Spanish Books Books

excelente libro, una gran obra de develación de los secretos del castrismo. Norberto Fuentes es un gran escritor y sus historias son muy valoradas por los conocedores de la lieteratura latinoamericana. Grandioso. Uno de los mejores del momento actual

Comencé a leer "Dulces Guerreros Cubanos" un lunes a las 3.00 pm y no lo pude soltar hasta terminarlo el martes a las 6.00 am. El dinamismo de este libro me llevaba de la risa al más increíble de los espantos en cuestión de segundos. Historias que al lector ajeno y lejano pueden parecer increíbles, pero que el lector cubano de clase media sabe la certeza detrás de ellas, son contadas de forma magistral por este señor de la pluma, que perteneció durante muchos años al "inner circle" del Kremlin Cubano. Después de "Mea Culpa" de Cabrera Infante es lo mejor que he leído sobre Cuba.

Norberto Fuentes was close for many years to Cuba's inner circle. He fought in Fidel's African wars in former Portuguese colony Angola. He was close to General Arnaldo Ochoa, a Hero of the Revolution who, according to Fuentes, led an Afro-Cuban army in the largest tank battle since WWII. And a good friend to the De La Guardia twins, fast-living, good-looking intelligence operatives with plenty of blood on their hands. Suddently, disaster struck. In 1989, after the collapse of the Berlin Wall, strongman Castro decided he would give a sign that no glasnost or perestroika (remember them?) would happen in Cuba. He had General Ochoa, Tony De la Guardia and several others arrested an tried on trumped-up charges of drug traficking, and afterwards had them executed by a kangaroo court. Fuentes, a former darling of Fidel's for his earlier Hemingway book, fell from grace and was arrested. He only got out at Gabriel García Marquez's request.

Fuentes is therefore, a witness to life in Cuba for the inner circle. These people are, within their own circle, omnipotent. They can procure computers to write, like Fuentes, or recording equipment like Pablo Milanés, which other writers or artists can only dream about. They keep large bundles of US currency hidden in a variety of places (Fuentes kept part of his stash with his favorite mistress) just in case it's required. They are absolutely amoral and would get into any sordid business provided it's profitable and Fidel's authorized it. For them revolutionary rethoric is just a useful discourse to maintain their privileged status. Fidel himself is, as one would expect, a megalomaniac with a speech disorder (he can't shut up), who believes in degrading or exalting his underlings in any way that suits him. Fuentes is ambivalent towards Fidel: he knows Castro is a world-historical figure, but is entirely aware of the disfunctionality of the system that he has presided over for the past 45 years. He grudgingly admires but also loathes Castro. His sentiments are probably similar to those that Khruschev held towards Stalin: Admiration tinged with fear and disgust. And it should be noted that Fuentes continues to proclame himself a Socialist persecuted by friends in the Nomenklatura.

"Dulces Guerreros Cubanos" is a very personal book, somtimes rambling but never dull and always well-informed. Whoever enjoys this book should also read Fuentes's more recent "La Autobiografía de Fidel Castro, Vol. 1", which takes 800+ pages just getting to the Revolution. It is a veritable Aladdin's cave of mean spirited, but very funny, gossip and innuendo about Castro and his circle, supposedly written by Castro himself. Having read several Castro biographies (among which I specially recommend Volker Skierka's recent work), I believe Fuentes a very useful resource, although he should be taken with a pinch of salt. This is not history, but historicized fiction.

I bought the whole serious for my 10 month old daughter after her doctor gave her, "Where's the puppy"? at one of her well baby check-ups. She absolutely loved the book! We took it with us to Church every Sunday and it kept her occupied. My daughter is now 15 months old and she still loves this book and all of the others in this series. These are by far her favorite books and she has a lot of books. They are also fun to read to her. Even her older 10 year old sister enjoys reading these little flap books to her baby sister. If you have a baby or need to buy a gift for someone who does, you can't go wrong with this book!

"Donde esta el gatito?" is great for toddlers, especially one like mine who wants to open the flaps and turn the pages himself. Not only does he get to identify the cat, but there are also everyday things he can recognize on each page- bananas, a toybox and a laundry basket. The Spanish version lets me practice a little Spanish on him (and me), with easy and a little more difficult words mixed together. I recommend the series in English or Spanish.

I bought this book for my oldest son about six years ago, and he just loved it (we have a cat, and he loved our cat too). It's a wonderful book for little kids because they can participate by lifting the flaps, and they love the surprise of finding the kitten hidden underneath. The book has been out of print for a while, so I am thrilled to see it's available again.

Great book, story about young children traveling outside the US. I learned some spanish!

I bought the book because I know the Author. We worked together for a short time. He would talk about all of his adventures surfing in all these far away places and his experiences. So I thought it would be great to read his book. I thought it was great. The wonderful colorful illustrations followed the story wonderfully. The story kept your interest waiting to see what would happen next. The language was kept simple to read and follow by younger kids. I read it to my little cousin who is 10 and he really enjoyed it. He was asking all kinds of questions about surfing when we were done...This book helped him to look at a new sport and want to find out more about it...That is wonderful....

Hanna, Keep up the great work....

Marie

A lot of children's literature is kind of limited in scope, in terms of the culture and demographic it portrays. This book has a really nice message about cultural diversity. For kids who are just beginning to come into contact with other cultures through travel, it's a great story about learning how to accept and participate in things that are new and different. It's particularly good for kids who will be going to Costa Rica, of course: it deals with lots of nice aspects of the local culture, and even has bits of Spanish to learn.
Really a nice addition to any kiddie library, especially in terms of introducing them to other cultures.

"Artfully designed...the perfect holiday gift" Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Makes dining in 19 Spanish speaking destinations easy and enjoyable" Toronto Star. "A dietary dictionary to help you decipher ropa vieja as shredded beef, not old clothes" Caribbean Travel & Life. COMING IN SPRING 1999: EATING & DRINKING IN ITALY: Reading Menus in Italian.

I liked this book a lot- you know, I can't really speak Spanish, but I went to Mexico and I wanted to eat, and, you know, this book did the trick. I recommend it to anybody who wants to understand Spanish menus.

This menu reader is so easy to use. Unlike other menu readers which are divided into categories (fish, soup, salad), this one is an easy-to-use, alphabetically organized menu reader.The drawings in the margin are very clever and funny.

This immortal play is an allegory: a tale which illustrates us on some superior truth, employing symbols. Basil is the king of Poland, who hides his son Sigmund (Freud?, just kidding)in a tower, for fear that an oracle may come true. Once, he takes him out to see what kind of man he is, and discovers Sigmund is arrogant and authoritarian. Then he puts him back in his cell and manages to convince him that everything was just a dream. After that, civil war begins, and Sigmund is out to fight, a totally different man from what he was.

"Life is a dream" is a play about the utter unreliability of our senses. Of course, we have to use them to figure out some reality in which we can live. But we have no idea of who we are and where we come from, much less what will happen after death. We also don't know what death is. It is also a case in favor of peace and solidarity. Why spend our brief and dream-like time on Earth being mean and dirty?: let's all be friendly and good, and this will be a good dream and not a nightmare.

Despite its philosophical subject, the play is quick-paced and funny. The plot to make Sigmund believe everything was a dream is hilarious, and it is easy to see why it's a classic. Read it.

This play is a hidden gem. Calderon has written a classic comedy that follows the formula but ventures into classic philosophy as well: what is our life? Is it real? Is it a dream? If it is a dream, how then should we live our lives? This is the center of Oedipus Rex, with its fate versus free will theme, and Calderon explores it with humor and compassion. The Dover edition is inexpensive but doesn't cut corners, making it perfect for college students. I highly recommend it!

To be or not to be maybe is one of the most famous quotation. It is catchy, but " ¿Qué es la vida?/un frenesi/ ¿Qué es la vida?/ una ilusión" is better.

Forget a spoiled prince too obssesed with his mother. Forget a maid who needs a therapy and soon. We have Segismundo and Rosaura. A brave, drop dead gorgeous dark hero and a resourceful, witty, inteligent heroine. You will laugh, you will cry.
You have romance, sword-fighting-cross-star lovers, intrigue, foreign policy. All in one.

Seriously, this is the best play ever written. You can enjoy only the story or find a real interpretation of Spain under the Habsburgs. But also a search for identity. Calderon asks the eternal question WHO ARE WE and wrapped it in a wonderful, rich and manificent dress.
Try it and you forget Dennmark. And if you can read it in Spanish. Maybe is hard but it will worth.

...usted necesita a este libro.Mientras el imperialismo yanqui hace una guerra criminal ( marzo 2003 ) en el Medio Oriente que achicará a la Guerra del Golfo de 1991, este libro es tan necesario hoy como fue durante la guerra previa. Los dirigentes de la revolución cubana, dentro de la Organización de Naciones Unidas y afuera, plantearon entonces y plantean hoy que los objetivos verdaderas en la guerra anterior son los mismos que en la guerra de hoy: una conquista colonial de uno de los países de mayores recursos petroleros de la Tierra. Escucha a estas voces y no a las de los políticos, sobre todo las estadounidenses, que sirven los capitalistas petroleros, ni Bush ni sus aliados del Partido Demócrata. Lea y entienda que es la tarea del pueblo irakí derrocar a la dictadura de Saddam Hussein y sus generales; y aprenda que la lucha del pueblo irakí en contra el imperialismo yanqui y forma parte de la lucha unida de los pueblos de Asia, África y América Latina echar el dominio de los países imperialistas de Europa, Norteamérica y Japón. ¡Lea estas palabras y únase a la lucha en contra las guerras imperialistas y a la lucha por la autodeterminación de los oprimidos del mundo!

With US Imperialism preparing a war in the Middle East that will dwarf the Gulf War discussed here, this book is needed just as much as it was needed during the Gulf War. The leaders of the Cuban revolution in the UN and beyond pointed out then, and point out today that the real objectives of imperialism in this war are nothing less than a colonial conquest of the one of the richest oil countries on Earth. Listen to these voices, not the lies of Emron-paid-for-my-campaign Bush when you consider what the coming war is all about. Listen to these voices and understand that no matter how bad the regime in Iraq is, the struggle of the Iraqi people is part of the struggle of all the peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America to throw off the economic and political domination of the imperialist countries of Europe, North America, and Japan. Read these words and join the struggle against imperialist war and for the self-determination of the oppressed of the Earth!

En sus propias palabras --el enfrentamiento entre el gobierno revolucionario de Cuba y los imperialistas de EEUU y sus aliados en plena carrera guerrerista. Documentos de augusto, septiembre y octubre de 1990, mientras EEUU preparaba la guerra sangrienta contra Iraq.

En 9 capítulos, el libro presenta textos de las resoluciones del Consejo de Seguridad de las Naciones Unidas y declaraciones hechas por el representante cubano, Ricardo Alarcón, y el presidente cubano Fidel Castro. Explican con datos y argumentos detallados porque Cuba se opuso a los planes de EEUU y sus aliados.

¿Quiere entender las razones por las guerras libradas por EEUU en todos los rincones del mundo?
¿Quiere entender el papel de la ONU en el mundo de hoy?
¿Quiere saber más de la crisis económica y social del mundo hoy en día --y cómo luchar para cambiarlo?

Entonces, ¡lea este libro y compártelo con sus amigas y amigos!

LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE "EL ADN DE LAS RELACIONES " IN CD'S OR ANY ONE OF THIS KIND OF MATTER (SELF ESTIME HELPER) IN CD OR CASSETTE, PLEASE....

Este es uno de los mejores libros, si no el mejor, que e leido sobre las relaciones. Este libro me a ayudado mucho con mi matrimonio. Finalmente entiendo algunas cosas que siempre me frustraron. Este libro tambien me ayudo con mis amistades en el trabajo. Toda persona debe de leer este libro.

Los autores son conocido consejeros cristianos norteamericano. En este libro establecen el valor central de las relaciones en la vida y significado del ser humano. Abordan tres relaciones principales: relacion con Dios, relaciones con otros y la relación con uno mismo. Estas tres relaciones se articulan unas con otras.

Los autores tratan, tambien, acerca del circulo de elementos que destruyen las relaciones. Para ilustrar lo principios que pretenden compartir, van a través del libro tratando con las dificultades de cuatro parejas. Describen sus problemas, los analizan, y dan pasos de "tratamiento".

Por favor, tenga en cuenta dos aspectos:
1) Los enfoques tratados no son todos necesariamente correlativos a las costumbres, estilo de vida y relacionamiento de la gente hispana. Sepa que encontrará distancias culturales en la lectura (ya que fue escrito originalmente en inglés para la cultura norteamericana).
2) Este es, específicamente, un trabajo enfocado en la relacion matrimonial, y no en el "ADN" de LAS relaciones humanas en general... El título ni el subtítulo de la obra aclaran ese particular. Si usted está buscando un libro de relaciones humanas en general, que le sea util para con sus amistades, trabajo, la iglesia, etc... hay otros materiales. Este es un buen libro de ayuda para parejas, y bien se beneficiaran estas si lo leen y aplican sus principios.

Un excelente libro cristiano, recomendado para comprender y mejorar la comunicación y las relaciones es: Como Relacionarse Mejor: Manual de Tecnicas Para Desarrollar Relaciones Mas Satisfactorias, Dinamicas y Duraderas (Serie Recursos Ministeriales) Tambien:Los Cinco Lenguajes Del Amor: Como expresar devocion sincera a su conyuge (Five Love Languages, Spanish edition)

One Hundred Years of Solitude is definitely my favorite book of all times. Since I considered I had read Gabo's masterpiece, I never got to reading Love in the Times of Cholera, until now.

A few days ago, I read Memoria de mis Putas Tristes, which came out about a week ago, and when writing a review, I thought too bad the book is not 900 pages long. Then, hungry for more divine prose and magic realism, I remembered Love in the Times of Cholera. I suddenly had 500 more pages of Gabo.

The book turns out to be a 50+ year long love story, superbly written as most of what Gabo has written. The prose grabs you and does not let you go until the very last line.

Every now and then, one reads a sentence in a book and wonders how much feeling, effort, expeience and luck it takes to word something so beautifully. This does not happen too often, and sometimes you go through numerous books without finding one of these, regardless of who the author is. Well, let me just say that there is one of theses magical sentences in just about every single page of Love in the Times of Cholera. The novel is like a bottle of excellent wine....each sip tastes better than the last one. This book will leave you with a sensation od deep, pleasant intoxication.

How does it compare to One Hundred Years? It's simply different. Even though time is probably the main character in both novels, while there's more magic in One Hundred Years, there's more love and passion in Love in the Times of Cholera.

I am left with the exact same feeling after reading every one of Gabo's boks: how the hell does he do it every time?

Don't miss out on the pleasure produced by this novel.

I read somewhere that the admirers of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (a novel that brought the Nobel Prize for Garcia in 1982) would be surprised to know that Gabriel Garcia Marquez has bettered it in the form of "Love in the Time of Cholera". Well, although I found the latter half of it a little cloggy, I was a great admirer of One Hundred Years of Solitude. But after reading Love in the Time of Cholera, I think it's not fair to compare as different works of fiction as these two novels are, and it won't do any good to Garcia as well.

The only thing common to these two novels, however, is the prose of Garcia. He weaves, with the dexterity of a master craftsman, small characters and trifle incidents into the vast fabric of the novels. Effortlessly moving from character to character and incident to incident, he provides small pegs and footholds to the reader so that he could ascend, like a rock-climber, to his colossal literary monuments. This is especially true for Love in the Time of Cholera, where the reader is provided with a spectacular finale and one feels indeed like setting foot at the summit of Mount Everest after reading the novel. This is by far the best ending of a novel that I have read so far.

There are dozens of important characters in Love in the Time of Cholera but I think the two most important protagonists are Love and Time. And both of them are so intricately interwoven together that sometimes it becomes difficult to tell which is which -- like two shrubs that run up the length of a tall tropical tree. The love of Florentino Ariza, a thin and shy boy, for the beautiful but whimsical Fermina Daza is unlike any in the literature. And in order to have her, our hero must overcome time (half a century!), her aloofness and more than 400 love affairs! I guess even Hercules would have given up in face of these obstacles.

Unlike many other great writers, Garcia has little inhibitions. He is not ashamed of hiding emotions or sugarcoating his ideas; he simply does not believe in euphemisms. You can see everything in bare, harsh light: scars, warts, blemishes, all. Reminds one of ... Life.

This is a love story. Yes. It describes with colorful and beautiful words a city that once was the center of the Spanish conquest, with Viceroys and nobility. Cartagena at the turn of the century, is only a shadow of this glorious past. But what makes this book unforgettable is the way you can see word by word, that the power of love is nothing without the element of destiny. A magnificent river, luxurious river ships, alligators sunbathing on the river banks, balloon rides and horse carriages. A fantastic story about all things long gone.

Far from the glory of the Conquest of the Americas in the XVI Century, by the late XIX Century Spain was one of the most backwards countries in Europe (at least its Western and Central parts). People who had read and/or travelled abroad despaired of the mentality that kept them from being a major player in the world. This disenchanted and sad story is about a young man, Andres Hurtado, from a middle-class family, who is in a deep search for meaning and a philosophy that will help him to a better understanding of the world and the path to a good life. Hurtado is rather a gloomy guy, with few friends. He decides to study medicine and through a companion from school he meets that rarest of jewels in that Spain: a young woman of independent character, a free spirit submerged in poverty but with an entrepreneurial mind. Lulu is far from pretty, but she has a sense of humor and a liberal view of life. Hurtado and Lulu start a friendship that doesn't develop into love until much later.

They are separated on account of Hurtado's family and work affairs. First he travels to Valencia to take care there of a younger sick brother; then he receives a position as physician in a remote town in La Mancha, where he is further disappointed of humanity in general and the Spanish in particular, due to the petty gossip, bad faith and backstabbing that he observes and experiences. When he returns to Madrid, he rediscovers his uncle Iturrioz, also a medicine man. Iturrioz appears in at least two other novels by Baroja, and is a fascinating character. Hurtado spends many an evening with him, talking about philosophy, which make some of the best parts of this book. Iturrioz defends Anglo-Saxon pragmatism (Mill, Bentham), while Hurtado is the champion of German Idealism (Kant, Schopenhauer). Iturrioz's philosophy is clearly that of a man of experience, without many illusions about humanity or religion, while Hurtado's is that of a young man emotionally disturbed and searching for an elusive meaning. Hurtado also meets again with Lulu and there begins the end of this deep and good novel.

Baroja is a good writer, clear, concise and with sharp dialogues. The characters are compelling and the philosphical background gives the novel an added value.

Baroja is a gifted writer, a genious of his time. He portrais the "real spain" better than any other spanish author of his time. The storie takes place during a decadent time in Spain but it also rings true for any other place at any other time. This book is fascinating in that it closely follows the "philosophical attack" of its main character. It offers no solutions, but is provides insightful and thought provoking alternatives. Although not the focused of the book, it has one of the most realistic, best love stories I have ever read. If you like to question the ways of the world, and how you fit in it, this book is a must!!

"El Arbol de la Ciencia" is, perhaps, the most accomplished book by Pio Baroja. The structure of the book, with the central dialogue separating the two parts of the life of the main character is perfect to show the mounting charge of frustration, of impotence when Andres Hurtado tries to face life in a decadent society. The novel contains, as many other of Baroja's, lots of autobiographical references. The influence of Nietzsche and Schopenhauer is heavy, specially in the central part of the book. The style, as ever, is direct, quick, full of disgressions; but this time the story has been wisely set. Lots of supporting characters contribute to the plot. It is a utter exercise in deception, seen from te point of view of a young man who has read too much. Everybody dissatisfied with life should read at 18 years, before going to college or getting the first good job. Lovely descriptions of old Madrid. A must for any Spanish Books reader.

Un libro excelente. Tiene historias muy interesantes de la historia de la infidelidad. Muy buenos consejos tambien!!!

Muy bien escrito y lleno de informacion necesaria para mejorar tu relacion. No es aburrido para nada.

Contiene sugerencias cotidianas para saber si tu pareja esta siendo infiel. Lealo y mejoraras tu relacion.