Read it. Please, please read it! It is a true, ongoing story written by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. If you need a last-minute holiday gift idea, this is it. You, or your loved one, will love it. If you don’t love the book, please let me know why by responding to this blog. A couple of months ago, on my way to visiting my parents on Long Island, I realized I left the book I was reading in my apartment. Since I had no reading material to distract me from the constant banter offered on the LIRR, I wandered into the book shop. The book store at Penn Station is one of its highlights. Penn Station is not nearly as fun as Grand Central when it comes to walking around and people watching. At the book shop, I was glancing through the best sellers section and I happened upon Three Cups of Tea. The cover has three girls wearing head scarves. I gathered the book was based in the Middle East, a region I cannot learn enough about, so I figured, “Why not?” and decided to give it a shot. This spur-of-the-moment purchase has opened up my mind and inspired me. No book has done that for me in a very long time. It made me remember one person can make a difference — a very big difference. It also reinforced my feelings about following my heart and my passions. There are so many more questions to be answered about how the world has gotten into its current state — questions we may not ever be able to answer. These questions will certainly help us better assess the future and realize we need to make education a primary concern, around the globe and in our own backyards. -Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher