Although American Greg Mortenson grew up on a Lutheran mission field near Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, a different mountain would determine his future. In memory of his sister Christa, he set out to carry her amber necklace up the formidable Himalayan peak, K-2 in Asia, wanting to leave it on the top of the world. The attempt failed. Then he lost his way during the descent. What seemed a disaster began a dramatic detour for Greg's life. Helped by the hard-working Muslim people who live in Korphe, a remote village among the jagged heights, Mortenson decided to adopt a compelling new goal - build schools in order to educate the underprivileged Muslim children of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially Muslim girls.

Later, while he was in the Zuudkhan region of far NW Pakistan visiting one of his many construction sites, Mortenson heard the tragic news of 9-11 on a Muslim friend's shortwave radio. Instead of destroying his dream, the attack on America urged him to press forward with his efforts. He was and remains convinced that providing a well-rounded education is the way to counter the radical madrassas that recruit and train naive, impoverished children for military jihad. Thus, the book's subtitle, "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time."

Amir and Hassan are social opposites yet best of friends until a debasing attack on Hassan tests the bond between the two Muslim boys. This occurs soon after they win a kite flying competition in Kabul. Amir shamefully breaks his connection with Hassan. Then the Russians attack the Afghan capitol, and Amir's father takes him to America.

Years later, Amir retuns to Afghanistan, drawn by another friendship. While there he learns the truth about Hassan and welcomes the opportunity to risk his life to rescue Hassan's orphaned son from the Taliban.

In the book's 19 chapters, Ram Swarup provides representative quotes from the collected traditions of Islam to illustrate the main beliefs of Muslims: faith, purification, prayer, fasting. pilgrimage, marriage, divorce, crime and punishment, jihad, paradise, hell, repentance, and many more.

The introduction states: "Muslim theologians make no distinction between the Quran and the Hadiths. Both are considered works of revelation or inspiration.... In the Quran Allah speaks through Mohammad; in the Sunnah he acts though Mohammad....The Quran cannot be understood without the aid of the Hadith, for every Quranic verse has a context which only the Hadith provide."