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 enlarge | Authors: Greg Mortenson, David Oliver Relin
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy Used: $5.63
You Save: $9.37 (62%)
New (93) Used (81) Collectible (5) from $5.63
Rating:  1448 reviews
Sales Rank: 31
Media: Paperback
Pages: 368
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0143038257
Dewey Decimal Number: 371.82209549
EAN: 9780143038252
ASIN: 0143038257
Publication Date: January 30, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: one folded page corner, tight and clean, free tracking
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| Customer Reviews:
 Boring, drawn out, borderline pathetic November 18, 2008
J. Bodnar (Florida)
14 out of 19 found this review helpful
Sadly, I recommended this title for our book club to read. I went off all the rave reviews and thought it would be great. I really wanted to love it. But ended up closer to hating it. Here's a few thoughts on why I don't like this book or the story that's boringly told in it: br / br /- Greg Mortenson is made out to be some kind of hero in this book. In my opinion he is not at all. The only "hero" here if there is one would be Jean Hoerni, who donated over a million dollars to build all the schools. Greg is a man who loved climbing, the mountains, and traveling. He didn't like to settle down and commit to anything, so going back to Pakistan over and over fueled those passions. br / br /- Reading this book I feel like Greg hates America. I don't understand why he kept coming back to sleep in the hallway floor and struggle so much. Why didn't he stay living in Pakistan, where he seemed to like it so much better? br / br /- He cared/cares more about those people in Pakistan than he does his own family. He spends months on end with those children, all the while abandoning his own. He leaves his wife and kids alone to make other people's lives "better" while not giving of himself to his family, that really matter. They ask nothing in return, while the Pakistani's prove greedy in asking for more, more, more. How good of a father and husband is he to his family considering he's gone for months on end and to top it off half the time doesn't haven the decency to even call to keep in touch. br / br /- Throughout the book he badmouths rich people, yet his very existence of what he is doing relies upon them. He is literally biting the hand that feeds him. br / br /- He was SO irresponsible with the money! Case in point: Hoerni left a million dollars for the foundation. Each school costs $12,000 to build. At one point in the book he had built 22 schools and they said he was financially struggling and down to $100k! The numbers don't add up. What was he doing with all the money? Case in point number two: Jean Hoerni's wife left the foundation board because she felt he was so irresponsible. That said A LOT because it was her husband's money. She saw what I see and what so many other people who give this book five star reviews don't see! He wanted to be on "Greg time" and not account for his time. That's because he was probably off spending foundation money on traveling! He was irresponsible. br / br /- Another waste of money is one point when one of his library assistants hops a plane to drive with him to a destination in Pakistan. Huh? How much was that? I can't see that was needed. Someone wanted to take a trip! br / br /- It took three years to build the first school (and almost that long to read the first half of the book it's so drawn out and boring). Three years? Give me a break! I'm not buying it. There's no way it takes three years to build a five-room school house - even in Pakistan! br / br /- His belief that you build schools to end terrorism is faulty. Unless you can control what is being taught behind those walls it does not tackle the problem. Hate and terrorism could be taught in there, just because they have a building doesn't mean they are teaching love and respect. Plus, it's bribery if you ask me. Back in grade school do you remember the big kid that would want your desert to not pick on you or be your friend? Same concept. You don't buy off bullies so they like you - whether it's with cookies or by building schools. br / br /- He built more than schools, he build women's sewing centers (calling them vocational centers), places for men, etc. The Pakistani's took advantage of the kindness of building one school and then pestered for everything else. Greed! br / br /- People do not need a school house to learn. This book makes it seem as though you put up a building and all problems are solved. Not true. You don't need a building to learn. You could meet indoors/outdoors each day somewhere, even alternating the place each day and still get a good education. The school does not make for an education. What teaches people are having people willing to provide an education and students willing to learn, the building is a secondary item that does not make or break an education. br / br /- I got sick of the "especially for girls" part. Whenever they talk about building schools they like to say they build them for children, "especially for girls." Nonsense. He says that to play on people's heart strings and get them to open their wallets. It's gender bias as well. The schools were for all children. Don't play into the sales pitch designed to get wallets open faster by saying "especially for girls." br / br /- Which brings me to my next point. He respects girls/women so much that on page 290 he makes a "run of the mill" Republican comment about Ms. Bono and how her looks have helped her along. What was that? Totally uncalled for and degrading. br / br /- Is there nothing we could do in America to make it a better place? Why is it that when people want to help they always want to help other countries and not America? Just a thought... br / br /- Guess what was at the end of the book? You got it - a plea for money! Of course, Greg needs to keep taking trips over to Pakistan. He probably plans to re-build their entire country and at our expense, the country he seems to not care for. Needless to say, he won't be getting a check from me. My only regret is having purchased the book, which will give him money. br / br /So for all those reasons I get this book a big thumbs down. I really wanted to like it, but wound up not liking it at all. I think people have a follow the herd mentality giving it five star feedback. I can't see why so many people have rated it so highly. They probably haven't even read it or thought about it.
Amazing book! November 18, 2008
William Roberts
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This book changed so many of my views on the middle east. br / br /Greg Morrenson should win the Nobel Peace Prize for his work. br / br /
An Inspiring Read November 18, 2008
Nicole Browne (Pleasanton, CA USA)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
I just finished this beautiful book. I found this book to be inspiring and touching. Sometimes there is a feeling that just one person can't make a difference, that all the world's problems are just too great but Greg Mortensen challenges that idea. With just a small idea that grew into a huge project that has helped so many, Greg has inspired so many. I love also that he doesn't just show all the positive aspects of his projects but shares realistic accounts of his failures and achievements. He is not someone whom he thought could be doing this but the path just kept unfolding in front of him. Also, the photographs in the book really bring humanity to the story. I found myself choked up while reading this book sometimes. I wonder if sometime we may hear this man's name again when it comes time to award the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope so because I know he will use the prize money well.
Greg Mortenson's life work should humble us all. November 18, 2008
P. Barge (Georgia, USA)
3 out of 6 found this review helpful
If you spend your time like most of us do: going to work, buying stuff, going to lunch, buying more stuff, talking on the phone and not getting much of anything done of any real value, this book should be a giant wake up call. If you thought that one person couldn't do anything to change the mess the world is in today, this book will be a mind-blowing inspiration. We can, each one of us, in our own way change the world....if we just DO something to create a positive change br / br /Greg Mortenson should win the Nobel Peace Prize
AWESOME! November 17, 2008
S. Skribner (Idaho)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Inspirational, moving, beautiful. This book will make you think about what you are doing in your life and what more you COULD be doing. Did you know that if you order the book through [...] Amazon will donate 7% to the charity? I wish I'd known that before I purchased my copy directly through Amazon.
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