This weeks book is Stones into Schools. This is Greg Mortenson's latest novel about promoting peace with books not bombs. A few years ago I was in a phase where I was reading loads of books on the Middle East, especially Afghanistan. I finally read Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea, which I loved because I went to an all-girls school. I then had the opportunity to see Mortenson speak at the University of San Francisco and it was so inspiring! His second book is even better in my opinion. Teaching people that they have the power to change themselves is so simple but sometimes takes incredibale amounts of work by other people. Mortenson and his team have performed incredible acts of bravery, endurance, and dedication to the noble cause of providing education to the girls of Pakistan and Afghanistan. You will not be able to put this book down. You also learn firsthand accounts of the success of many of the first girls to go through Greg's schools.
I definitely recommend you read this book; it is an incredible account of an individual who has changed the world for so many people. It is so insightful and could only be written by Mortenson, whose experience as a philanthropist in the Middle East gives his writing a unique credibility. In many ways, Mortenson makes you want to be like him, and that's the biggest compliment you can give a person. Probably the most resonating element of the book is its ability to help us see war as completely archaic, illogical, and unnecessary. Please do yourself a favor, read this book. It may be a slow and careful read at times, as there is a lot to take in, but it is well worth the effort.
