Book: Stones into Schools

[Erudite]

Title: Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with books, not bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Author: Greg Mortensen
Genre: non-fiction
Pages: 406

Fantastic book!! This is the 2nd book by Greg Mortensen about his efforts to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The first was Three Cups of Tea which many people around the world seemed to be reading all at the same time about a year ago. I haven't read that one, but bought it this weekend because I so enjoyed reading Stones into Schools. I understand that Three Cups is about his efforts in Pakistan.

Stones is about his efforts in Afghanistan. He starts with a description of riders that come to him out of a place called the Wahkan in northern Afghanistan. He's already build many schools in Pakistan and these riders have come to ask if he will be build a school in their area too. But that presents some fairly significant challenges. He promises them that he will, but it is more than 10 years later that the school is built. During the 10 years, the book chronicles the efforts of the Central Asia Institute, Mortensen's NGO, to build schools at "the end of the road" and assist with education of communities against the backdrop of the 8.2 earthquake that struck Pakistan in 2005, the downfall and the resurgency of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and opening of the Azad Kashmir (a place formerly closed to all outsiders).

This was a wonderful book that I can recommend to anyone. It very much made me want to do something for those around the world who are in need. I wish we all could have the opportunity to be a part of such hope and through these books, we get the chance.

[runamyrun]

Thanks for posting this. I didn't know he had written another book. I read his first book, and even though I found it to be boring in parts, I thought his story was amazing. It was really inspiring to read about a semi-normal person who has gone on to do great things for the world. One person can really have a huge influence.

[Erudite]

I just started Three Cups and find it not as good as Stones. I need to read a little more, but the author doing the writer is apparently a journalist with lots of experience and while he does a good job, the story is written in the 3rd person which just isn't as compelling as the first person that Stones is written in. I'll review 3 Cups when I finish it and really let you know.

[Erudite]

Title: Three Cups of Tea
Author: Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin
Genre: Non-fiction
Pages: 331

This book is the first book about Greg Mortensen's experiences and while it is every bit as inspirational as Stones, this is not quite as lovely a read. It's FINE, don't get me wrong, but the writing can be a little heavy handed and as RAR mentioned above it does have some boring parts to it. I thought they belabored the parts about traveling in Pakistan where dealing with people tends to be more interesting.

However, I can completely recommend this book too. It is amazing what this one person has been able to do. This book talks about his work to build schools in Pakistan which is being done duing the time that we were fighting in neighboring Afganistan. There is quite a bit of commentary on how Greg doesn't think "shock and awe" is particularly effective when giving the people schools that aren't jihadi madrassas (the extremist schools that created members of the Taliban), could be much more beneficial to the people, the country, and even to our national security. If the extreme Muslims aren't teaching the young, they have a much better chance of doing better in life and raising their whole communities. The Central Asia Institute is trying to provide secular schools to teach the kids basics through the 8th grade.

It's an amazing story of hope and ability and opportunity taken. But if I were only going to read one of these books, I'd go with Stones.