Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace - One School at a Time - Book Review

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

by Greg Mortenson

ISBN-10: 0143038257

Every so often we are reminded of how much good there is in the world. In a society fraught with the strive for the almighty dollar, simply for the dollar's sake, there is also to be found a soul or two who strive for the dollar in order to make a difference. The opposite of terrorism is love, and with this powerful tool we can overcome the darkness of the world. Greg Mortenson shows us how in the book "Three Cups of Tea - One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time."

Greg, a mountaineer, a man who sets out to make it to the tops of mountains, has embarked on a journey to conquer the biggest mountains of all - ignorance, lack of education, broken promises, and facing the unknown. In 1993 Greg didn't achieve his goal to reach the summit of K2 in the Karakoram Mountains. But he did find his purpose. Reaching the impoverished village of Korphe, Pakistan, and being nursed back to health, Greg found his fate-intended destination. He promised to return and build a school for the children who sat scratching lessons in the dirt. Once back at home in California though, Greg realized he hadn't a clue as to how he was going to raise the money to fulfill his promise. He began by simply asking for it from 580 of the most influential people he could think of. One replied. What would it take to build a school in Pakistan? $12,000. But first, he must drink tea. The first cup is offered to a stranger, the second poured for a friend, and the third is a cup shared by family. In this way, three cups of tea are shared between Greg and each of the people he hopes to do business with. In this way, he learns the first lessons in what it really takes to build a school in Pakistan.

What were those mountains Greg had to cross? - ignorance on the part of the world's society for ignoring the needs of people, lack of education - in a land where the wealthiest are able to send their boys off to private school, and where the government has fallen short on promises of public schooling, and where girls are not often sent to school, and where the Taliban is recruiting young boys by schooling them for free in Madrassas, broken promises - on the part of The United States who promised to help rebuild after the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, and facing unknowns - where Greg had to learn languages new to him, struggle to not offend, drive blindly into the dark under gunfire, and accept traditions and beliefs that were unlike his own but every bit as valid and meaningful. After doing all of this and more, Greg is a much-to-be celebrated hero of the world. Fifty-five schools for girls have been built in areas the typical American has never even imagined. This outreach of love and respect is doing so much more to stop terrorism than anything else ever could. In the heart of the Taliban's incubation box Greg Mortenson offers a much different view of an American.

"Three Cups of Tea" is co-written by David Oliver Relin. It is a must read for every American. The story of Greg's struggle down the mountain and his struggle right back up a mountain of another variety is a captivating, almost unbelievable tale of heroism. It is an in-depth story of deep relevance and high importance. It reads like an Indiana Jones adventure, where the treasure is self growth for thousands, and possibly peace for everyone. To fight for the children is a noble cause, but to also be making a stand in opposition of terror, in this manner, is knight-worthy behavior. Surely, everyone who has the pleasure of meeting Greg is blessed by having been touched by this soul, by his giving personality, and by his drive to make a difference. Reading the book is the next best thing.

Medela Swing Breast Pump Review

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This pump is the best I've ever used. Here's why:

It's totally portable, so I can take it to work in the nice looking travel bag (which actually doesn't look TOO much like a breast pump bag). Even out of the bag, the thing is tiny (easy to toss into a large pocketbook if you needed to).

The Medela 2-Phase Expression Technology is a must have. It feels so natural, and gets more milk than any other pump I've used in the past. The speed and suction is completely adjustable and it makes pumping actually kind of enjoyable.

The breast shield is very comfortable. It's soft and smaller than most others. There are also only 4 buttons to control the entire pump. It's ridiculously simple to figure out.

Though I really love it, for the sake of review, there are some things that could be improved upon:
For a single pump, it is a little bit loud. Not ridiculous, but if you need something quite I would recommend a manual pump. It is however quieter than the Pump In Style or the Isis Uno or Duo.

Being a single pump, pumping does take a bit longer. If you need to be done quickly every time a double pump might suit you. I have found though that it pumps quicker on one breast than a double pump does on one breast (the double of course, pumps both at the same time, making the whole process faster).

It's definitely a good investment for light to moderate pumping. Everyday, multiple session pumping may be a bit of a stretch for the tiny pump, but I'm sure it could hold up pretty well (Medela pumps are known to be very durable). I am a huge advocate of it and I'm sure you will be once you try it.

The Best Digital SLR Camera Review

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Have you heard about the best new digital SLR camera to hit the streets? How about the worst? As the prices of digital SLR cameras have been plummeting like crazy, it's become more important then ever to be able to distinguish the best from the worst. Don't assume that a low price is indicative of a low quality SLR. It could just be the deal you've been looking for. Let's review a couple of worthy contenders in the ring of digital SLR cameras.

It's pretty hard to review digital SLR's without bringing up the Canon Rebel XTi digital SLR camera. The XTi, and it's predecessor the XT has been a solid value for anyone looking to make the move to SLR technology. A consistently strong seller with a solid base of existing users makes the Canon Rebel a worthy for best general purpose SLR camera ever.

With a current price under $600 including a lens kit, it will continue to be popular for some time. The latest model to share the Rebel crown, is the XSi, which is currently scheduled to be on the shelves mid 2008. It brings more megapixels, a better battery grip, a larger LCD, "live view", and a plethora of other new features to the Rebel lineup.

No digital SLR camera review would be complete, without the inclusion of the Nikon D40 digital SLR camera. An equally robust competitor with the Rebel lineup from Canon. For those making a purchase based purely on the Nikon brand name, there's no reason to look much further. The D40 is a great camera for those looking to make the leap from simple point and shoot cameras to the more sophisticated and versatile SLR world. The D40 still has numerous auto settings, so newbie users won't feel rushed up the learning curve of SLR with it's countless manual tweaking options.

Amish Electric Fireplace Review - Magic Heat Or Marketing Magic?

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I love this Country. We don't manufacture as many products as we used to, but we'll always be the masters of the marketing universe. No other country can take something as mundane as a 1,500 watt space heater and repackage it as the Second Coming. A perfect example of this marketing ingenuity is the Amish Heat Surge Electric Fireplace.

It Rolls! It Glows! The Heat Surge miracle heater is a work of genius from the China coast! Real Amish Craftsmanship goes into each mantle! And, to quote the Heat Surge website, "It's not just a fireplace; it's a fine piece of furniture."

But you have to ask yourself: Do I want to spend $587 for a mini electric fireplace on wheels that produces no more heat than any other 1,500 watt space heater costing $500 dollars less?

Just to be fair, this is a valid question for all electric fireplaces, not just the Heat Surge. Believe it or not, you could easily spend more than $2,000 for a combination electric fireplace/entertainment center heated with the same 1,500 watt unit.

No matter how much you pay for an electric fireplace, the cost attributable to the electric heating insert is about $250 (retail). So every dollar you spend over $250 is for the mantel piece. In the case of the Amish Cherry Fireplace, $250 subtracted from the $587 retail price leaves $337 for the cost of the mantel.

Since the Amish heater is a mini electric fireplace, it's difficult to find a similar sized electric fireplace for the sake of comparison. The best I could come up with is the ProCom 24" cherry finish electric fireplace.

Although this fireplace is the smallest ProCom makes, and uses a similar 24" wide heating insert, it's overall dimensions are still 2 1/2 times larger than the Heat Surge.

The last time I checked, the ProCom 24" cherry finish fireplace was available online for $400. After subtracting $250 for the heating insert, the mantel piece for the ProCom costs $150.

So why would you be willing to pay more than twice as much for an Amish mantel less than half the size of a comparable fireplace costing 30% less?

It's the magic of marketing Baby!

If you buy an Amish electric fireplace, it won't be for the boring 1,500 watts of heat offered by every other space heater out there. What's going to get you excited enough to whip out your credit card is an unexplainable attraction to the Amish, the promise of superior Amish craftsmanship and pride of ownership.

I can't explain an unexplainable attraction, but I'll accept the claim of superior Amish craftsmanship. However, "craftsmanship" comes at a price. Over a three year period, the premium you pay for an Amish mantel piece will add an additional $5 a month, or $180 to your actual heating costs when compared to the purchase price of a Pro Com 24" fireplace.

This leads me to the second problem I have with the marketing of this product.

If you go to the Heat Surge website you won't find one picture of the Amish fireplace with the wheels attached. The reason for this, in my opinion, is the wheels make it look "dinky" compared to the "substantial" look it has when pictured without the wheels.

So how much pride can you take in a product the manufacturer is embarrassed to show in its entirety?

This is a shame. The wheels are actually a selling point because they provide the means for zone heating - simply wheel the fireplace from room to room as needed. Zone heating, or heating only the room you occupy, allows you to dial back your home's master thermostat for substantial fuel savings.

On the other hand, attempting to "zone heat" your home for multiple occupants spread out in multiple rooms with just one Amish fireplace is impossible.

I have a few other issues with their marketing claims that I could delve into, such as "It uses about as much energy to run as a coffee maker" and regional energy costs, but they have little bearing on cost effectiveness when you pay $587 for a 1,500 watt space heater.