our students), but it was also inspiring. I would definitely keep it on the short list.
I think Three Cups of Tea would be a terrific choice for us. The book addresses issues of cultural diversity--not just between cultures but within in a particular one as well--and the importance of education. I also think it would engage and potentially inspire our students.
Matt Spangler
Communication Studies
This book has been highly recommended by other SJSU faculty, who are not part of the Campus Reading Program. I didn't read the entire book, but I will if we select it. It's very accessible and has a compelling story that I think many readers will enjoy.
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