In his absorbing memoir The Man I Became, author Sandy Melanio Rivero describes a life of amazing change, sharing his journey from the slums of Caracas to the streets of New York City. The twelfth of thirteen children, with wit and charm Rivero describes his struggle out of poverty in Venezuela and his subsequent success in America. His autobiography takes him from clerking in New York City liquor stores and check cashing centers, to a career in banking and accounting, to an unexpected second profession as a Spanish-language tutor. (Along the way, Rivero has also traveled the world, and he treats his readers to vivid and engaging descriptions of his journeys.) Often introspective, sometimes picaresque, and always entertaining, The Man I Became shows how Rivero’s inquisitiveness, entrepreneurship, tenacity, and impressive linguistic gifts have combined to make him the person he is today. His book has something for everyone, be it tales that entertain, life lessons, or a healthy dose of good old-fashioned inspiration.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sandy Melanio Rivero was born in Caracas in 1938. As a boy growing up in the slums, he first attended school at age twenty-one. As an adult, he struggled to remake himself in New York City. Following his move to the United States in 1969, he has had two separate careers, one as an accountant and the other as a Spanish-language tutor. He notes that he has traveled across five continents, twenty-eight countries, and twenty-eight of the fifty states. A natural linguist, he has studied more than a dozen languages and speaks eight. Self-learning has been a recurring theme throughout his life. He and his wife, Milly, divide their time between their homes in New York City and Venezuela. This is his first book
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sandy Melanio Rivero was born in Caracas in 1938. As a boy growing up in the slums, he first attended school at age twenty-one. As an adult, he struggled to remake himself in New York City. Following his move to the United States in 1969, he has had two separate careers, one as an accountant and the other as a Spanish-language tutor. He notes that he has traveled across five continents, twenty-eight countries, and twenty-eight of the fifty states. A natural linguist, he has studied more than a dozen languages and speaks eight. Self-learning has been a recurring theme throughout his life. He and his wife, Milly, divide their time between their homes in New York City and Venezuela. This is his first book
