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    Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
    Unavailable
    Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
    Unavailable
    Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
    Audiobook2 hours

    Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way

    Written by Jon Krakauer

    Narrated by Mark Bramhall

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Greg Mortenson has built a global reputation as a selfless humanitarian and children's crusader, and he's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is also not what he appears to be. As acclaimed author Jon Krakauer discovered, Mortenson has not only fabricated substantial parts of his bestselling books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools, but has also misused millions of dollars donated by unsuspecting admirers like Krakauer himself.

    This is the tragic tale of good intentions gone very wrong.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 3, 2011
    ISBN9780307969774
    Unavailable
    Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way
    Author

    Jon Krakauer

    Jon Krakauer is a mountaineer and the author of Eiger Dreams, Into the Wild, (which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year and was made into a film starring Emile Hirsch and Kristen Stewart) Into Thin Air, Iceland, Under the Banner of Heaven and Where Men Win Glory. He is also the editor of the Modern Library Exploration series. He has received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. According to the award citation, "Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer."

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    Reviews for Three Cups of Deceit

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Note to self: don’t attempt to hoodwink Jon Krakauer
    • 5/5
      Another thorough and excellent piece of writing by Krakauer. Well backed-up in his assertions and easy to understand.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A shocking story, well documented and expertly narrated. A satisfying listen.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Well researched.
    • 3/5
      I have been curious to learn more about Greg Mortenson ever since I heard that Three Cups of Tea (which I was definitely taken in by) didn't quite represent the truth as well as one might hope. This book had been sitting on my shelves for quite some time before I decided it would be a good book for Dewey's readathon.

      Krakauer is an emotional, talented writer. His story drew me forward, kept me turning pages to try to discover just what was reality and what was distortion. It was a little embarrassing to have pointed out all of the aspects of Mortenson's story that should have raised flags as "probably too good to be true," but which I (and many, many others) didn't examine because they felt so good. This story is sad one, ultimately, because Mortenson clearly had a passion to help, and if only had accepted more input, made himself more accountable, instead of falling in love with his white savior narrative, he could have done so much more good.

      Of course, with a little distance (and a little research) from both books, they start to mirror each other in more interesting ways. Tea over-romanticizes and fictionalizes in service to its mission: which is to raise more money and understanding for what it believes to be a desperately important cause. Unfortunately, it seems that Deceit also glosses over and blows out of proportion in service to its mission: which sadly seems to be just to savage Mortenson. Could Mortenson have done a better job? Absolutely. Were he and his organization still adding up to a net good in the world? I think so. With distance, Krakauer's rage on behalf of all the "bilked" schoolchildren (who were moved by Mortenson's visions and held fundraisers and donated their own little collections of pennies) seem a little out of proportion? Also, yes.

      This was an interesting book, but I wish it had been a different book. I wish it had been a book about how people sometimes get wrapped up in good intentions and are swept away by their own stories. I wish it had been a story about the ways we do and do not effectively build empathy between cultures. I wish it had been a story about how we demand unrealistic levels of perfection from non-profits, and are eager to burn them to the ground when they don't live up to our expectations, but shrug our shoulders at the sins of corporations, or the military-industrial complex, or sensationalist media hyping war.

      Who will write that book?

      3 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Highly recommended. As always, Krakauer brings his great writing and reporting skills to an important topic. A slim volume but important nonetheless. I looked up Greg Mortensen after reading and found out that he was forced to "retire" last year after the scam became apparent to everyone.
    • 3/5
      Is a Kindle Single a book? It's longer than a long-form article in, say, The Atlantic. But shorter than, say, Keynes' General Theory. Yet longer than any of Seth Godin's "books." I don't know.

      Anyway, Three Cups of Deceit by Jon Krakauer is a somewhat depressing read, given the amount of time I've spent reading and defending Greg Mortenson. Nick Kristof devoted a column to praising Mortenson's work. To Kristof's credit, he has RT'd several articles critiquing him, including this one which sounds credible. Mortenson has a lot of explaining to do. And it's turned into a he said, she said thing.

      Krakauer donated over $70,000 to Mortenson's Central Asia Institute and quit donating when he saw how opaque the accounting was, and that Mortenson had no accountability. Here is the best that Krakauer has to say:


      IN ALL FAIRNESS, Greg Mortenson has done much that is admirable since he began working in Baltistan sixteen and a half years ago. He’s been a tireless advocate for girls’ education. He’s established dozens of schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have benefited tens of thousands children, a significant percentage of them girls. A huge number of people regard him as a hero, and he inspires tremendous trust. It is now evident, however, that Mortenson recklessly betrayed this trust, damaging his credibility beyond repair.

      The stories in Three Cups of Tea that I had doubts about were ones where locals make profound remarks that we have to trust were translated correctly, or where Mortenson happens to meet some important person who immediately blesses his work. According to Krakauer, most of those stories are made up-- there are people who claim they never happened. Worse, the dates Mortenson gives for these stories don't line up with historical record in those people's lives (like his attending Mother Theresa's funeral). Mortenson's sequel, which I haven't read, is worse in that he's never actually visited the places featured or witnessed the events himself. Apparently, a lot of people over there haven't seen him in a while... But much of the problem is Mortenson's need to embellish actual events.

      There are plenty of anonymous current and former CAI employees who bash Mortenson, and several former board members with serious complaints. The turnover on the board and lack of accountability are indeed problematic, both legally and from an operations standpoint.

      I think Krakauer and 60 Minutes did a terrible job trying to interview Greg with "gotcha" tactics. If Mortenson is so bad, why do so many people who have seen his work vouch for him?

      Mortenson was raised in Africa, and Three Cups has plenty of quotes from people frustrated with him because he just doesn't seem to be "on our planet." I know plenty of Third Culture Kids who act that way-- they're almost not real. I don't mind this, because I want my own children to be TCK's, but it's a problem when the symptom is sinful-- compulsive lying. I'm troubled by most of what I read in Krakauer's book, and I'm glad he wrote it.

      Three Cups of Deceit introduces us to other foundations doing good work there, and other Americans who also had the same bold spirit-- either working with NGOs or doing PhD dissertations in the remote parts of Central Asia. I found that encouraging.

      Let's go and do, but let's be honest and transparent about it.

      Going to give this 3 stars out of 5. Could have had a lot more on-the-record stuff earlier, and that would have helped everyone.
    • 3/5
      A story that needed to be told. Fraud, lack of ethics, and simply embellishment aren't acceptable.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Jon Krakauer was a supporter of Greg Mortenson and his humanitarian effort to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan (as chronicled in Mortensons books Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools). At some point, though, Krakauer started looking a little further into things, to discover that Mortenson was outright lying (in his books, as well as numerous public speaking engagements) about a lot of what he'd done. Three Cups of Deceit details what Krakauer says actually happened.

      Wow! Some of Krakauer's information has come from former board members of the CAI (Central Asia Institute, the foundation formed to manage everything) and from people who were involved in the events that supposedly happened. He seems to have come up with some financial information, as well (Mortenson rarely accounted for the money he spent). There's so much spinning around in my head about this. Krakauer also apparently gave Mortenson a chance to talk to him and defend himself before this was published, but to no avail. I'm just floored. I think this is something that people who have read Three Cups of Tea should follow up with.
    • 5/5
      I shouldn't read too many books like this because they make me feel cynical. Like the characters in 'Game of Thrones' - Mortenson is a crazy mish-mash of good and evil and everything in between. Some of Krakauer's points are nit picking but the weight of evidence is against Mortenson. i sure would have liked the author to have included an abnormal psychological explanation of why Mortenson acted the way he did.
    • 4/5
      Krakauer writes so clearly, than even though I wasn't really up on the whole Three Cups of Tea concept, I fully understood what was going on. Turns out this guy, Mortenson, is great at getting people to give him money, but he is lousy at managing a multi-million-dollar charity. As various well-intentioned but poorly thought-out celebrity charities have recently shown, a good "concept" is rarely the key to successful works. I sympathize with all those who have contributed to CAI and the Pennies for Peace causes.
    • 4/5
      This was a very interesting look into Greg Mortenson's behavior and lies as head of the CAI and how he fabricated so much of his famous book. What made me believe Krakauer's version of things was not only his research but that he himself fell under Mortenson's spell and donated money to CAI himself and that he said he believed in the cause just not in Mortenson.This is a must read for anyone that has read [book:Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time|49436] and/or [book:Stones Into Schools|6920059] and this is a must read Before you think about donating any money to this cause.
    • 4/5
      I have great regard for Jon Krakauer as a writer and as a journalist. I was one "swept away" by Mortenson's books and his mission. Oh how sad to suffer such a disillusionment. Things are not always what they seem.
    • 4/5
      Brief Description: In this 30,000 word short-form book (which you can download from Byliner.com for your e-reader or as an audio book), journalist Jon Krakauer documents the result of his investigation into Greg Mortenson’s various misdeeds and deceptions. If you don’t know already, Mortenson is the author of the best-selling book Three Cups of Tea and the founder of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), which was created to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the years since his book was published, Mortenson has been a tireless advocate for the CAI and his books—raking in millions of dollars in donations. (Krakauer himself donated $55,000 to Mortenson’s cause.) However, when questions were raised about Mortenson’s management style and financial dealings, Krakauer felt compelled to investigate. The results of that investigation are documented in this book. Krakauer makes a damning case against Mortenson—exposing a series of falsehoods from Mortenson’s books (the most shocking being that Mortenson’s kidnapping by the Taliban NEVER HAPPENED!) and how Mortenson used the CAI as “his own personal ATM” and as a vehicle for augmenting his own profile and personal wealth. In addition, Krakauer exposes how numerous schools built by the CAI are “ghost schools”—sitting empty and abandoned due to lack of support and staff.My Thoughts: Although I haven’t read Three Cups of Tea, my parents and brother were ardent supporters of Mortenson and his organization. When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it—not only because I respect Jon Krakauer as a person and a journalist, but because I knew how much Mortenson’s work had affected my parents and brother. When I told my brother I was reading this book, he asked to read it too. Despite his admiration for Krakauer, he was convinced that Three Cups of Deceit would not change his opinion about Mortenson. However, after reading it, his mind was changed …. and he felt as deceived as Krakauer and countless other Mortenson supporters. If you’ve read Three Cups of Tea or Mortenson’s other books or made a donation to the CAI, I urge you to read this book to fully understand the degree of fraud, deceit and financial misdeeds perpetuated by Mortenson. I’m sure Krakauer and other Mortenson supporters wish this wasn’t a book that had to be written, but I think it is best for all involved to get the truth out there.
    • 4/5
      The title, THREE CUPS OF DECEIT : HOW GREG MORTENSEN, HUMANITARIAN HERO, LOST HIS WAY, by Jon Krakauer, is a play on the words “three cups of tea,” the title of the book by Greg Mortenson. Mortenson’s book describes his good works in Afghanistan, building schools, the best way to defeat the Taliban, he said. As a result of Mortenson’s book, Mortenson’s office received so many donations they needed a wheelbarrow to move them out, they said. More than one large donation was from Krakauer.But Krakauer was embarrassed to learn that Mortenson mismanaged that money, using it as his personal ATM, according to one member of his staff. So Krakauer researched and wrote THREE CUPS OF DECEIT.I am familiar with Krakauer’s research because I’ve read three of his other books. It’s impeccable. Again, in this short book, he presents the facts and proof of those facts.Krakauer found that, not only did Mortenson mismanage (in effect, steal) the money donated so that schools could be built in Afghanistan, he also lied about it. And he not only lied about mismanaging the money, he also lied about most of his other claims in THREE CUPS OF TEA.Mortenson’s THREE CUPS OF TEA was on my list of books to read. It isn’t anymore, thanks to Krakauer’s THREE CUPS OF DECEIT.
    • 4/5
      Reading this very short 75-page book is like being told as a child that Santa doesn't exist – all the arguments are logical but you still don't quite want to believe them. When I first heard of Three Cups of Deceit, I assumed (because I wanted to) that it was written by some disgruntled hack who just wanted to share the spotlight by defaming Mortenson. When I learned it was written by Jon Krakauer, an author I respect, I thought it was worth a second look.Mr. Krakauer, once an ardent supporter of CAI, the nonprofit organization that Mortenson is affiliated with, became disillusioned with Mortenson and decided to dig into the story for himself. He seems to have done his research well. His allegations of Mortenson's portraying as truth that which is fiction, and misuse of CAI funds, seems well founded.I still believe that Mortenson has done some good, has helped some of the people that he claimed to have helped. It saddens me to see that he apparently has lost his way, or at any rate, is not choosing the most honorable path. What saddens me more is that people want to believe, people want to help to the best of their abilities, and this causes us to lose faith. When someone donates, especially in these times when fewer people can donate or must donate less, the donor wants to know that his money is being used wisely, is being stretched as far as it can for the purpose intended. The controversy over Mortenson's work and actions hurts all nonprofits. Donors are at a loss, not knowing who and what they can trust. And that hurts everyone. Some quotes that were especially meaningful to me:“What's disturbing is not the amount Mortenson was paid, but that he lied about it – and that dozens of such falsehoods are strewn thought the book.”“In all fairness, Greg Mortenson has done much that is admirable since he began working in Baltistan sixteen and a half years ago. He's been a tireless advocate for girls' education. He's established dozens of schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan....”This one seems especially relevant:“With one hand Greg has created something potentially beautiful and caring (regardless of his motives). With the other he has murdered his creation by his duplicity.”And I really, really wanted to believe in Santa Claus.
    • 4/5
      This brief book examines the latest literary scandal, i.e. the "memoir" by Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Tea, and exposes the lies and deceit in Mortenson's book. I had not had a chance to read Three Cups of Tea when it came public that he had fabricated most of it and now I'm glad I never bothered, nor will I in the future. It's disgusting that Mortenson could have fabricated such lies in order to raise money in the name of education that he kept for himself.Krakauer, who was burned by Mortenson's scheme by donating over seventy-five thousand dollars himself, gets right to the point with his new book, summarizing what Mortenson claims happens on his journeys, then telling the reader what actually happened, citing numerous credible sources along the way.There were several disturbing facts presented in Three Cups of Deceit, specifically, for example, after over forty weeks as #1 on the NYT Bestseller list, Three Cups of Tea fell to #2 behind Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love. Mortenson used his foundation's credit card to start buying copies of his book in an attempt to put it back at #1. There's no other word for that than disturbing. But the absolute worst thing is that of Mortenson's schools, some of them only exist on paper; they aren't really there. Several that actually do exist are empty because Mortenson failed to provide decent teachers. Villages decided to create their own schools in lieu of Mortenson's because of the lack of teachers. So what's the point of him actually building schools? It seems just so he can raise money... for himself.The great thing about this book was that I got a glimpse of that area of the world without having to read all the lies. Whether or not you've read Three Cups of Tea, I definitely recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      This book is a short (at about 75 pages) and well-written critique of Greg Mortenson, founder of the Central Asian Institute (henceforth referred to as the CAI) and best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools. Jon Krakauer's works are always readable and thoroughly researched, and this one is no exception.Krakauer doesn't choose to investigate Mortenson out of spite. Rather, he was once a big fan of the man, his books, and his works, contributing a great deal of money to the CAI. But after he learned about the questionable financial practices within the organization, especially by Mortenson himself, he withdrew his support. The more he found out, the more disquieted he became, and he began digging deeper.The first accusations involve Mortenson's trips to Pakistan (and later Afghanistan) upon which he based his narrative and his charity's mission. Beyond the substitutions of one village or another and combinations of trips, there is an apparently fabricated kidnapping by the Taliban. Krakauer also alleges that Mortenson misrepresented many of the areas in which he was building schools, describing them as Taliban and fundamentalist breeding grounds, when in fact the Taliban has little or no influence in these areas. As a frequent reader of memoirs and "creative nonfiction" I understand how sometimes the "truth" can be bent or adjusted in order to make a readable, coherent narrative, so these accusations bothered me the least.As the book continues, Krakauer switches to accusations of financial misappropriations, poor bookkeeping, and mismanagement of the CAI. We learn that none of Mortenson's profits from his two books go toward the CAI but the CAI spends more on promoting the books, including flying Mortenson to appearances in private jets, than on the schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, many of which are now "ghost schools", unstaffed and empty of children. Various members of CAI's board have left because Mortenson refuses to make a detailed account of the money he spends abroad, so that the bookkeepers are left to guess and fabricate numbers. I wouldn't be surprised at all if problems with the IRS are on the horizon.Krakauer concludes that while Mortenson has inevitably done some good work, if the CAI is to continue its mission, Mortenson must step aside and hand the charity over to people who are more adept at accounting and managing. After the publication of this book and the piece on 60 Minutes, there is already a lawsuit against Mortenson and an investigation by the Montana Attorney General.I recommend that you read the book and judge for yourself. I will certainly be following the story as it develops, and I hope that when all the dust has cleared, Krakauer will write a follow up, as his insight and excellent journalism make a highly disturbing story more palatable.
    • 4/5
      Wow. How could so many of us (in the USA) have been fooled for so long? Like many I wanted to believe all these schools were being built, that they were being staffed, that students lives were being changed. Now I am not so sure.As other reviewers here have said, the story is still playing out in real time, but the evidence looks damning. I agree with Krakauer's conclusion from his painstaking research and do not see how Greg Mortenson can stay at the helm of the Central Asia Institute. Assuming that CAI is even able to survive this crisis.Recommended reading for anyone who wants to hear the other side of the Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools stories. You have been warned, it is not pretty.
    • 5/5
      This story is still playing out as I write this, which makes assigning stars chancy, but Krakauer has built a formidable case, and one that can be checked by a third party interviewing his named sources. After reading Three Cups of Tea, I find it very credible that the organization's books are a mess, and that Mortenson has failed to keep needed documentation. This goes on to makes even worse accusations: that Mortenson isn't merely disorganized, he actively thwarts attempts to keep accounts of his and his employees spending, and that he is using the Institute's money for personal expenses. I've read some of the defenses, but I'm not impressed. I personally cannot see how sending Mortenson around to do his talks can be considered "program" and not fundraising, particularly if it is handled in the manner that Krakauer alleges. As to Mortenson's honesty: he now says in his interview with Outside magazine that he spent a few hours in Korphe in 1993, not an unspecified number of days. I cannot see how his very different account in Three Cups of Tea can be explained by combining two trips into one, or a vagueness with regard to time by the Balti. It was Mortenson telling the story, after all. He ought to be able to remember whether he spent a number of days there or a few hours. His climbing partner, Scott Darsney certainly ought to be able to remember if he went missing for days. If anything, his argument about the Balti undermines his efforts to call them as witnesses. It will be interesting to hear what co-author David Oliver Relin has to say, since Mortenson is trying to make him out as the bad guy who misled poor naive Greg.This is a story that I will be following with great interest.
    • 5/5
      This story is still playing out as I write this, which makes assigning stars chancy, but Krakauer has built a formidable case, and one that can be checked by a third party interviewing his named sources. After reading Three Cups of Tea, I find it very credible that the organization's books are a mess, and that Mortenson has failed to keep needed documentation. This goes on to makes even worse accusations: that Mortenson isn't merely disorganized, he actively thwarts attempts to keep accounts of his and his employees spending, and that he is using the Institute's money for personal expenses. I've read some of the defenses, but I'm not impressed. I personally cannot see how sending Mortenson around to do his talks can be considered "program" and not fundraising, particularly if it is handled in the manner that Krakauer alleges. As to Mortenson's honesty: he now says in his interview with Outside magazine that he spent a few hours in Korphe in 1993, not an unspecified number of days. I cannot see how his very different account in Three Cups of Tea can be explained by combining two trips into one, or a vagueness with regard to time by the Balti. It was Mortenson telling the story, after all. He ought to be able to remember whether he spent a number of days there or a few hours. His climbing partner, Scott Darsney certainly ought to be able to remember if he went missing for days. If anything, his argument about the Balti undermines his efforts to call them as witnesses. It will be interesting to hear what co-author David Oliver Relin has to say, since Mortenson is trying to make him out as the bad guy who misled poor naive Greg.This is a story that I will be following with great interest.