Summary

In Chapter 9, “The Eights,” Marc says he is beginning to learn things in addition to his strength training and new regimen of discipline. He lists some of the things he has learned from Jake, including how to calculate the weight of the water a soldier would need to carry on a day-long march. A warrior also needs to know how to read a map, basics about electronics (for radio communication, for example), history, and language. By this point, Marc has learned to issue a greeting in Swahili. Marc says a warrior's mind is his most important “weapon” (59).

Marc is aware that he has not yet learned his multiplication tables, but Jake can identify with Marc's problem because he did not focus on learning while he was in school. After he joined the military, he discovered the need to learn a lot of information...