Three Cups of Tea
Three Cups of Tea  
Podcast: If Books Could Kill
Published On: Wed Aug 05 2026
Description: In 1993, a desperate man stumbled into a remote village in the foothills of the Karakoram mountains. After the residents nursed him back to health, he placed his hands on the village elder's shoulders and made a sacred promise. "Somehow," he said, "I am going to get some private jet reimbursements out of this." Warning: Contains spoilers for the 2016 film "Arrival." Thanks to Ted Callahan for helping us fact-check this episode!Where to find us: Our PatreonOur merch!Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:Three Cups of Deceit“60 Minutes” expose3000 Cups of DeceitBooks vs Bombs? Humanitarian development and the narrative of terror in Northern PakistanDelusional StatesCan't Get There From HereNobel Prize Nominee’s Charity Wins No Award for AccountabilityDavid Oliver Relin, Adventurous Journalist, Dies at 49What Mortenson Got WrongThree Cups of Tea: The Pakistan and Afghan side3 Lessons to Learn From Greg Mortenson Mortenson returns to AfghanistanThe naive republic of aid: Grassroots exceptionalism in humanitarian memoirReligious School Enrollment in Pakistan: A Look at the DataIf you build it, will they come?What Really Works to Improve Learning in Developing Countries?The madrassa scapegoatThanks to Mindseye for our theme song!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod