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The Controversy Over Three Cups of Tea

Photo by Ellen Jaskol, www.ellenjaskol.com
Korphe, Pakistan, a village central to Greg Mortenson's account in "Three Cups of Tea"

In his book Three Cups of Tea, mountaineer Greg Mortenson details his humanitarian efforts to build schools in Pakistan. His story brought him worldwide acclaim and sold lots of books. There’s just one problem, says the writer Jon Krakauer: Mortenson’s story is a lie. Krakauer has written at length about holes he’s found in Mortenson’s tale, allegations the journalist Jennifer Jordan pushes back against in a new documentary film. Jordan and Krakauer join us Monday to discuss the controversy over Three Cups of Tea.

Jon Krakauer is the author of several books including Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, and Missoula. His book about Greg Mortenson, Three Cups of Deceit [Amazon|Indiebound], was published into 2011. He also wrote an article on Medium.com about Mortenson.

Jennifer Jordan is the author of the book The Savage Summit: The Life and Death of the First Women of K2 [Amazon|Indiebound]. Her new documentary about Greg Mortenson is called Three Thousand Cups of Tea

Central Asia Institute provided the following statement in response to today's program:

Response From Central Asia Institute by RadioWest on Scribd

Doug Fabrizio has been reporting for KUER News since 1987, and became News Director in 1993. In 2001, he became host and executive producer of KUER's RadioWest, a one hour conversation/call-in show on KUER 90.1 in Salt Lake City. He has gained a reputation for his thoughtful style. He has interviewed everyone from Isabel Allende to the Dalai Lama, and from Madeleine Albright to Desmond Tutu. His interview skills landed him a spot as a guest host of the national NPR program, "Talk of the Nation." He has won numerous awards for his reporting and for his work with RadioWest and KUED's Utah NOW from such organizations as the Society of Professional Journalists, the Utah Broadcasters Association, the Public Radio News Directors Association and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.