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For starters, I've not read Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea. I have to admit a certain (often misguided) bias against something that stays on the bestseller list for that long. I blame Dan Brown and Mitch Albom for this. I have however read Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air which I thought was wonderful.

So with only a little understanding of the issue I read this because ooh - scandal! I'll start with the fact that Jon Krakauer is pissed. He feels personally conned because he donated $75,000 to Mortenson's Central Asia Institute and feels that it was squandered, with many other donations. He wants to expose the fact that everything's not as selflessly generous as it seems to be at the CAI.

It does seem like Mortenson is an asshole. He wants things his way and will avoid or thwart those who question him. In Myers-Briggs speak he is an extreme P; comes up with wonderful visions but can't be bothered with the nuts and bolts of making it happen. The stories presented as facts in his books are works of fiction Krakauer argues, citing quotes from others involved.

Finances at CAI are obscured, poorly documented, and a bit shady. Board members and staff alike have resigned because of this. While money made from Three Cups of Tea only goes to Mortenson, the CAI pays for his travel and lodging on book tours. He rarely turns in expense reports.

Krakauer also notes that a number of schools Mortenson claims to have started are sitting empty, built but not equipped or staffed. However, some are thriving, including ones that focus on educating girls. And building some thriving schools in areas where they didn't have any is a large accomplishment. So why Mortenson feels the need to exaggerate and falsify his story is a mystery. It's this that Krakauer exposes in his book.