The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

#Just Amazing (2008-11-23) One of the most touching books I have read in a long time. It is just amazing how much we can do with a little bit of financial help to these NGO s like CIA. I have decided to become a regular contributor of these noble cause, just because of this book. You have to read it, you will never regret you did.

#Inspiring (2008-11-22) What an inspiring book! This is a great read about what one person can do with a vision and very little resources. His tenacity is incredible. Hooray for Greg Mortenson!

#Would have been a great article (2008-11-19) This is a tale about a remarkable man - unfortunately it is not very well written. Even tho the action takes place in different towns, it is basically the same story over and over. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in building schools for the poor in Pakistan and also as an aid to sleeplessness.

#3 and a half stars (2008-11-19) The story itself was quite amazing but I found it difficult to read at times. I think it could have been much shorter. . . I could not keep all of the people straight about halfway through the book. It must have been difficult to write this book with so many stories to tell but it bordered on boring and tedious at times. It would pick up for a while and then I d be bleary-eyed again a few pages later. I really liked the beginning of the story and felt connected to his mission and promise but then I started to think he was a bit off (good inten...

#No wonder it unanimously gets 5 stars (2008-11-18) Truly one of the most inspirational books I have read in awhile. The beginning of this book is a little slow, focusing on Greg Mortenson s climbing expeditions that eventually leads him to find the people of Korphe, and promising them a school. After coming back to the states and scrounging up funds from philanthropists, Mortenson goes back and builds many schools in various regions through Pakistan/Afghanistan/Waziristan. And the story of his determination and the struggles he goes through are extremely inspirational. There is no o...

On a clear night in late June 2005, four U.S. Navy SEALs left their base in northern Afghanistan for the mountainous Pakistani border. Their mission was to capture or kill a notorious al Qaeda leader known to be ensconced in a Taliban stronghold surrounded by a small but heavily armed force. Less then twenty-four hours later, only one of those Navy SEALs remained alive. This is the story of fire team leader Marcus Luttrell, the sole survivor of Operation Redwing, and the desperate battle in the mountains that led, ultimately, to the largest loss of life in Navy SEAL history. But it is also, more than anything, the story of his teammates, who fought ferociously beside him until he was the last one left-blasted unconscious by a rocket grenade, blown over a cliff, but still armed and still breathing. Over the next four days, badly injured and presumed dead, Luttrell fought off six al Qaeda assassins who were sent to finish him, then crawled for seven miles through the mountains befor...

#Hardcore! Brought a tear to my eye (2008-11-22) This is a damn good book. Not so good if you re looking for TTP s but a very good story about some very tough men. The first half of the book is all about how tough SEALS are, how great the SEALS are, and just how bob bitchin the SEALS are. I really, really got sick of hearing how tough, cool, patriotic and elite the SEALS are. You would think there were no other warriors in the world. The author goes way overboard emphasizing this and I really got tired of it. OK, SEALS invented water, walked on it, then turned it into win...

#Lone Survivor (2008-11-22) Very good book. Everyone who wants to better understand who the Taliban are and what their objectives are should read this book. It is also an inspiring story of courage and the will to live against unbelieveably tough circumstances. I have added this author s name to the list of people I would like to meet someday.

#Lone Survivor (2008-11-20) Lone Survivor is an absolutely gripping account of what makes the men who wear the Trident of US Navy SEALS who they are. It is educational and compelling. A great read for anyone interested in understanding the challenges of serving with special operations in the mountains of Afghanistan.

#Authentic Yes! Great Reading No! (2008-11-18) I had this book recommended to me by several people and finally bought it and read it. It is not as good as its fans want you to believe, nor as bad as its detractors would make it out. First, the book is adequately written, but is not going to make anybody s top 100 list. It should be kept in mind that much of the credit or blame for the prose should probably be placed on the co-author Robinson, not Luttrel. My own criticism was that the book often seemed heavily redundant and repetitive. In most of those places, it was the re...

#Fantastic (2008-11-08) If you haven t read this book, then you re behind the eight ball. Written really well by one of America s true heroes. Reminds us all that freedom is free!

The explosive first-hand account of America’s secret history in Afghanistan With the publication of Ghost Wars, Steve Coll became not only a Pulitzer Prize winner, but also the expert on the rise of the Taliban, the emergence of Bin Laden, and the secret efforts by CIA officers and their agents to capture or kill Bin Laden in Afghanistan after 1998.

#Thank you Steve Coll!!! (2008-10-20) Very well written and keeps your attention. Very detailed and fact based. The author is as unbiased as they come. I came into this book embarassingly ignorant about international politics, especially the events leading up to September 11, 2001. I feel thankful toward the author for putting together such complex information in a straight forward, but captivating way - a way that lets even the most unaware reader begin to understand the whirlwind of money, politics, fanaticism, and international counter-interests that intersect to create the ...

#Execellent Book - (2008-10-12) Don t let the size of this book scare you - it is accurate and full of great information! I know some people who were close to the information and say it is very accurate - Enjoy - Jan Simpson

#Highly Informative, Not Well-Constructed, and Unfortunately Biased (2008-08-31) I recommend this book, in spite of its flaws, because it is a very useful history of CIA involvement in Afghanistan, from the end of the Carter administration until the day before the 9/11 attacks. The book is divided into three parts, focusing on the Soviet occupation and mujahideen resistance, the Afghan Civil War, and the Taliban era, respectively. Coll commands a truly impressive list of source-interviews, and has clearly devoted considerable research time and effort. I suspect that few authors ...

#Fascinating and well-researched history (2008-08-20) Though Osama Bin Laden became a household name after the 9-11 attacks, few people know the background of Afghanistan and the mujahideen fighters that birthed these radical groups. This book gives a well-researched, in-depth look into the interplay of the Cold War, the U. S. , Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the radical groups that have made Afghanistan such a key region in the modern world. Though not a quick read, I would recommend it to anyone looking for more information beyond the 10-second sound bytes and action movie blather th...

#A well edited reality show (2008-08-05) It was a pleasure reading this very well written and researched book. As an Indian, I grew up reading about the defeat of Russians in newspapers. The subsequent battle for Afghanistan between the communist government and the mujahedin entered my consciousness through snatches of news on the radio. So, it was great to get the stories and personalities around people like Masooud. However, as I reached to the end of the book, I realized that clearly the author was not telling the whole story. Some gaping holes in the book are1. CIA and the U...

In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan-surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopted by an unexpected companion-a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur in honor of Afghanistan s first Mughal emperor, in whose footsteps the pair was following.Through these encounters-by turns touching, con-founding, surprising, and funny-Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map s countless places in between.

#Babur s Journey (2008-10-14) The Places In Between is an interesting and well written account that provides in-depth views about Afghanistan s ways of life. This is a book westerners should read if they want to further understand the intricacies of this region and the contradictions between cultural diversity and globalization.

#A Cold but Not Too Lonely Walk (2008-09-26) It s amazing that anyone would even attempt this. . . walking across Afganistan in the winter with a war going on. It is quite staggering, how many different ways he could die. . . war casualty, fights with officials, accidents, frostbite/exposure, starvation, food poisoning. . . The desolate landscape is hard to envision, although the photos helped. How does one step forward in 4 feet of snow? Temperatures are cited well below zero at night, so besides unease provoked by well armed people he s sleeping with, how does he sleep with undo...

#Outstanding Must Read book (2008-09-26) This is an extraordinary book. How many people do you know who would set off alone on foot across Afghanistan just after 9/11 armed with a stick? I had just read Three Cups of Tea so it was not unlikely for me to gravitate to this book, after seeing Rory on a CNN interview. What I did not expect was the sheer grit of the book and the man. This is not a comfortable book to read. It s a highly uncomfortable book to read. This is no walk in the park. This is a journey with a very brave determined soul to delve into the culture of Afghanistan a...

#Totally Changed My Mindset! (2008-09-17) Okay, so the book has been adequately reviewed by some 150 readers. I doubt that I can add much to that score. On the other hand, this book has forced a recalibration of my mindset relative to the challenges the U. S. and other western nations have vis-à-vis this corner of the world. Toward the end of the book I was struck by the power of Rory s first-rate diplomatic skills within a, personally, high risk encounter with the Taliban. Without ruining the story for anyone who has not read, or finished the book, I submit there is something ...

#Total Disappointment (2008-09-14) This was a truly awful book on Afghanistan. It provided little new information about the country, its people, or its history. The book also was dull and lacked a coherent theme. The best part of the book was the short anecdotes on Babur Shah and the brief descriptions of the Ghorid dynasty, which once ruled parts of central Afghanistan. While I acknowledge that the author took great risk in walking from Herat to Kabul shortly after the fall of the Taliban, I question his motives and am fairly convinced that his self-promoting journey did li...

Charlie Wilson s War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan freedom fighters who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency s rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers conventions, to the Khyber Pass, this book...

#The Best Non-Fiction I ve Ever Read (2008-09-25) This is without a doubt the best non-fiction book I have ever read. The plot, the characters and the writing were all brilliant. A truly exhilirating thrill ride. I couldn t put the book down - in fact, I missed my bus stop reading the book. When I finished, I felt that I had lost my close friends, and that my life had just gotten a little less exciting. If you want a thrilling, titilating, over-the top book that never lets up in terms of entertainment, than this is the book for you. If there were six, seven or even eight stars, I w...

#Rollicking good story, but... (2008-09-19) Charlie Wilson s War is a Cold War thriller with the extra attraction that it really happened. It tells the behind-the-scenes story of Texan congressman Charlie Wilson, a hard-drinking, hard-loving, Commie-hating bad boy who nearly singlehandedly (as far as the book tells us) dragged the CIA and the US government into supporting the Afghan mujahidin against invading Soviet forces. Charlie gets top billing, but shares much of the limelight with two other men. Gust Avrakatos is a CIA man whose rough upbringing and wild ways, while effective, ...

#The enemies of our enemies are not our friends... (2008-08-29) Charlie Wilson s War may be one-sided, but it s still a very interesting read, especially in these post-9/11 days. Years before the words Taliban and al Qaeda were in everyday use, or for that matter, even familiar to most Americans, the CIA was waging a secret war in Afghanistan. Having grown up in the tail end of the Cold War, the threat of the USSR never really gripped me the way it did the generations prior to me. We laughed at the comical Duck and Cover commercials when we watched them in history class, but my pa...

#Absolutely Recommended Reading (2008-08-26) I ordered this book upon the strong recommendation of two of my best - and brightest - friends. They said that it is a must read. Due to illness, I have not actually read it, but I can tell everyone that if my two friends think so highly of it, it must be a 6-Star read! I can t wait to dig into it and, because of those who recommended it to me, I assure you that the book should be on your list. Bob K. Litchfield, CT

#This Book Kept My Interests (2008-08-02) Unreliable story of the CIA involvement in the Afghan War. Lots of insight of the secret in and out of our clandestine service. Interesting read but at the same time lots of grandstanding by the author toward the subject of the book which sometime seem a bit hard to believe. Recommended reading for anyone who is a history buff and would like to expand his/her detailed knowledge of the downfall of Communism and the last military action of the cold war. Don t bother to compare the movie, like most of the time, is the book according to Hollywo...