Garcia Books

This is a terrific group of essays. The title essay is NOT a military story, though it is relevant to military service. The essay was inspired by the actions of Rowan but do not describe them in any detail. It is thoughts on the superior/ subordinates - employer/employees relationship. I, like Hubbard, have been both employer and employee. Until you've been an employer don't gripe about what Hubbard has to say. He speaks the truth of the value of an employee or subordinate who will carry a message to Garcia. Your best is what is desired and rewarded (or paid for) not just you showing up. It's a joint effort. Put your ego aside. Hubbard's words aspire to a morality that seems sadly in short supply. Or maybe not, Larry the Cable Guy might understand: Just "Get R done".
The other essays are equally valuable food for thought on a variety of subjects which I found surprisingly relevant. This edition seems printed from public domain material and appears unchanged from the original. A good thing. Each essay is short, well thought out and to the point. Articulate without being difficult to understand. Easy to dismiss as "old fashioned" as the ideas expressed ask a lot of us all. Like, oh I don't know, ... honesty and integrity?

This book was printed in the 19th centruy and distributed to the entire Russian and the entire Japanese army. Because of this the book was the most printed in the 19th century! It tells of a Lt. in the US Army in 1898 who responded to the President's call for a courier to deliver a message to Garcia, the leader of the anti-Spanish frces in Cuba. The Message was delivered with no hesitation or any further questions asked of the President or the Staff. As a result Spain was pushed out of Cuba and Cuba became independent. U.S. also got the territories of the Philipines, Guam, Puerto Rico, etc. The book marvels at the dedication to duty of the Lt. and his abililty to complete the task --no matter what the circumstances.

The introduction to this useful collection gives an overview of the history of narratology (nearly forty pages and very readable and informative). After that, the editors have collected important texts, split into five sections: Narrative Structure: Fabula, Story, Text; Narratology and Film; Post-Structuralist Narratology.

Of course you won't find everything you ever wanted to know about narratology in this book. It is, however, a very good introduction, because you get to read texts by nearly twenty people who wrote on narratology (and they include nearly everyone who is anyone in narratology), and if you find what they have to say interesting, you can read up on that. You also get a very good summary of the ideas and the history of narratology which helps you see and understand similarities to and differences from other literary theories you may know.

If you are interested in a more linguistic approach to narrative, you might want to read Michael J. Toolan's "Narrative". (Or if you are more interested in film narratives, you might want to have a look at Seymour Chatman's "Story and Discourse".)

Very useful collection of essays, but the introduction is, contrary to what the previous reviewer thinks, not very clear; it skirts around the issue of the narrative and gets repetitive, although it's useful for a survey of historical changes of the conception.

I studied this book as part of my A level Spanish course and found that avid readers who didn't study Spanish were missing out on a great experience! While the story of "El Coronel" is a simple, rather uncomplicated one, it deals with contempory and historical social issues in a thoughtful and interesting way. The way it is written evokes great sympathy and pity in the reader for both the Colonel and his wife, but particuarly the former with his child-like innocence and continuing sense of hope. It is not an inaccurate description of how many lives were (and still are) at the time in Colombia...therefore you realise that there's always someone else worse off than yourself! An excellent read.

Gabo's fatalism,melancholy and agony continues in this Chef d'oeuvre making the reader believe that life is Despair as Kafka or Samuel Beckket experienced it.It's about a Colonel who had fought against the government for liberty, rights and freedom ..But after the Truce , the colonel still awaits his mail(pension).The mail and the Rooster are the only hope which are Keeping him alive with his wife..Full of Compassion , sympathy and sufferings .. A must read. If El Dorado ever existed in South America ,then Macondo- the oppsite- also exists there.

As someone who loves to read military autobiographies and personal memoirs, It was a great pleasure to read one from someone I had the pleasure of serving with. J. Garcia has a great flair for making the reader share his discomfort and loss after his aircraft crashed on a training mission and how he coped with the loss and uses those emotions only a few months later to lead troops in to combat during Desert Storm.

The beginning of the book has him being a little to "gung-ho" for my taste, but later he shares how that mellows and begins to accept that serving your country in the profession of arms is not all glory but lots of hard work and dedication.

I highly recommend this book to company grade officers serving in our armed forces.

This book is an outstanding read for all future officers. You can't go 3 pages without finding some leadership principle in action. Not theory talk, but application through his experiences. He has some great stories to tell and covers what it's like in a modern day aviation unit.

With Y2K rolling around, some people are afraid that the world is about to end. But, Lex Luthor is not afraid; his corporation has set up a security service that will keep everything flowing smoothly. When the New Year arrives, and the lights go out, Lex begins to look for the culprit. The culprit is Brainiac 2.5, but there are schemes within schemes, and soon Brainiac 2.5 finds himself supplanted by Brainiac 13 - a future model who figures that Superman can only be beaten in the past, at the beginning of 2000. Perhaps he's right...

I am rather at a loss when talking about this graphic novel. The story is great, with the cast of characters changing repeatedly. The JLA appears at the beginning, and quickly disappears, while the Metal Men (old favorites of mine) become integral players. The biggest weakness of the book is the fact that each of the sections was illustrated by a different set of artists, which means that the whole appearance of the story changes, giving the story a strangely dislocated feeling. Anyone reading the graphic novel had better understand this ahead of time, or he or she will become quickly confused.

But, that said, I did find this to be a wonderful book. The graphics were generally good (though the changing of them throughout the story is a definite negative), and the story is great. I loved the book, while my ten-year-old son did not like it enough to even finish it (because of the graphics). So, I give this book a guarded recommendation.

This graphic novel begins on December 31st 1999 and takes place in great city of Metropolis. Brainiac 2.5 has crashed on Earth and is feeding himself off the energy in Metropolis. He takes all the power from Metropolis at the stroke of midnight and all this power upgrades him and he becomes Brainiac 13. So, basically, Superman has to stop Brainiac from taking all the power of the Planet.

This comic book features the metal men and many members of the JLA. It is exciting and difficult to put down.

There are a few things I found annoying about this though. As this was originally a group of different comics by different artists and writers, each time a new chapter starts, the characters look different. The worst is Ed McGuinness as I think he makes Superman too muscly and cartoon like. Another thing that I didn't like was the look of Brainiac 13. The artists used computers to make him look 3D. This doesn't work. The computer pictures look too fake and don't fit with the rest of the comic. But this doesn't mean it isn't a great book, with a great story. Superman will definitely be with us forever!

REVIEW OF TOO SCARED TO LEARN, Corwin Press, 1997, by Cara Garcia The ideas that you read about in Too Scared to Learn are elegantly simple-and highly workable, whether you are a teacher or a parent or a person who has found anxiety to interfere with what you would like to accomplish. In fact, anyone who wants to meet their goals more efficiently will find something to make them more effective-and less neurotic. Dr. Garcia focuses on overcoming academic anxiety, and, indeed, there is rich opportunity in schools to help young people get over their fears so that they may learn. Unfortunately, many teachers are not tuned in to the subtext of what their students do and say. Too Scared to Learn helps the teachers help their students-a much needed focus of teacher education. The focus on learning anxiety, though, can be somewhat misleading because it is more than that. This book can help you overcome any anxiety, part of what we found as readers to be what makes it such a powerful approach. The techniques put forth are easily adaptable to the corporate world or the personal lives of adults, and not just what happens in classrooms. Two techniques we both have used since reading Too Scared to Learn are to record the interruptions that keep us from staying concentrated on a task and then to record how long it took us to get back on task-and what worked or did not work in getting back to the "job." Just knowing you are going to track yourself helps you stay more focused, but then seeing what actually takes you away from what you want to do illuminates your weak areas. Both my partner and I have become far more productive since we follow Dr. Garcia's method of tracking our concentration, interruptions, and recovery. The second technique is to give those interrupters a voice and let them write to you. Even for those of us in California, this seemed somewhat silly, but since the first technique worked so well, we thought we would try it. Again, powerful results! We cannot praise the book or the techniques enough. Whether you are a teacher or a teacher in training, a therapist, or a corporate mogul, there is something for you in this short, readable, and amazing book, Too Scared to Learn. You won't be sorry you read it-only sorry that it wasn't available for you earlier. Elena DeVos, CEO, Words at Work Bruce Binder, CTO, Words at Work

I suppose this book would be somewhat helpful for a college professor, or for the college student that can't overcome his apparent inability to absorb some subjects. But it wasn't at all what I needed. As an adult, performance anxiety makes it impossible for me to perform to my full potential in front of anyone. This is a common problem for many musicians, and adults that are faced with any kind of a test situation. If you have these issues, this is not the book for you. But if you can sit down and analyze how you study and how you think while you are being taught, and be disciplined enough to psychoanalyze yourself on paper then this may be benificial. Too involved for grade school or even high school students. The first chapter wants you to write an autobiography of a typical academic anxiety situation, complete with what you thought every minute. Who remembers? I rate it about equal with "Mommy Dearest" in the reality department.

Este es el primer libro que leo de este famoso autor. Hubo momentos en que estuve a punto de ponerlo a un lado y no terminar de leerlo. Si uno lee un libro que se supone que sea de suspenso, se supone que te mantenga en suspenso. Quizas cree demasiadas expectativas hacia el autor por ser tan famoso, pero considero que el libro es bueno pero no excelente.

Me gusto la trama, en realidad la situacion principal en la que se basan los sucesos, esta bien definida. Sin embargo carece de intensidad. Es claro que el autor quiere que te pongas en los zapatos del protagonista, y que sufras lo que la persona sufre. Te mantiene con la interrogante de quien es el responsable de los hechos, pero se repite mucho el mismo tipo de situaciones.

Si quieres suspenso, lo vas a encontrar,pero considero que no se llega al punto de querer comerte las uñas o de quedarte despierto hasta las 3:00 de la mañana para continuar leyendo.

Hay suspenso pero no hay intensidad, "NO HAY VELOCIDAD".

Once I started this book, the plot grabbed me right from the beginning and would not let go. Even though it is a plot driven book, the main character is well developed, even though others, perhaps, are not. It makes no difference, however, as it is the intricate, tightly constructed plot that will grab the reader. This is quintessential Koontz at his best, producing a riveting page-turner, once again.

Billy Wiles is a formerly promising writer turned barkeep. He has experienced a goodly amount of tragedy in his life. Orphaned at fourteen, he is haunted by the unusual circumstances surrounding the death of his parents. He is also devoted to his fiancee, Barbara, who lies in a comatose state in a nursing home, the victim of the fickle finger of fate. She has been given little hope of recovery. While Billy appears to be an easygoing, hardworking regular Joe, he goes through life with despair etched in the very way that he lives.

One night, however, a pivotal event occurs that will forever change Billy's life. A note is left under the windshield wipers of his car. The note gives him a most unusual ultimatum. It tells him that if he does not take the note to the police, securing their involvement, "a lovely blonde schoolteacher from the Napa Valley" will be murdered. The note also conversely tells Billy that if he does take the note to the police, "an elderly woman active in charity work" will, instead, be murdered. These are the two choices for which Billy has been given six hours to decide.

What Billy chooses to do and what follows are the stuff of which nightmares are made. Suddenly, Billy's formerly quiet, prosaic life takes on a new dimension, one in which reality is suspended, as the first note is followed by a series of them. Each note ups the ante, leaving Billy with having to make choices no human being should have to make. The ingenious plot takes the reader on a thrill ride of terror and suspense.

This was a book that I could not put down, so intriguing, original, and mesmerizing was the plot. Fans of the author, as well as those of Stephen King, should find much to like about this brilliantly plotted, fast-paced book, which puts a new spin on the age old struggle between good and evil. Written by a master storyteller at the top of his game, the book should keep the enthralled reader turning the pages, until the very last one has been turned. This is, without a doubt, one of the author's best books.

Interesting to say the least, Wisdom: Rudiments of Wisdom stars lower-tier mutant and former Excalibur member Pete Wisdom as his beloved Britain is under siege. Between hordes of murderous fairies, insane telepaths, and invading martians (yes, you read that right); Pete has his hands full to say the least. In between all the mayhem, Pete and his team (including Captain Midlands, the British version of Captain America, and a shape changing Skrull in the guise of John Lennon) make for easy laughs and thrills as the carnage piles upward. British writer Paul Cornell (writer of BBC's Doctor Who) churns everything along with a goofy rhythm that will leave you laughing out loud at some spots, while Trevor Hairsine provides some solid pencil work. Wisdom is good for what it is (and more enjoyable than many MAX mini's usually turn out being) and doesn't try to be anything more than that either. All in all, Wisdom: Rudiments of Wisdom is one of the goofier, and enjoyable, MAX mini's to come along in a while; and is definitely worth checking out for X-Men fans and MAX fans alike.

Pete Wisdom was created in the mid-90s by Warren Ellis during his acclaimed run on "Excalibur v.1", one of several Ellis characters who function as versions of Ellis' own public persona (see also: Elijah Snow). Wisdom was an antisocial rogue, unpopular with his teammates but popular with readers. After the end of "Excalibur", he was included in Elllis' "Counter-X" revamp, and then, after a period in limbo, on Chris Claremont's revived "Excalibur" (Claremont's grasp of the character could be said to be equal to his grasp on most other characters these days). And then, for some reason, Marvel greenlit a MAX miniseries on Wisdom by British sci-fi author Paul Cornell, with art by Trevor Hairsine (issues 1 and 2) and Manuel Garcia (issues 3 through 6, after Hairsine was removed either for slowness or because of poor sales).

Cornell's story is initially primarily a series of standalone tales following Wisdom and his team a low-rent British superheroes investigating various mystical disturbances throughout the British Isles; along for the ride are Tink, a fairy dissident; Maureen, a clairvoyant; John the Skrull, a member of the "Skrull Beatles" who were assigned to take over the world, but decided not to ("Lads, I've found that I like money and power."); and Captain Midlands, a parody of Ultimate Captain America. Together, they raid the Otherworld to rescue a kidnapped baby, deal with awakened giants, a Welsh Dragon, an army of Jack the Rippers, and, finally, the Martians, those classic British sci-fi villains. Woven throught his are Cornell's ideas about British identity, and Wisdom's disdain for its trappings, trappings his villains often exemplify; and ideas about Wisdom's corrosive karma.

The art is excellent, from both artists, bringing a realistic feel to the proceedings. Cornell's writing is quite inventive, with an odd sense of humour, and very quirky ideas. It is especially interesting, as a Canadian, to read something so obviously written for a non-North American audience, unlike most North American comics (of course, this may have contributed to its poor American sales). Occasionally, Cornell gets a bit too obscure for my tastes (one issue has a bunch of British songs mentioned as being the soundtrack for particular scenes, but the bands in question are all utterly unknown to me, so it comes as rather pretentious), but on the whole it's a winning piece of work. Marvel was obviously interested enough to put Cornell in charge of a relaunched "Excalibur" title, where hopefully we will see Wisdom and his cohorts continue their adventures.

This book follows up Liz Gillies' 101 Ways to Workout on the Ball. I have gotten so much use out of that book and really enjoy cardio on the ball that I snapped this one up as soon as I saw it was available. Going with the assumption that there would be a lot of cardio, I was disappointed when I realized that there are only 27 moves that the author classifies as cardio, and some of those are "cardio cooldown". The bulk of the book is 61 strength-training moves (followed by 13 stretch moves). It does mention "body-sculpting moves" in the subtitle, but I do find it a little bit misleading even though the author explains that you need muscle to burn fat continuously.

Still, this is not a bad book. While the Gillies book has a lot of functional fitness/Pilates- and dance-based moves, this book is, I think, geared more toward a traditional weight-lifting crowd (although there are some Pilates-based moves included). It makes a nice compliment to the other book, and I've already gotten a good bit of use from it. In addition to using the ball as a bench that you are either prone or supine on, there is also a good bit of work done with the ball against the wall, which I haven't seen in too many other ball books. Also, although not overflowing with cardio moves, the ones she does include are dancy and fun (mambos, step touches, grapevines, etc.). She also includes ten workouts, ranging from 5 minutes to 60, to allow you to get total body and parts workouts.

This shouldn't be your only fat-burning guide, but it will give some ideas.

Luis Zapata's "Adonis Garcia" is subtitled "Vampiro de la Colonia Roma" in its original Spanish, but perhaps it should be classified as "gothic humor", not "horror".

Adonis inhabits the world of the night -- true. But, so do most prostitutes and drug dealers. Having turned his back on a promising future in electronics repair working in his father's shop in Matamoros (on the U.S. border), "Adonis" opts for an adventurous, open life as a gay prostitute, petty thief and sometime drug dealer.

He makes no apologies -- "es me onda" (it's my thing) he says. While this novel deals with Mexico City before the 1985 earthquake that obliterated much of Colonia Roma ... and changed the social and political landscape ... much of what was written about Mexico City in the early 80s is still true today. Mexicans -- and the Mexican underclass -- are survivors above all. They make no apologies, they have their dignity, and -- above all -- they recognize the absurdity of life.

This is a joyful novel (something that doesn't always come across in the academic translation). As the hero of a piquaresque, Adonis is a loveable rogue. His worst crime is stealing an antique mirror from some trusting little old ladies -- with typically comic complications. This is not the Mexico of outsiders -- feeling sorry for our poor, worrying about the socialogical effects of a marginal life (Adonis' psychiatrist aunt worries about that for us). This is Mexican humor at its best -- mordant and black at times -- but willing to face the absurdity of life with a smile.