Book Project Update: 8 Countries and Counting!

Thanks to Qing from New York and Asim from the UK, we now have 8 countries participating in the Book project. The present tally is: United States, UK, Canada, Japan, China, India, Australia, and the Netherlands.

After reading the book, Asim made a nice comment about the book, and I wanted to share that here. She wrote:

The Cups of Tea is one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. The story of Greg Mortenson is a story of hope, perseverance and courage. He is a true hero, who has made everlasting difference to the lives of many remote villagers in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I would highly recommend reading this book and supporting Greg’s cause in any way possible.

I look forward to mapping the books' progress through the Netherlands, Australia, and wherever else we may find people willing to learn about Greg Mortenson's efforts in Central Asia.

-- The Kettle Rumbles

NYTimes: More Schools, Not Troops

More Schools, Not Troops

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: October 29, 2009

A compelling argument against more troops in Afghanistan rests on this trade-off: For the cost of an additional soldier stationed in Afghanistan for a year, nearly 20 schools could be built. [More]

Excerpt: 

Greg Mortenson, author of “Three Cups of Tea,” has now built 39 schools in Afghanistan and 92 in Pakistan — and not one has been burned down or closed. The aid organization CARE has 295 schools educating 50,000 girls in Afghanistan, and not a single one has been closed or burned by the Taliban. The Afghan Institute of Learning, another aid group, has 32 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with none closed by the Taliban (although local communities have temporarily suspended three for security reasons).

-- The Kettle Rumbles