Three Cups of Tea

I just finished Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin and alternately admired it and despised it. Right now I have an angel on my right shoulder and a devil on my left. I'll ask them to go through the pros and cons of this book.

Angel: What's not to love? Greg Motensen has really lived an amazing life-- not only for himself but humbly giving what he can to those less fortunate. He was able to identify a need-- schools for those who didn't have them-- and a means to provide them.

Devil: Sure, sure...but he was always running away, couldn't commit to a life and career in one place.

Angel: His missionary parents raised him and his siblings in Africa! He has a family history of selflessness.

Devil: Selflessness? What about the idea that this whole book is self promotion? And how many times so his Pakistani friends and good deed recipients say, "Praise be to Allah! And also Greg Mortensen!" Andrea, you know you hate that.

Me: That self aggrandizement does bug me...

Angel: He was just stepping in and helped get things going- the Pakistani people built and ran the schools, plus he provided jobs and pay to several upstanding Pakistani and Afghani citizens. Plus he really focuses on providing education for girls and providing community centers for village women as a means of empowerment.

Me: Ah, I really do love female empowement.

Devil: But would you really love being his wife and being 9 months pregnant while he's unreachable in Afghanistan? He's away from his own family for months out of the year!

Angel: She knew that going into the relationship.

Devil: And how about how they named their kids after places in Pakistan? So corny!

Angel: Attacking kids' names?? Classy, Devil, Classy.

Devil: Seriously, why do we always hear stories about white people going in and making life better for brown people? What, there's no brown people helping themselves?

Angel: Why make such a big deal out of it? Just look at it as one man doing his best to make a positive difference-- don't read so much into it! So, Andrea, what do you think?

Me: I think I still don't know...I'm just going to give this book exactly 2.5 out of 5 stars.