The protagonist of the novel Zarate, Santos Zarate was a historical figure. A Venezuelan highwayman with a stronghold in the forest of Guere, he terrorized the valleys of Aragua for some twelve years. The action of the novel takes place in 1825, a few years after Venezuela had sealed its independence from Spain by defeating the Spanish forces at the Battle of Carabobo (June 24, 1821). At this time, General Francisco Jose de Paula Santander was vice president of the Gran Colombia, the conglomerate of Colombia and Venezuela that had fought Spain for its freedom. General Jose Antonio Paez governed the Venezuelan region, with his headquarters in Valencia. The entire nation readied itself to confront the great scourge of the times-the terrible and feared marauders that sowed apprehension and terror among the residents of the valleys of Aragua. There is in the novel the exaltation of an elite agrarian way of life, idyllic, edenic, that contrasts vividly with the violence of life in the llanos and, especially, with the activities of the highwaymen. Moreover, there is a delicate love story that develops pari passu with the official activities of the main protagonists. The development of the female characters may seem a bit quaint for today's tastes, though they are beautiful and carefully drawn. An irrepressible humor, at times subtle, pervades the entire novel.

For more than a century, Venezuela Heroica has been a source of inspiring stories for Venezuelan schoolchildren. Now ably translated and profusely annotated, the book retains the literary beauty and entertaining character of the original, presenting a vivid account of the Venezuelan wars waged against Spain while seeking independence. Stories of the major battles and the most famous heroes of the Independence Wars, as well as reflections on the conditions, political and otherwise, that attended the first decades of the Republic, can now be further enjoyed in this insightful and masterful translation.

Conceptions of Happiness, Revised Edition presents the thesis that happiness does not mean just one thing but many, and that these many meanings have been studied, described, argued, and practiced throughout the centuries in many climes and places. When asked if one is happy, people answer according to their own conception of happiness. Their conception may differ from that of the interrogator, who may not be unaware of this fact. People may also deem themselves happy differently at different times in their lives, depending upon their circumstances and on their own estimate of themselves. Therefore, to think that there is just one meaning of happiness spanning a lifetime does not correspond to the facts of life as we know and experience them. This book presents many views of happiness as espoused by their original founders and developers.