A Message to Garcia

By: Elbert Hubbard

Narrated by: uncredited

This essay celebrates the initiative of a soldier who is assigned to and accomplishes a daunting mission. He asks no questions, makes no objections, requests no help, but accomplishes the mission.

The essay exhorts the reader to apply this attitude to his own life as an avenue to success. Its wide popularity reflected the general appeal of self-reliance and energetic problem-solving in American culture. Its "don't ask questions, get the job done" message was often used by business leaders as a motivational message to their employees.

Public Domain (P)2007 Internet Business Ideas

Oh Brother

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A complete rewrite. I thought it was going to be a short story about a messenger in a war who goes to extremes to do his duty. Instead I get some tripe about how employers are mistreated and employees are worthless.

Would you ever listen to anything by Elbert Hubbard again?

No.

Did the narrator do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

There really aren't characters in this book.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from A Message to Garcia?

From the beginning to the end.

Any additional comments?

I can't believe this is one of the bestselling books of all time.