Books Not Bombs - Greg Mortenson Lecture

As author of bestselling "Three Cups of Tea," and "Stones into Schools," Greg Mortenson is a sought after lecturer who speaks at Dixie State College on March 31, 2011. 

Greg begins by discussing the warrior culture where children are enlisted to fight and kill.  If taught early enough their consciences become disengaged and they no longer value life.  Divergent lines in this photo intimate they are in different worlds.  But they are not.  Since we all know someone or of someone who has fought the war on terror, we know this is not just a problem in some distant part of the globe, it is a local problem.

Greg is passionate about educating girls and women.  He states that if you can educate a female to just the fifth grade, infant mortality drops, the population explosion slows and basic quality of life increases.  Also, females tend to educate others, and educated females usually discourage their children from becoming warriors and gang members.

Two of the many children who donated to Greg's Pennies for Peace campaign.  The McNamee boys raised $556 at their school.

Ethan and Maxwell McNamee are just two normal kids who did something extraordinary.

The joyful work of an altruistic cause. 

At the Dove Center Benefit Dinner, each person paid $100 to participate.   It is estimated that $35,000 will be raised for the cause.

The dinner is sold out.

Greg has a chance to visit at each table for a minute or two.

Greg's wonderful smile.

He is a very good listener and has a knack for getting close to people.

The opulence we enjoy when compared to the near starvation conditions in much of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Light colors and an airy sense of comfort illustrate more of the ease we live with.

Someone paid $100 for this boy to be here.  He is a symbol of hope for the future.  One of the things Greg stresses is the need for Americans to learn to listen better, show more respect and build better relationships.  He believes that books not bombs are the answer to the problems in the Middle East.

Greg's New York Times bestselling books.