Texas Books

As a student of Rangeland Ecology at Texas A&M University, I have used this book extensively to identify numerous plants for my classes, as well as my own collection. This book is very precise and the line drawings on each plant are invaluable. It is well worth the price for this plant "Bible."

I am a botanist and have a collection of many books on floras. I am currently working on a flora of Northeast Alabama and using the Flora of Texas (1999) as the standard to follow.

I'm a botanist/naturalist, and a botanical collector from North Central Texas. I find the Illustrated Flora of NC Texas invaluable to anyone who wants to learn about plants of their region and their ecosystems, plant communities, etc. The book has an excellent introduction, over 70 pages along, to introduce you to nomenclature, toxic and exotic plants, endangered and threatened plants, geology, climate, etc. It also includes excellent information on some of the history of Texas botanists. It is a must for any naturalist or botanist, and a bargain for a book with over 1600 pages!

In a concise word, this book is awesome. Truly an outstanding example of definition, beauty and detail. As a native plant garden designer and botanical collector in North Central Texas I have found this book invaluable. Not only for the professional but easily understood and used by the layman, this is the botanical 'Bible' of NC Texas and sets a precedent for all others to follow. This inspirational guide of botanical brilliance is an absolute must read.

I read this along with Mr. Casson's "The Ancient Mariners"; it was an excellent accompaniment to that volume, which is lacking the abundant illustrations that are included in this book. Along with providing a complete, unbroken (as we know it) timeline of the evolution of shipping and development of ancient men-of-war such as the Trireme, Quinquereme, sixes, sevens, etc. the greater gift of this book as I see it is it will teach people how to look at the art. With every single example in this book are numerous references to fine detail that the artists included which are picked out and described by Mr. Casson. One of the first things I learned in Art History was that the living conditions contemporary to a society are ALWAYS reflected in the art, which is why there are so many sculptures and mosaics referenced here. Another unexpected thrill from this book was the absolutely fabulous color plates included, depicting among other things some of the finest photography I have ever seen of the Greek red figure/black figure vases. All the photos, with very few exceptions, are top notch. Absolutely one of the most enjoyable books I have found in quite some time.

I checked out this book from the library, and am enjoying it so much that I'm buying a copy. If you love practical, how-it-was-done histories, you'll really like this book. The chapter on triremes is my favorite so far, partly because of the description of these amazing ships, and partly because of the accounts of deeply stupid naval blunders on the part of the greeks. Best of all, there are tons of pictures, including reconstructions of several ancient ships. Neat book! Buy it!

This book is essencial to everyone interested in ships. Also every reader interested in history, from casual to scholar will find in it a valuable resource to understand the origin and evolution of seafaring until the end of the middle ages. It fills a huge gap sadly existing in every history book.

In this captivating account of travel by sea, the author provides the origins of the boat, the vessel, the trireme and the supergalley. He writes about the importance of this means of communication and travel in the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia. Widely illustrated in black and white, the book includes a short bibliography albeit with very useful titles. Recommended for its wealth of information.

When I read the first chapter of this book at a half price bookstore I had to have it. This book is so real, it's unbelievable. It's the story of a woman (Bobby) discovering herself through relationships (with women). It's the kind of book that can make you lost when you are done because you don't know what to do without those characters in your life!

*My favorite chapter was Fishlips, *Favorite use of an uncommon word "invegle" *Favorite lesbian rescue (you'll have to read it) *Favorite bathtub scene *Favorite lesbian novelist....Georgia ..........Don't miss this book! Lots o luv-Jonny

This is an old novel, first in print in 1987. Which would make it one of the first of a new genre, lesbian romance fiction. After almost twenty years, it stands the test of time, and is still one of the very best written in this category.
Tired of reading the same plot, again and again? The standard is girl meets girl, falls or tries to resist falling in love, discovers obstacles both very real and those also somewhat whimsical, eventually overcoming and getting the girl of her dreams in the end, with just the right blend of romance, sensuality, and sex to keep the pages turning. Settings in unusual locales help stir interest. Interesting occupations and professions and character traits pique curiosity.
Basically, a love story is a love story. This book is unique in many respects. First, the writing is exceptionally fine. Next, there is more humor here than one would expect. Point of view is first person, as the protagonist looks back fondly, sometimes painfully, and tells her own love story.
I'll say it again: very fine writing, great good humor, and this novel stands up to the passage of time. It reads like an old, dear friend.

I carried this book around in my purse for weeks after I finished it simply because I could not let it go. I think I have read it cover to cover at least 3 times and every single time I would sit there nodding up and down at certain parts. I mean Ms. Cotrell gets it EXACTLY right. The first chapter held me fast and never let me go.

Davenport doesn't just talk the talk of a therapist discussing the grief process.... she walks the walk, and her readers walk with her, side by side. Whether dealing with the terminal diagnosis or decline of an aging parent, coping with a loss, or just anticipating the inevitable, Davenport's journey is one we will all take. However, for many of us, while we may feel deeply, we are unable to put words to the feelings, at least not with such accuracy, poignancy and honesty. The sibling interplay, the need of the adult child to be special, the power of emotional resistence... it is all here. At times lyrical, at others stark, the author manages to share her journey on several levels.... intellectual, psychological and pragmatic. This is a book that I read when facing the impending death of my father from Alzheimers as I began the process of home hospice. I gave my copy to my sister-in-law to read after her mother died. She read it in a day. It is on my shelf to use with my clients (I'm a therapist too) when issues of grief arise. It is rare to find a book that is both clinical and deeply personal.

In "Singing Mother Home" we have the unusual privilege of a watching a highly qualified practitioner of two of the "helping professions," teaching and counselling, come to very personal terms with the kind of situation she teaches and counsels about. Dr Davenport's gentle telling of the story of her mother's death, and the openness with which she shares her inward struggle, serve both to humanize "the experts" and to validate the anguish of the rest of us, "non-experts" all, whose guilts and fears can be considerable as we face the necessity to allow beloved parents to take their leave.
A couple of chapters at the end of the book allow Dr Davenport to offer her professional insight into the dynamics of grief. Considered with her remarkable self-revelation in the narrative of her story, the reader's sense of her is that she is not merely a highly skilled professional but, under the circumstances, a companion of uncommon humanness along an inevitable and inexorable road, one we all must travel.
Those of us who have attended parents during their last years, months, days and hours know that there are a myriad details both of heart and body, to deal with. Dr Davenport shares with us many such in the thought and behavior of the pricipals of her story, but it is quite a tribute to her literary skill that the tale never becomes merely a chronology preoccupied with "events," whether physical and psychological, but uses them only as tools to enhance the real issue of relationship with oneself and others as death intrudes on well-ordered lives with its threat to make a mockery of human devotion.

Most people are so uncomfortable with the concept of death they spend their lives ignoring it as completely as possible. This book is a fascinating read because it does just the opposite -- and it does it in an original and intriguing way.

Written by a psychologist about the death of her own mother, Singing Mother Home tackles the subject matter from two mutually cooperative angles.

The author not only comes to terms with the permanence of death as a reality in her own very personal world, but explores it as a professional too, by giving us an up-to-the-minute look at death and loss from the perspective of modern psychological theory and applying it in her particular case.

Fortunately, the theory doesn't bog down the writing. It's a surprisingly quick read despite its elegant prose and almost immediately compelling -- who among us hasn't wondered what it would be like to lose a parent and how to cope during the process?

Alternately, if this is a situation you've already struggled with, you'll no doubt resonate to the universality of the author's trials -- with her expectations of herself at such a difficult time, with her family, with death generally.

I'd recommend it to anyone interested in any of these topics.

In reading Singing Mother Home, it quickly becomes evident that Donna Davenport has poured herself into writing this book as she shares sadness, frustration, humor, and heartwarming memories concerning her mother and the process of her mother's death. It reads very easily and is divided into subchapters so that I was able to pick it up and put it down as time allowed. I found however, that I read much more at each setting than I had originally planned. I was able to resonate with many of her memories of her mother, the feelings of the anticipatory period, and desire to keep elements of my own loved ones alive in my present life.

This book provides a very well-written account that left me feeling as though I had lived a bit of both Donna's and her mother's lives. There is a fullness to their lives and their relationship that comes across very clearly, and I believe that anyone would connect with this account and feel a sense of commonality and renewed hope.

This book was a wonderful purchase and I would recommend it for anyone who has experienced or is experiencing grief. I plan on buying one for a family member who lost her husband a few years back. I believe that readers will surely feel the sense of connection to it that I did.

It was hard to put this book down once I started it. Although the women portrayed faced a living hell all around them, the authors elicit the courage and determination each women had to continue the daily existence in the camps. And that is what is so powerful; the daily horrors which become the backdrop for extermination are also part of the reason that each was able to define for herself a path through death.

This book is novel in its approach and subject matter. Women in the Holocaust, and their triumphs, courage, and resourcefullness has been ignored before now. The stories are personal and engaging. I would put it in the top-ten must reads of Holocaust literature.

This book was a difficult endeavor, as one never wants to face the potential raw ugliness of mankind. However, the voices of these women are invaluable in helping the world to remember a time which must never be forgotten.

As a young woman (34 years old) and a mother of three (which qualifies me as a caregiver, I guess), my heart went out to these brave women, struggling to impart some small measure of kindness or at least relief of suffering to their fellow prisoners. Women and children are seemingly the most vulnerable when society engages in chaos, but the women caregivers chronicled in this book were apparently among the most intrepid of all. I believe they gathered strength from the acts of focusing on giving aid to others in the most desperate of circumstances. Anyone who is interested in what the human spirit can endure, and indeed, overcome, should read this book.

Kudos to Dr. Diane Plotkin for her thorough research into the lives of the women featured in this book. Her attention to detail helps transport us to the various camps where we experience dehumanization and deprivation. Through it all, however, it is interesting to see the various ways these women nurtured and tried to protect one another. This is a "must-read" book because it clearly illustrates the general differences in the ways men and women coped with, and adapted to, life in the concentration camps.

The best book I've seen on the subject!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

I bought this book several years ago at the Museum of Mankind, in London. It was the book for the exhibition, which featured incredible paper sculptures of skeletons and demons.
I read every word of the book, and enjoyed the culture, history, and personal stories of these Mexican artists.
Buy it!

As an anthropologist who teaches classes on Mexico, I use this book often. The "day of the dead" in Mexico exemplifies, for me, the difference between the U.S. culture and that of Mexico. Just as other cultures might find our U.S. Halloween celebrations strangely at odds with normally conservative Judeo-Christian religious observance, this book illustrates clearly the almost unfathomable blending of pre-Columbian cults of death and sacrifice with Spanish-Catholic traditions. Starting with its origins in Mexico's ancient civilizations, the book discusses and illustrates this observance through modern times, and takes the reader vicariously to the areas of Mexico in which it is most enthusiastically observed. Sit down with a cup of chocolate' and some "pan de los muertos" (bread of the dead), and enjoy a book whose topic you might have thought too morbid for your taste, but which you will probably end up finding much more compelling than repulsive. Unfortunately for me (but better for the publishing company!), I am about to order my 3rd copy of "Skeleton at the Feast"--apparently the students to whom I loan it find it too interesting to return!

This book is remarkable. It is very apparent that Mr. Morrison did his research well. A must read for any history buff.

In his introduction the author tells us "this book examines the relationship between the territorial issue in the origins of the American Civil War. This story is familiar; this telling has not.... The debate between Democrats and Whigs over Texas in 1844 were based on economics and divided the parties along national lines. By 1860, the struggle over westward expansion and settlement issued in sectional arguments and a fragmented political system. This transformation is the story here and told.[p. 4]"

The expansionists quickly realized that the problem with moving the boundaries of this country westward was going to be slavery. And not so much slavery itself, but demagoguery, used by radicals on both sides to inadvertantly hinder the progress of the westward movement. The author quotes the extreme expansionist Thomas B. Stevenson, "it is not, I fear, either the actual status of the actual settlement of the slavery question that the antagonistic agitators really wish to effect. It is the use they can make of it as it exists."[p.1] The acquisition of Texas and the subsequent territory obtained through the Mexican War became the hobbyhorse of the extremists during the 1840s. The 1850s opened a decade of extreme agitation on both sides of the question of opening territory or closing it forever to the peculiarinstitution. "Republicans [the North] used slavery to define broadly remaining and limits of freedom not only within the North's free labor economy but, more important, within the nation's republican political state."[p. 167] In the South the European class system was extolled by some of the most radical proslavery elements. A major portion of the expansionist program was the example to be set by a union of the nation reaching from sea to sea. It is because the South felt so strongly toward the Union that states rights activists were compelled to remind their southern cohorts, "the Federal Union is not a god -- it is a human institution. So long as it answers the hands of its creation, it should be and will be carefully preserved. When it fails those ends, it should be discarded."[p. 184]

In 1856 James Buchanan, the second worst president this country has endured, entered the fray. Stephen A. Douglas, the famous Chicago politician of the Lincoln Douglas debates, decried the sectionalism of the Republicans. He maintained that the founding fathers, recognizing the diversity of economics and social institutions of the several states, and established a union of the fundamental right that every state could do as he pleased without his neighbors interfering. The Compromise of 1850, the Dred Scott decision by the Supreme Court, and the Kansas-Nebraska Act all reaffirmed the right of the state to settle its own local problems and decide what is best for its free existence. The Democratic Party attempted as far as possible to allow this operation. And Douglas, one of the major proponents of expansionism, defeated his own goal by not recognizing the importance of the slavery issue to the westward movement. Most people wanted a union as extended as possible, but half of them, not especially for humanitarian purposes but rather economic conditions, were dead set against the expansion of slavery into these areas, these new territories to be carved for the Empire.

The author goes on to state, "because secession had transformed the sectional conflict over the territories into an ominous controversy over the preservation of the Union, Republicans refuse to sustain the latter by conceding their principles on the former. It is a view that, the issue of 1860 -- 61 was 'not union or disunion; but new guarantees to slavery or disunion.'"[p. 274] this comment pretty much sums up what the author has said In the whole book. His promise in the introduction to connect expansionism and slavery can probably be written off as poetic enthusiasm. He writes a very good book combining the two subjects but offers nothing really new. Readers who are already acquainted with this period in our history won't find anything very new. Someone new to the field will find an excellent introduction to the general subject of slavery and its effect on the westward movement. It fails to separate the political, economic, social aspects of this time in American history.

I give this book 4 stars because it is well-written, well researched, and the author faces the same problem that we all do in writing on a time has been so well covered by so many for so long. The fifth star is withheld at the fault of the publisher. The format of the book and the text make it very difficult to read this book without strain I hope when a reissue the book is our hope that they will continuously something will be done to correct this fault.

It is apparent that Mr. Morrison spent many long hours slaving over this book. It is well written, interesting, and a must have for civil war buffs. I only wish Mr. Morrison would write more books. It's heartwarming to see that Mr. Morrison credits his parents Al & Joan Morrison, and his siblings - Chris, Nancy, Jim, and Tony with the fortitude, intellegence and support to get this book completed. Keep up the good work, Mr. Morrison. I want to read more of your books in the future!

An incredibly well researched, well written account of the causes of the American Civil War! It's actually worth the high price!!!

This book was recommended in Focus on the Family's magazine. I immediately purchased it and loved it. I took it when I served jury duty! :-)

This book is amazing. The Martins and their town and church have adopted the most needy children in Texas, and have built a beautiful community because of it. Their story is amazing, I found their website which tells more about the community. [...] I definitely recommend this book!

We'd all make fun of a place called Possum Trot and why not? What a silly name for a tiny little no-where place. But wait, this is just the type of place that Jesus shows up through people that believe Him and give their lives away in service to others.

Small Town, Big Miracle is a commendable effort to document the selfless acts of incarnational Christian living that we must all rise too. Too oft we sigh about the world's woes. "Who, oh who can come calm the storms of the lives of the broken in our midst"? Big Miracle, a Focus on the Family resource, offers the answer but I won't even make you read the entire book to find out the answer.

Its you and me and the Martin family and their loving friends and church family show us how.

Its easy to read and very encouraging. Adoptive families will see a model of stick-to-it examples in parenting tough kids. Others will see the great need of the orphans all around us and perhaps take the initiative to get involved.

In just 139 pages, the authors manage to tell a fabulous story, introduce amazing kids and big-hearted adults, and stir at least in this reader a powerful desire to help young people be more than the troublemakers or losers they're labeled as being. One pastor in a dinky town inspired the townspeople to adopt seventy-two kids who otherwise would have been written-off for life. The result was a transformation in both the kids and the adoptive parents. God's grace touched and softened even the hardest hearts. The places from which mercy and compassion welled up are surprising and inspirational. Very well written, from its folksy tour of the town of Possum Trot to the helpful tips for people considering adopting, this is a wonderful book everyone should read.

My Dad traded Horses and Ben green is the real deal and is a superb storyteller.All of Ben Green's 5 books are excellent reading. Enjoy stories of a time and place that is woefully gone.

I loved the book. Ben Green gives a wonderful peek into an era gone by. He uses the lingo of the day and the stories are wonderful to anyone interested in horses and days when there were more horses than cars.

This is such a fun book to read that it is hard to put down. The reader learns so many "tricks" of horse trading through Ben Greens stories. It is so enjoyable you will want to buy his other books also.

This was an excellent book. I greatly enjoyed each and every adventure that Ben K. Green takes you through in the book. In a time where everything is done the easy way it is great to be able to look back and see how things realy used to be done. Through this book you are able to get a very clear picture of the old west. I loved reading about all the different ways the horse traders thought of to skam each other and somehow they both thought they were getting a good deal. I thought this book was great and was not able to put it down once I picked it up. I can't wait to read more by Ben K. Green.

This book had me gripped from the first paragraph. It is very interesting and well written. I am very interested in the paranormal and this book is a wonderful find for me. I highly recommend this book to everyone. You will find it very hard to put the book down once you start reading.

SPIRITS OF TEXAS AND NEW ENGLAND reads like good conversation! De Los Santos enters the realm of the paranormal with an absorbing collection of real-life stories that make readers feel as if they are sitting listening to an exceptional storyteller. The stories retold by De Los Santos are engaging and full of truthful twists of human nature and show that when in the face of the paranormal, we often become quivering masses of uncertainty. In addition, these stories demonstrate that regardless of time, gender and geography or the circumstances of contact with the supernatural, people's experiences of being human are very much alike. The family members provide some of the liveliest and most vivid stories and De Los Santos includes helpful explanations of paranormal activity. He's a writer with insight and scope.

I recommend Spirits of Texas and New England for several reasons. First off, De Los Santos documents the supernatural experiences of himself, his family, students, and friends. The personal experiences make for a compellingly intimate read that is assured to offer the reader paranormal cases that he or she has not heard. Secondly, unlike other books that I've read on the subject, this work offers explanations on recurrent supernatural themes. Take for example De Los Santos' hypothesis that adolescents encounter ghosts more frequently than adults because their emerging sexuality lowers their defense to other entities and also endows them with an increased awareness of a spirit's presence.

To sum up, what I love most Spirits of Texas and New England is that it's simultaneously elucidating and relatable. It contains everything from everyday ghosts, to inner voices, psychic knowledge, phantom phone calls, astral projection, extraterrestrials, and possession. This is a varied and wonderful book. Highly recommended!!

This book was receommended to me by a friend and I am glad that I gave it a shot. The stories here are realistic even though they are quite strange and about a mysterious world that many of us never give a second thought about. I thought the story about his grandmother calling on the phone was creepy but very heartwarming too. But there are pages after pages of similar events retold by his friends and family. I never thought there were ghosts in Texas because you never hear about them that much. New England is always full of weird stuff, but I was surprised how much happens in Texas too. Well written.