Jeanette R. (thebeakeeper) reviewed on 12/14/2009 + 167 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

I really really wanted to like this book and to not have to give a negative review to a book with its heart in the right place. BUT it took me four attempts before i finally was able to get through it.

It was obviously written by Relin alone and is way too worshipful of Mortenson and the work he has done. There was too much talk about how wonderful a person he is, how deserving he is of the Nobel Peace Prize, etc. He's referred to as a hero at least a few times a chapter and praised non-stop by the people around him. Mortenson's work is enough to show how wonderful he is.

There's also not enough material here for a full-length book. Entire sections feel like padding that do nothing more than get the story to book length. (Pages and pages about nothing made me want to scream!)

It also doesn't help that there's almost nothing here about how the education Mortenson's schools are giving to boys and girls is actually affecting life in their villages -- or if it is. Granted, it's probably too early to see many results, but still...

I really really really wanted to like it. And I did enjoy the last 70 pages or so, but i won't be reading his next book.

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