“The book remained a number one New York Times bestseller for three years after its release. The book is also a popular university freshman or campus read on about three dozen campuses, and has been chosen for One City One Book community reads in over 300 cities, and published in over 39 countries internationally, and used on over 100 University and college campuses as a Freshman Experience, Honor's program or campus-wide read book” ("Three Cups of Tea" From Wiki)
It mystifies me why this book is so popular. To me it’s unnerving, not inspirational. Not the story itself, but the phenomenon that’s been created. What popular nerve does it touch? To me it’s a fantasy of Disney dimensions. I know. With all the altitude sickness and such, you may think it’s a story of incredible hardships to fund and build schools in Pakistan, but I can’t help think he had it easy. People cooperated? People didn’t steal every nail? He found qualified teachers and “culturally appropriate books?” ! ! ! ?
Not by any means to undervalue what he has done, but about the overvaluation of the marketing world of this book …
From a book review: “It’s proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world."
(ahem, ahem, he did get a million dollars to help )
