Lay Low and Don't Make the Big Mistake Book

This little tract was written in 1899 after a long and trying day where the author could not seem to get any of his employees to do what he expected of them. He explains this in his 'Apologia' section at the beginning.

A friend commented that a man by the name of Rowan was the true hero of the Spanish-American war in Cuba, because he accepted with no questions the order to carry an important message to Garcia, a leader somewhere in the wilds of Cuba. And he managed to get the job done without asking how he should do it or why. He just did it.

He had an interesting mix of self-motivation and blind obedience, which seems to be what Hubbard felt was the ideal in any employee. Any person in general, actually.

Hubbard vented his frustrations about his trying day, and published 'the trifle' in his magazine. Then he was surprised to receive a telegram asking prices for thousands of copies. He could not supply so many with his limited printing facilities, so he sold the rights of the trifle to the sender of the telegram, who printed it up as a little booklet and reprinted it in magazines all around the world. The booklet was distributed to soldiers of the Russian Army during their war with Japan. Some came into the hands of the Japanese, and the Mikado at the time ordered a copy given to each man in the employ of the Japanese government, whether civilian or soldier.

By 1914, the date of publication of the edition I read at Gutenberg, there had been 40 million copies of 'A Message to Garcia' printed.

So what was all the fuss about? Basically it says Do Your Job With 100% Of Yourself. Be Honest. Be Self-Reliant. Be Obedient To Your Superiors. The tract seems both encouraging and complaining at the same time. You can certainly feel the author's frustration with his employees: the piece is really simply venting that seems to have caught the world's imagination at just the right moment.

The points made are still valid in today's world, but Hubbard would probably have an even harder time
finding his perfect employee, simply because of the way giant corporations have treated workers for so many years now. The man or woman who can 'carry a message to Garcia' these days is either worked to death or underpaid or both. I wonder if there ever will be a proper balance between employee and employer, the type of relationship where respect goes both ways and giving 100% of oneself on both sides is not the exception but the standard.

Thanks to GR friend Kaj for the recommendation!