Following a CBS "60 Minutes" report that found factual errors in the best-selling book, "Three Cups of Tea," author Greg Mortenson and his charitable work in Afghanistan and Pakistan have come under fire. In the book, Mortenson writes about stumbling into a tiny village in northeastern Pakistan and coming across a group of schoolchildren doing their lessons with sticks and dirt. It was then, he writes, that he discovered his passion to build schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But "60 Minutes'" producers found factual errors in the book and suggest that Mortenson's charity may be spending money poorly and exaggerating their accomplishments. Mortenson is denying the allegations.
Since 1993, Greg Mortenson has dedicated his life to building schools, mostly for girls, in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Author of The New York Times best-seller, "Three Cups of Tea," Greg Mortenson, approaches diplomacy in Afghanistan through education and working with village elders. And even as a strong advocate against the war there, he and his book have been warmly embraced by top ranking members of the U.S. command in Afghanistan, who have turned to Mortenson for advice on how to approach locals there.