Three Cups of Tea by David Oliver Relin, Greg Mortenson (2007, Paperback, Reprint)

Purchased for a book club reading,I was riveted by one man's journey from a self-absorbed climber to a selfless humanitarian. The prose is engaging and illuminates the settings, conflicts and triumphs of the human spirit against enormous obstacles. While the "mountain climber mystique" has paled for many of us, in light of the recent exposes of bad behavior, here is one person that chose to repay the generosity of the native people of Pakistan by giving them what they asked him for, education for their children, especially the girls. Greg's transparency allows us to realize how much he had to overcome, both personally and physically, in order to fulfill the promise he made to the village of Korphe. That he took this as a mission to other areas in the Karakoram Mountains, and beyond, is evidence of his desire to serve humanity. His is a model we need to expose to the rest of the world and follow in ourselves, in whatever ways we can.