The Chalupa Rules: A Latino Guide To Gringolandia

by Mario Bosquez

The Host of Martha Stewart's "Living Today" on Martha Stewart Living Radio (Sirius 112/XM 157)brings you this insightful look at how a colorful Mexican game of chance inspired him to succeed in life. "The Chalupa Rules" combines his family's timeless proverbs,traditional Spanish sayings, and powerful imagery to create a blueprint for success. Mario grew up facing tremendous challenges that included poverty and living in a government-sponsored home. With his handcrafted rules-of-life Mario went on to become the first full-time, Mexican-American news anchor in New York City's English television. An award-winning playwright and Emmy-Nominated news anchor/reporter, Mario shares his insights into how your own cultural background can provide the inspiration to reach the American Dream. Part autobiography, part instructional manual, The Chalupa Rules offers readers of diverse cultural backgrounds a universal message of success and fulfillment in the career of your choice. Mario Bosquez, nominated for a James Beard Award for Excellent in Broadcasting, lived the Chalupa Rules and shows us all how we can do the same.

242 pages, Paperback

First published April 26, 2005

Reviews

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chalupa Rules by Mario Bosquez is the story about his life as the first full-time Mexican television anchor in New York City. He allows the reader to learn his struggles and how he was able to overcome them and become the powerful and successful man that he is today. The author found a creative and effective way to get his story and point across. He used the game of Chalupa, Mexican bingo, to tell the audience what he used in his own life to dodge obstacles. His story, that of living in a cramped 3 bedroom apartment with his family surviving off of donated groceries and clothing, exhibits a sense of reality and strentgh. Growing up, the "rules" along with the sincere values that his family had instilled in him, he was able to beat the odds and overpower this pre-concieved notion that he would never make it. The rules acted as a guide or "how to get through life" manual and he so generously shares them with us. Although Bosquez and i don't share a nationality, i was immediately able to relate to the book because Latin values and ideas are generally very similiar. Many of the things he was taught as a child, i am learning now and his novel helps me in this journey called life. This book will be a favorite of almost anyone who reads it. I recommend it to those who enjoy getting lost and having fun while reading but those who also don't mind looking crazy because they "laugh out loud" on the train. This book will leave you feeling refreshed and relieved knowing that you have a new way to view life : as a game. Bosquez' idea to incorporate his use of the Chalupa game into his novel was well done.It made me feel that by having faith or strong belief in SOMETHING, ANYTHING can be done.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read through Mario Bosquez' self-help book, I began to see in writing what many years of advice my family has given me.

Eventhough I'm not tejano I was able to identify with many of the dichos, refranes y llevadas. The only thing I really found annoying was that every Spanglish or Spanish phrase was translated immediately after. I suppose it was a bit distracting since I'm bilingual so I could understand that Bosquez did so for the Spanish impaired. Maybe footnotes could've been a better solution.

Well either way it's a good read and definately an interesting manner of using La Loteria to preserve those valuable lessons we are taught.

[Phyllis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is from San Antonio. He has some good insights and it is one of those books to encourage you.

[Scott]

So-far, so good.