The five-page introduction "In Mr. Mortenson's Orbit," provides us the only glimpse of David Oliver Relin, who co-authored the book with Greg Mortenson.

"Working on this book was a true collaboration. I wrote the story. But Greg Mortenson lived it," Relin writes, on page 5. He introduces himself to us and introduces Mortenson, as well, with descriptions that make M. sound saintly. Then he drops out of the picture for the rest of the book, writing a basic third-person story of the previous 10 years of Mortenson's life. Apparently Relin spent a couple of years researching Mortenson's life, including interviewing dozens of people and visiting all the places in Pakistan and Afghanistan that would appear in the book, in respectable reporter style. (Relin writes for Parade and other publications.) The intro begins with a snapshot of one of the research trips with Mortenson.

I think it's my favorite part of the whole book. On beginning my second read of "Three Cups," I'm struck by how personal this opening is. I enjoy the intimacy of the first-person narrative and I wonder if a first-person recounting would have improved the voice of the entire story. Parts of it dragged, I thought. As I mentioned before, I felt the message put forth by the book was more powerful than the telling of it. Relin is no William Faulkner or Toni Morrison. And yet his writing comes closest to greatness in the intro, when we feel connected to his emotions and can experience what he does. I wonder how he might have pulled us into Mortenson's feelings at various places in the story.

And then as a reporter myself, I sympathize with Relin when he confesses that he was one of those "objective journalists ... at risk of being drawn into his (Mortenson's) orbit." Rather than just observing and writing about Mortenson, as an unbiased reporter, Relin wants him to succeed and agrees that education is the only way to fight terrorism.

So, does anyone agree with me that the introduction is the best-written chapter of the book and can you argue that a first-person narrative throughout would be a mistake?