Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson

Selection
Academic Year: 
2009
Three Cups of Tea

"Three Cups of Tea," coauthored by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, follows Mortenson's evolution from mountain climber to humanitarian.

"This book illustrates the power of one individual to change the lives of many," said Chancellor Kenneth E. Peacock in announcing the selection. "This book will surely inspire all who read it."

The book will be read by all incoming freshmen at Appalachian as part of the university's First Year Seminar Program. Mortenson will speak to members of the campus community and others during Convocation Sept. 10 in the Holmes Center.

Emory Maiden said "Three Cups of Tea" impressed the university's Summer Reading Committee with both its message and straight-forward style. Maiden, a professor in the Department of English, chairs the committee.

mortenson with children"Mortenson's book is a story of transformation: His apparently simple promise to help one family and their neighbors gives his life a new and fulfilling direction. Similarly, those who respond to his offer of hope, especially young women who flock to the schools, embrace the changes new knowledge brings," Maiden said. "We thought his story, in its assertion of the power of one person and of education as an agency for peace, would be a valuable source for discussion among our first-year students, our university colleagues and for the rest of our regional community as well."

As of 2008, Mortenson had established more than 75 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to more than 28,000 children, including 18,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before.

Visit the website for more information.

About the Author
Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson was born in Minnesota. He grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania where his father co-founded the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, a teaching hospital.

He served in the U.S. Army in Germany from 1977-79, where he received the Army Commendation Medal. He graduated from the University of South Dakota and pursued graduate studies in neurophysiology.

Mortenson has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by six members of the U.S. Congress.

In March, he will receive Pakistan's highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan ("Star of Pakistan") for his courage and humanitarian effort to promote education and literacy in rural areas. The award will be presented by Pakistan's president in a ceremony in Islamabad.

Mortenson is the co-founder of nonprofit Central Asia Institute and Pennies For Peace. He lives in Bozeman, Mont., with his wife and two children.

Supplemental Materials
Events

September 10, 2009

  • Convocation
    • Greg Mortenson, author of the 2009 Summer Reading Book, "Three Cups of Tea," will be the Fall Convocation speaker. Holmes Convocation Center, 10:00AM
    • Donations through ACT (Appalachian and the Community Together)
      • Many ASU students who have been touched by Greg Mortenson's work and want to contribute through participating in the Central Asia Institute's Pennies for Peace Program. / As of 2009, Central Asia Institute has successfully established 130 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide (or have provided) education to over 51,000 students, with an emphasis on girls' education.
      • Bring your contributions to Convocation where students from the ACT (Appalachian and the Community Together) office will have collection tables.
  • Panel discussion and Q&A with Greg Mortenson
    • (New Locatoin) - Farthing Auditorium, 2:00 PM
  • Reading and book-signing by author Greg Mortenson
    • Wataugua County Public Library, 4:00 PM (limited seating availalbe)
  • Visiting Writers Series reading and book-signing by Greg Mortenson
    • (New Location) - Farthing Auditorium, 7:30 PM - "Three Cups of Tea" books will be for sale
  • Parking and traffic Information:
    • Visitors to Appalachian should be aware that numerous construction projects on campus as well as activities associated with the academic year have limited visitor parking. Parking for convocation and the afternoon panel discussion will be available in the Rivers Street parking deck and at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center. A complimentary shuttle will run between the back entrance to the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center and Holmes Convocation Center. Shuttles will begin running at 8 a.m. Disability parking will be available at the Holmes Center parking lot.
    • Special shuttles buses for the afternoon program will run between the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center and the Raley Hall bus shelter.
    • Limited parking for the Visiting Writers Series program will be available in the Rivers Street parking deck, along Rivers Street and in any open parking spaces near academic buildings that typically are available after 5 p.m. Disability parking will be available at the Farthing Auditorium parking lot.
    • For information about parking, call the University Parking & Traffic Department at 828-262-2878.


Related Events

  • Susan Roth, illustrator of /Listen to the W/ind will be the featured author at the Friends of the Library dinner The dinner will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center.
  • Ms Roth will also make a public presentation on Sept. 17 at 11am in Duncan 03. All are welcome to attend that talk.