author: greg mortenson
reading time: 20 metro rides and a little more
stones into schools, in its own words is a story of promoting peace in afghanistan and pakistan through schools and not guns.. it describes, with painstaking detail, the effort made by mortenson in association with the central asia institute to set up schools, particularly for girls and later for women.. mostly in tribal and rural areas of northen pakistan and afghanistan.. setting up schools where people, even the national government could not reach.. an effort that is matched only by the wisdom and reslience of the locals of the communities… convincing individuals to the conservative islamic clerics.. it is the story of transition of entire communities.. i particularly like the detail that mortenson has captured.. written in a lucid form and with great simplicity… his own honesty and gratitude to the members of his team, his family… the acknowledgment of the very important role that a host of who would be called uneducated/illiterate by most, brings credibility to a book which could have been only a promotional campaign of oneself or one’s organisation… my notions of america only as a bullying, intrusive country with vested interests in the area has somewhat changed by reading the book… at another level, it is humbling to know that so much is being done that i can only sit and read about in the comfort of the air conditioned metro …
favourite quote: “when you take the time to actually listen, with humility, to what people have to say, it’s amazing what you can learn. especially if the people who are doing the talking also happen to be children.”
final analysis: must read, for the avid reader… if you are not one, then dont insult the 400 odd pages by making a fake try..