Southwest Books

I really enjoyed this book as it shedded light on parts of my family I had not known about. Despite the personal connection, I believe the book provides a unique perspective on the hazards of coal mining [particularly timely read based on the Sago mining disaster], life in a company coal town and the struggles of a work force to unionize to raise wages, benefits and increase safety issues.

"Memories From Dante: The Life of a Coal Town" is far more than just a trip down memory lane of a small town in the coal fields of SW VA. The detailed oral histories and the huge number of photographs do provide those living in the area with the chance to renew old memories but it also provides researcheers and scholars with a social, economic, political, religious, and family history of the town and area. Anyone interested in a comprehensive study of a coal town needs this book. I especially recommend it for libraries and archives. Kathy Shearer has done a remarkable job of helping the people of Dante tell their story. Perhaps she never saw a lumb of coal before she came to the area (all the Dante mines are closed now) but the town and its elderly residents live in her book. Without any sense of superiority she has enpowered these people to tell the world what it was like to live in a time and a place now largely forgotten.

This Book took me back to a childhood that many of us only wish we could revisit. Kathy Shearer was able to catch the history of a wonderful little coal town and bring it to everyone's attention. People who grew up in a small town will be able to relate and relive the pleasures of a hometown community. Kathy Shearer took us all back to a time of childhood happiness. This is a wonderful book to read and learn of the struggles these people lived while trying to make a living mining coal and how they held on to each other for support and survival.

I bought this book thinking it's just another novice trying to write about something they know little about, but what a suprise when I started reading it. Kathy has done a thoroughly wonderful job describing these hard working, hard living and honest people in such vivid color you become friends with them instantly.
They become your family, and you love them, laught with them, cry with them, and hate them but you cannot forget them.
She is a first class writer and deserves high praise for a book which is both entertaining and historically founded.
I am just waiting for the sequel.

If you don't know the first thing about native landscaping or habitat gardening, this is a great book to start with. It is so complete, it may be the only book you need. It has gorgeous pictures of attractive native gardens, garden plans, and a lengthy plant reference. Even as a Northern Californian, I found a surprising amount of information that was relevant to me.

Native Gardening from El Paso to L.A. is actually the Wasowskis' previous book, Native Gardens for Dry Climates published under a new name. The only differences I noted were a change in the format of the introduction and new photographs substituted for a couple of the plants. Nevertheless, as I did not own the previous version, I found this edition very helpful in deciding what type of desert trees, cactus, shrubs and plants to include in a desert landscape. The authors provide full color photographs of the entire plant or tree plus pertinent details such as water needs, amount of sun, type of soil, maximum height and width, native habitat and the desert regions it will grow in. A map included in the book outlines seven distinct regions covering California, Southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and a portion of Texas. A general description and landscaping tips for each of the 146 plants are also provided. Tables are included which outline the color and bloom time for each plant. Several sample gardens plans are reviewed providing the reader with landscaping ideas. I found this book to be an extremely helpful resource.

I have the hardcover version (Native Gardens for Dry Climates) and I highly recommend this book. The Wasowski's do an admirable job of showing off the best of each plant - you get the idea that ALL these plants are worth having, and so we covered the book in post-it notes...

The information is detailed enough in terms of native habitat, water, and sun/shade requirements and growing habits that we could build a great "hit list" of plants that we took to the local native nurseries. We found almost everything on our list, so the plants covered seem easy enough to find, at least in Los Angeles.

The best feature of this book can be found under the "Other Value" subhead for each plant listing: whether the flowers are used by hummingbirds or bees; whether it's a larval plant for butterflies or moths; and whether the seed or fruit is eaten by birds. I wish all books had this essential information for the wildlife gardener.

I really enjoyed this book. It helped me design and implement a hummingbird garden area. I now have a seating spot in the garden to enjoy the many H that come. I am buying another one of these great books for a friend who admired my garden. Thank you author Sally Wasowski

All successful gardening is a local phenomenon, and those who attempt to replicate what they learned "back East" will enrich the local nursery with endless re-plantings. Ms. Phillips guide is a vital one for anyone wanting to enhance their local environment. The book is a detailed and well organized compilation of her long experience. She writes with a certain élan, quoting one time NM resident, D. H. Lawrence on page one, and characterizing the difficulties of growing a "back East" lawn in the desert by saying: "Let Sisyphus continue to push his mower uphill."

In her introduction she discusses the best way of dealing with New Mexico's tough soils. There are also tables on precipitation and temperature statistics, by city, along with a useful graphic on the cold-hardiness zones. The overall book is divided into chapters on the principal plant categories: annuals & biennials; bulbs, corms, rhizomes, & tubers; cacti & succulents; groundcovers; lawns; ornamental grasses; perennials; roses; shrubs; trees; and finally, vines. In general, a page is devoted to a particular plant in which she discusses when, where and how to plant, along with growing tips, on-going care, companion planting and design, and a personal recommendation. There is a section which indicates bloom period and seasonal color, mature height and spread, and the appropriate growth zones. She has devised useful symbols which convey information on water requirements, fragrance, attraction of butterflies, hummingbirds, and other useful information.

The book is attractively organized by a color-code system, and virtually every page has a picture of the plant being described. It also has a glossary, bibliography and index.

Hopefully she will do yet another revised edition which would expand the plants covered, including the Japanese maple I am trying to grow, or perhaps she has already told me the answer on page 190, when she said it is most difficult.

A marvelous guide and an essential companion for those in tune with their natural surroundings.

Such a great resource for plants and how to take care of them. This is my second copy, since my first has gotten a little ragged around the edges.
Also, eazy to use....

I have scads of gardening books. When I moved South from Albuquerque and changed zones, I bought a half-dozen more.

As I slowly decorate my new desert I find myself constantly going to this one...rather than the giant tomes that I purchased.

Why? Because Ms. Phillips tells you how to grow the stuff. And, she's culled the zillions of plants down to the best...the easiest...the most forgiving. She tells you why, gives you the best cultivars, suggests companion plants. And, again, tells you why.

Every time I ignore her advice, I'm sorry that I did.

Great pictures and great format. There is a picture of the plant along with all information about the plant on the same page, no need to search to match the plant with its picture.

He always had that special talent of being able to see things in in a way that not everyone could-but somehow he would make you see it and appreciate it. "The world is round and the place which may seem like the end is only the beginning."I.Bakerpriest So many words,so much to do,so little done,such things to be." A.L. Tennyson "A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul." Proverbs 13:19 CONGRATULATIONS!!! Love,mom

It takes a lot of guts to put forth the effort to compile a book. It takes even more to put the work to task and self-publish. It's all on your back at that point, the success or failure. And you really have to believe in the promise of your work to hedge one over the other.

Luckily for Mr. Taylor, NMAZCA shows extraordinary promise. It's a strinking assemblage of 36 photos that point the reader toward the atmosphere and experience of place and the frame of mind. Some photodocumentations by other artists successfully acheive for us a sense of location or allow us to make an inventory of items in that location, but Mr. Taylor sets his sights on acheiving photographic poetry and acheives it in stunning hues. Which makes this book even more remarkable: it's a self-published work of full-color photography, and the works are remarkably well-rendered in lush tones.

Ultimately, I think NMAZCA points us to, and asks us to evaluate, something about each of us as island selves. But that's just me. It's a work of exceptional breadth and flow - one image informing and presupposing the next - but also one of great intimacy. The viewer is asked to involve him/herself with, to come to an understanding of, ripples in the desert sand, the ragged lilt of a twisting root, the shadowy creases of rocks and feathery plateaus of their attached lichens, the subtle topographies the sun traces as it arcs its paths through our skies.

Think of each photograph as little haikus. And buy this cool, courageous book.

nmazca's pages offer unusual,vivid photographs of the western United States. They please the eye, and the "Ideas" narrative at the back of this book allows the reader to understand Damon Taylor's unique talent for capturing such beauty with his camera. This little collection leaves one wishing for more pages to turn.

Well, I gotta tell you I haven't actually seen the book per se but yes, I have seen the work of Damon Taylor and must say that wow he has some cool pictures. I have seen many of these in the past...actually, I always dig through them when he shows them to me and I never see really cute and adorable pictures of me, y'know the lighting would be too low or my Mel Brooks side would show instead of my Mel Gibson side so I kinda lose interest...but wow he has had lovely pictures from the glorious southwest that he showed me at the time he took them so yeah, they are great and the book, if it contains pictures like those, well all you rock fans, this really would ROCK YOUR WORLD! Tell all your friends!

This is a funny and sage book that I had trouble putting down. The characters, in their first-person dialogue, came alive for me when they told of events that they viewed so differently from the other characters in the book. All the mini-chapters added up to a fine story, a good adult fable. Phelps created a different world in Frogly.

At once social satire, romping good farce, and touching human story, this novel satisfies on many levels. Set somewhere on the high plains of eastern Colorado, or perhaps the Texas or Oklahoma panhandle, or possibly western Kansas, this is a masterly portrait of a quirky American town, under very unusual circumstances. Whew, good stuff. Now I can't wait to see the movie.

Jim Phelps, who described himself to me as "America's foremost unpublished author" last year, as we were sunning ourselves in a sidewalk café in Oaxaca, Mexico, can no longer claim that distinction. About time, I say.

Jim, no ordinary "good old boy", is an extraordinary practitioner of a fine old folk art: telling a good yarn. "The Pecking Order" is not his first novel: just his first published novel. One hopes that it is not his last. His is an extraordinary voice, and we should hear more from him.

Stan Gotlieb, author
Oaxaca, Mexico: An Expatriate Life

Memorable characters and great story idea. An excellent satire for grown-ups.

The previous reviewers said it all; this book is great! I used it with my Honors Social Studies and Language Arts class, and you could have heard a pin drop! Well done, Sally Crum!

Race To The Moonrise is a carefully researched adventure tale of two young Mogollon trader children who run an exciting race against the full moonrise in prehistoric (1200 A.D.) northern Mexico and southwestern U.S. Little Basket, the young girl prophetess and her brother Long Legs make the arduous journey from their village in northern Mexico to the area of Chimney Rock and Finger Rocks, near the Four Corners area of today, before the 19th full moonrise to participate in a religious ceremony. All details are carefully researched and help authenticate this exciting children's educational action adventure book. Note: Race To The Moonrise was approved for use with Native American children by the Intertribal Cultural Committee of the Council for Indian Education. It is fascinating to follow the ebb and flow of this exciting tale. So much of early Native American prehistory is not known, yet what can be surmised of these ancient MesoAmericans is both intriguing and of enduring value to the young people of today. Race To The Moonrise is a fine work to honor one's ancestors with.

Race to the Moonrise, by archaeologist Sally Crum, is a wonderful resource for teachers teaching the history and cultures of the Southwest and Colorado. It is a fictional story which contains a vivid picture of the cultures of the Southwest from Casa Grande to Chimney Rock in Colorado. I used it with my fourth grade students to enable them to visualize the people and their lifestyle, compare the environments, weapons, religions, clothing, tools, foods, building styles, use of natural resources, trade, household objects, and travel of the Pre-Puebloan people. The story is appropriate for fourth grade and above and through a fictional narrative with carefully researched background, keeps students interested and learning throughout. The author has also published a teacher's guide with questions and activities to use with the book. I would recommend Race to the Moonrise to other teachers. It has been a great addition to my unit on Colorado History.

I have a really difficult time reviewing children's books. Until now. I have just finished "Race to the Moonrise: An Ancient Journey" by Ouray, CO author Sally Crum. It is a wonderful book. It was written for the fourth grade level, but let me tell you, I think readers of any age will not only enjoy the book but will finish it with a greater understanding of native American culture and feel good about having read it. The setting of the book is around 1200 AD and centers around Little Basket, a young girl with some very special powers, and her brother, Long Legs. These two, with their uncle, embark on a journey from their home in Mexico to what is now southwestern Colorado. The purpose of the journey, which takes them through the country of the Mogollon of New Mexico, the Hohokam of the Gila and Salt River Basins, the Sinagua of Wupatki Pueblo, the Hopi, and the Chaco Canyon, Aztec, Mesa Verde and Chimney Rock Pueblo peoples, is to save their village. Besides being a great read, the book is impressively accurate in its description of the native American cultures, and geographic and archaeological places which exist today. On a recent trip which included many of those places I was amazed at the author's accuracy. Do Little Basket and Long Legs save the village? To be sure, it's not here today. But then, when a little girl has special powers and a strong, brave, and protective brother...who knows? Sally Crum is a working archaeologist and has worked for numerous national parks and monuments over the past 16 years. The book has been approved for use with Native American children by the Intertribal Cultural Committee of the Council for Indian Education and published by Western Reflections Inc., so you know the quality is second to none. This is a wonderful, enchanting book. It is truly for children of all ages...right up into geezerhood!

Jim Griffith's book is a beautiful departure from the more academic work on southwestern culture that he has produced over the last few decades. This is a wonderful gift book for anyone interested in catholic saints, folk arts or the southwest.

Again, a beautiful book.

Featuring twenty one saints, six "Mary's", three angels and one manifestaion of the Christ child this book is a bit of misnomer. However the book is beautiful in it's presentation with short one page explanations of the significance of each holy representation. I received this book as a gift and cherish it 's brevity yet immenesly powerful imagery and accompanying stories on the origins of each person. The photographs are taken from various locations including such diverse places as churches and roadside shrines. Their are several wood carved bultos and retablos that are of particular interest to those interested in the folkloric arts of the southwest. A fantastic little gem for those moments of reflection to be enjoyed over and over. The antiqutiy of some of the art pieces is amazing and deserves more than a second look. If you want you could whip through this in less than hour but really it should be read and enjoyed numerous times. If you know someone who likes the religious arts of the southwest this is a good choice to give as a gift. I found the section on Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha particularly interesting, the first native American on her way to to becoming a saint in the Catholic Church. I would recommend giving this book to someone or treating yourself if you love the arts of the southwest.

I found this book at a small shop in Ann Arbor Michiganand and fell in love with it. There are beautiful photographs of altars, shrines, saints, Mother Mary, and more. The inside of the front has an amazing photo of a private chapel devoted to the saints which actualy served as the inspiration for ma to create a similar chapel for myself. This book is truly worth the price and has so much to offer. Dont let this one get away.

Jim Griffith's Saints of the Southwest is a beautiful gift book that combines photographs of images or representations of thirty-one saints with very short essays that summarize the life of each saint and describe his/her following in Northern Mexico, Arizona, or New Mexico. The saints range from the obvious - San Martín de Porres, la Virgen de Guadalupe, el Santo Niño de Atocha - to the more obscure, like San Ramón Nonato and San Pascual Bailón. Many of the images themselves are exquisite, reflecting some of the artistic traditions of the Southwest. That they are located in a variety of places - from roadside shrines commemorating accidents to private chapels to churches open to the public - attests to how deeply these saints resonate in the region's consciousness. Griffith's descriptions of how and when the veneration (and representation) of the saints developed tell us a lot about the popular religiosity and cultural history of the region. This book will appeal to many readers, whether they are aficianados of Southwest culture and art, faithful Catholics, religion buffs, or folklorists.

I started to read this book in 2006 and found, as a Yankee, the flow was difficult to follow. I read Sullivan's Island one week ago while on vacation and fell in love with Ms. Frank's flow, ease and voice. Finishing Sullivan's Island was difficult b/c I of the time I enjoyed being in Charleston and Sullivan's Island with Susan, Maggie and their family/history. However, I immediately picked up Shem Creek and instantly fell into the, now familiar, rhythm and flow of Ms. Frank's voice. She has a wonderful and easy way of lulling one into her family to the point you do not want to leave. I am now halfway through Shem Creek and find it very hard to put down. Thankfully I am still on vacation and will not have to abandon Shem Creek for another day or two. I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the inclusion of characters from Sullivan's Island and Isle of Palms who have visited Shem Creek.

Dorethea Benton Frank writes about an area of the country I love, in a style I love...Who could ask for more?

As always, Dorothea Frank has proven her ability to transport readers to a wonderful place.Her Lowcountry Tales take us to places that are inhabited by folks we feel we want to know better-or those whom we feel we've known all our lives! Linda Breeland is just my kind of woman. She's filled with the ability to figure out what will work for her when difficulties are present, then getting down to the work of making life work out well for herself and those who matter to her. --- And who wouldn't just love to know and be related to Mimi?! --- Then, there's Brad-Wonderful Brad! It's exciting to meet the characters and to be a fly on the wall. --- Dorothea, I feel like I know you and a real treat would be to get to know you when you're on tour. You're a great writer and my friends and I can't wait till your next book goes into print!

While Shem Creek is located on the east coast, it could be anywhere by the writing style and characters. Any small town could have a Linda and a Brad. They are heartwarming characters that bite into American History and leave you wanting more. While their lives are filled with the same daily crisis as all others, they survive. A story woven with tried and true details is told tongue in cheek, edging on humor, and bordering on benign, this story is told with an honest love of people and life.

I found the details of their lives to be interestingly naive, and yet on a deeper level, there was simply more. Everyone had a past, and baggage was carried well by each character in the story. Much like real life - each person was complete with a past, a present, and a future. You sat on the edge of your seat reading to the next detail, hoping it followed along.

Surprises in the book were many, people didn't stay true to form, but created their own meandering path through life, as we each do in real life. I enjoyed the tender moments, the laughter, and the sadness that I found in the book - all very much related to life in a small town.

I was excited when I bought this book, since it is the School of Cooking. It is a very good book, but I was expecting traditional meals from the Santa Fe area. In fact, the food items are from a more modern perspective instead of traditional. The book itself is excellent. It is just that I was fooled about the content as far as what type of foods to expect.

If I was looking for the more modern type of cooking that is featured in this book, I would have given it five stars. As far as that goes, the book covers everything anyone would need to know.

If you are looking for traditional New Mexican cooking, I give it four stars, since most of the recipes are ultra-modern with new taste combinations. The background information is very interesting to read and also very informative.

Excellent recipes! You'll thoroughly enjoy this as well if not better than the first cookbook by the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

After experiencing authentic southwest cuisine in wonderful old west locations like Durango, Colorado, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, I had to have some more of it back here in northeastern Pennsylvania. This book does it all, with a terrific range of tasty recipes - literally from soup to nuts - and its text is fully complimented by tasteful color photography and artwork.
It makes a great gift for your favorite cook - trust me, I know !

We have always been fascinated by the cuisine of Santa Fe, a new age culinary vortex that attracts the most creative spirits in the food world. Like Cuban food, the Santa Fe style blends cooking modes and techniques from several cultures -- Spanish, Native American, Mexican, and Anglo -- to create a rich new cuisine. We enjoy the fresh new tastes and the vitality of the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

Of course, Santa Fe cuisine is unlike Cuban cuisine in its celebration of the pepper in all of its varieties. Where Cuban food sticks to the mild side of the pepper world, cooking Santa Fe style allows us to really take a walk on the wild side with hot and spicy peppers. When we want to really spice things up in the kitchen, we really enjoy these recipes with their use of a dozen or more chiles that define Santa Fe cuisine.

Somehow the authors of Southwest Cuisine have managed to create a style of "Haute Cuisine" without being pretentious, and that is an amazing accomplishment. No matter how sophisticated the dish, this is food that remains true to its more humble roots and never loses the earthiness and sincerity of its food origins.

We enjoy rice and we have been making rice pudding for ages. The authors include a savory version of rice pudding that is a real treat! Other favorites include the orange cilantro salsa, cream cheese pie with pineapple coconut sauce, and a unique "lasagna" laced with smoky chipotle and a poblano pesto that is very original. The roasted pineapple salsa has also proved very popular at our house. We've tried it with the fiery turkey as suggested in the book, but it also works well with several of our own dishes -- at least for the more adventurous eaters in our circle.

Southwest Flavors is an ideal book for people who enjoy entertaining with food. If you have a creative flair in the kitchen, this book will inspire you to think outside the box and will open up whole new pathways for your own creations. If you have been stuck in a less-than-creative food rut, this book will take you places you've never been before. With a clean look and excellent food photography, this book is a joy to cook with.

Also recommended: Three Guys From Miami Cook Cuban, and Three Guys From Miami Celebrate Cuban.

Before I get to my review, can someone out there tell me why this book is out of print? I paid over $100 for it. It was published by a small press here in Austin, and I even called them about it. If you have answer, please write me at .

Some fans of Rand have said that if _Atlas Shrugged_ is ever made into a movie that it should be "updated"--i.e., the passenger train industry should be replaced by passenger airplanes. I think it would quite foolish to tamper with _Atlas_ in such a way. It could also be said that the story of "Atlas Shrugged with Airplanes" has already been written and actually happened.

That story is _Southwest Passage_ by Lamar Muse. Muse was the founding CEO of Southwest Airlines up till 1978. The book also includes many details about his personal life and his other adventures in the airline industry before and after Southwest. The best parts are his years with Southwest, and Muse is rightfully proud of all the things his little airline has accomplished since his departure from the company.

It all started when Herb Kelleher and Rollin King were talking in San Antonio. They decided to start an airline that would simply operate in the triangle formed by Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. In 1967, they got started and immediately found themselves challenged in court by the established carriers of the time--Texas International (based in Houston) and Braniff (based in Dallas). As a result of this "business harassment" (a term used by several judges), Southwest's first flight didn't take off until 18 June 1971.

Southwest was not the first intra-state carrier. Their inspiration had been the California-based Pacific Southwest Airlines which had started in 1949, and they took many of PSA's best ideas. But just like PSA, Southwest was free from the federal regulation of the Civil Aeronautics Board. (See www.catchoursmile.com for the story of PSA.)

In 1972, Muse made a critical decision which set the tone for much of the company's success since that time. Losing money at the time, Muse decided that the best way to raise money was to sell one of their four planes. Maintaining the same staff and scheduled with three planes, Muse then challenged his team to turn (completely unload and reload) planes in TEN MINUTES. It worked, and Southwest still turns planes faster than its competitors today. They have also never furloughed an employee.

Southwest has always viewed its greatest competitor as the automobile and still does today. The stats in this book show this story. Southwest didn't take much business away from the other airlines. Southwest got people who had never flown before to fly.

Muse also tells about their expansion into other Texas cities and more of the other dirty tricks engaged in by the entrenched competitors. Dallas and Houston also did what they could to make life difficult for them. It seems as though Houston has given up, but Dallas (their home city) still probably would rather see Southwest leave town even today.

Then there is the interesting part of federal deregulation. Muse gave a great speech on the subject before Congress. Most of the established carriers (such as American) bitterly opposed deregulation. Only United Airlines favored it.

Southwest is one of America's great business success stories. In terms of passenger numbers, Southwest is America's #1 airline for domestic flights. Their stock price has even outperformed Walmart's during its 35-year history. Southwest has turned a profit every year since 1973 and is the only airline which gets an A credit rating from Standard and Poors. Their leaders have shown that the best way to get rich is to treat employees with respect and dignity and to give customers great service. The good guys won.

Unfortunately, the book has no photographs. It seems to indicate that Muse didn't take many or that many people didn't want to give him any for the book. Maybe he just didn't ask.

I also love this cover.

In making a reservation on Southwest's website last week I noted that they are pushing two books about Southwest, one being "NUTS" and the other "THE SOUTHWEST WAY." There was no mention whatsoever about "SOUTHWEST PASSAGE", one of the best business books I have ever read. Could it be that the true story about Southwest in its early days during which the course was set for its 32 years of profitable operations, as told in SOUTHWEST PASSAGE, is so totally different from the tales told in the other books by the airline's current executives that SOUTHWEST PASSAGE has been blackballed? I know nothing about the authors of the three books, but I do know that Lamar Muse was there on the scene and can prove everything he says in SOUTHWEST PASSAGE while the authors of the other two books were probably still just gleams in their fathers' eyes.

This book was very interesting in relation to the history of several airlines. It covers Lamar and his stints at Trans-Texas, American, Southern, Central, Universal, Southwest, and even covers some of Muse Air. Too bad no pictures were included.

There's been a lot of blather written about Southwest, including _Nuts_ and _The Southwest Way_. My opinion is that most of these books are written by people who don't know much about the airline business and who are trying to push their pet management theory. I'm a professional airline analyst, for what that's worth.

Muse was actually there and made it happen as the first CEO of Southwest.

Is it a perfect book? No. Muse is opinionated, and you're definitely getting his side of the story. But he's up front about that and doesn't pretend otherwise. It's also as much about him as it is about Southwest, but that's interesting too. He's had quite an eventful life, and his prior experience is totally relevant to what happened at Southwest and why. I think he'd be the last to claim that he's lead a perfect existence.

He also quotes liberally from the letters to the board of directors that he wrote every month. These are valuable historical documents, and one hopes that Muse preserves them by donating them to a transportation library somewhere.

Muse isn't a professional writer, but his language is direct and to the point. The book is informative, easy to read and entertaining. Even if it wasn't, it would still be worth reading, given his critical role in the birth of Southwest.

One day, someone will write a serious business history of Southwest. When that happens, Muse's book (and hopefully his letters to the board) will be key source material. In the meantime, this is probably the single most interesting book on the foundation of Southwest.