Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Three Cups of Tea [Young Adult Version]: building background knowledge of the Middle East


Three Cups of Tea
  is a great book for educational purposes, civil rights specifically.  Three Cups of Tea is an autobiography by Greg Mortensen.  Greg Mortensen tried to climb K2 [a Himalayan mountain],but he fails, and on the way down the mountain  he wanders into Korphe, Pakistan.  He is welcomed into the home of the village chief Haji Ali.  Greg stays there for a while.  When he leaves he sees they have no school.  Greg promises to build a school.  He raises money for the school. With the help of a billionaire who sponsors the trip, he goes back and builds the school.  Jean Hoerni the man who sponsored the trip creates the Central Asia Institute.  Greg's the director of the Central Asia Institute, he now builds many schools. He is still at work in other countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan.  Greg is so committed to his job he will go without seeing his family for 2 months.

This book can help you understand how the Middle East works and why it's hard to have a school there with all of the dictatorship.  For example, in Korphe, Haji Ali had to give up half his best goats to build the Korphe school.  He wanted the school that much.  In Pakistan goats are like money.  He barely had enough to feed his tribe after that.  The guy who did this to Haji Ali was another tribe leader.  This  shows how bad the dictatorship is there.  You'll also get a view of how one American [Greg] uses education to help fight terrorism in Afghanistan.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially to people who don't understand the Middle East very well.  It will help those people view the Middle East from their side, not just ours.  This author tells his story brilliantly.  He  doesn't fail to summarize all 55 schools in one book.  You wont be disappointed if you read this book. It's a real page turner.

Based on what I've told you, and your background knowledge about the Middle East, how can reading a book like this change your views about the Middle East?   If you want, do your own research.

Payton B.

16 comments:

  1. Good job Payton on your book review.I liked how you had background on the Middle East.It sounds like a realistic fiction book because now in the Middle East we send people to go help people in that country.

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    1. "Lucus, it's a true story. If he is still alive, is he more careful because he might be teaching future soldures? I like how you just stoped before giveing the whole story away. You make it souned like that is the end of the whole story when realy is is just starting. Even if he is fighting, America doesn't know 100% that he is good."

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    2. So it is a non-fiction book.Does it have facts about the middle east.

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  2. Maybe if people read this book, they wouldn't resent Middle Easterners so much for their reputation of terrorism. People could see that some Middle Easterners don't want terrorism; they'd rather be in America where they can be free and always have a school to go to.

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    1. "I'm sure that they see that there are good people there that want to come to America. But, we can't let our gaurd down for the good people, when the bad people are still there."

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  3. Payton, you did a awesome job with the book review. I agree with Lucus on the background of the Middle East. I think Payton did a great job overall. They have to be free.

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  4. very well written payton. it looks as if it were written by the author. you forgot to put an apostrophe in won't:).

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    1. Lauryn, check your own conventions before you comment.

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  5. I've never read this book but I think you would need some background information on the Middle East. This book seems like an interesting book but I would need to learn about the Middle East before I can comprehend and read the book. Good job Payton!

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    1. Mandy I agree with you. I would need to have to have some backround info too. Payton very good job!

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    2. Sometimes you can read a book with the purpose of learning. You may have to stop more often and get answers to your questions, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the book.

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  6. I think for the first person of doing a blog book reviw you did a great job and explained your thinking and whats in the book just enough. When Mr.kohl remomended this book he said thet you had to have backround for the middle east, and you defently did!I think you did a great job! :)

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  7. I agree with Amara, for being the first perosn to post a blog on the internet you did an amazing job. You made me want to read the book, over all amazing effort good job!

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  8. i think you did a really good job seince this is your first one this year

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  9. For some kids who think we're at war with the Middle East will realise we are at war with the Taliban and other terrorist factions.

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  10. Within this webpage, you'll see the page, you need to understand this data. בניית בית פרטי לבד

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