Texas Books

The Gay Place is a winner in so many ways: an absorbing, deep novel, a historical novel about a key time in our history, an accurate an perceptive regional novel (about my home town, Austin!) and, the best novel on American, or maybe any, politics ever written. Billy Lee Brammer was a speech writer for Lyndon Johnson who was fascinated by the world where a sentence could start with high minded political goals and end in crude bullying. A world where bribery, humiliation and blackmail were tools of the trade, often for worthy purposes. A must-read American classic that grows in reputation as time passes.

Despite its age and it's fictional nature, The Gay Place is still the definitive book on Texas politics and Austin, and one of the top ten books on Texas overall. The charachiture of Lyndon Johnson is priceless.

This is a wonderful trilogy of novels on state politics. Though they seem disjointed, they are unified around the shadowy figure of the governor, who lurks in the background manipulating people and events down to the minutest detail. Thus, the immediate action taking place is a kind of epiphenomenon, all players that are living chess pieces in the governor's grand game, which is never fully explained: that is the real art of this novel, that it leaves far more unsaid than explicitely stated. The reader has to connect the dots.

In the first novel, the governor has chosen a young legislator for an unaccustomed role in the spotlight: his life, like those of his cohorts, is a mess of alcohol and libertinism, but he is also struggling with his conscience to do the right thing. There are so many layers to what was really happening that it is impossible to explain, because the reader can only suspect what the governor is doing. The governor mixes the most intimate personal machinations, it appeared to me, with a legislative purpose and to depose (even destroy) a potential rival. It reminds me, of course, of LBJ, a politician without equal. One of the really interesting aspects is that the author describes many people just like GW Bush: priviledged, brash, debauched, and inadvertantly wondering what they should be doing. If you read this, you will understand GW Bush and his milieu much better - that is a sign of the timelessness of Bramer's achievement, truly a masterpiece.

The second novel is similar: the governor's enemies are defeated, while he stages and manipulates events to suit whatever his purposes are. It is at times brutal and sad, yet funny and even uplifting, particularly in the scenes of introspection, when the characters have flashes of insight and empathy. The plot, which is only a vehicle to expose cryptic motvations, is the governor attempting to get an appointed young senator to run for a true popular mandate - he is a complex and flawed character, whom the governor sponsors out of respect but also to keep him in his pocket. It is splendidly ambiguous, as is all politics. The third involves similar personal struggles and an ineviablle passing of power, again, very realistic and down to earth. Marriages are destroyed, while politics plays in, and the characters wallow in existential angst while working very hard and yet hardly understanding why. It is a unique combination of themes, a genuine work of literature.

One thing that really fascinated me was how similar this is to a Gore Vidal novel, a kind of comedy of the priviledged who inadvertently do politics while living their complicated lives. The political action is entirely off stage, but solved in their everyday actions and affairs and drunken parties. I have no doubt that Vidal carefullly studied the literary method that Bramer pioneered here, which resulted in his truly fine series of novels on American politics. Finally, tt really is where Bush came from, a reflection on the depth of Bramer's art, almost prescient in its intelligence and lack of facile scrutiny.

Warmly recommended as great art and a unique view into politics.

Not just LBJ, this book is about politics and the ways of power. Very well written, insightful and lyric, it might be the best kept secret in political fiction. On a side note--man did people drink a lot then. Its amazing.

Anyone who loves writing and politics will enjoy this book.

In the 500 plus pages of this remarkable trilogy, Billy Lee Brammer does more to explicate and evaluate American politics, especially Texas politics and even more especially, populist politics as practiced by Lyndon B.Johnson, than all the ponderous Caro-type analyses that weigh us down blur the color and cloy the flavor. More than a portrait of LBJ, the book is an artful depiction of the lure of politics and its terrible cost on those who pursue it. All this is conveyed with humor, sympathy and a clear-eyed vision of the American scene of the 60's.

The exiciting adventures of little Jennie continues in Book 2 with Jeannie growing into a frontier teen. The fun continues with Jeannie and her friend Helga learning to do women's work. Jeannie still longs for her own horse ranch and there is a good chance that her dream may come true, but you'll have to read the book to find out how.

Horan is a fromer teacher and counselor who has spun a good story, including some "faction" from her family history about frontier life. She has managed to create characters that jump off the page and demand that you remember them. You simply cannot get Jeannie out of your head. Now that's writing!

--jcpinkerton

In Book Two of 'Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl,' only good things can be said about it! A very simple story involving a very complicated girl; Jeannie!

Turning fourteen, Jeannie is getting to be a mature, young lady. Many things are in store for her this year. Her best friend, Helga, also turned fourteen and has a a young male caller, Billy Joe. Jeannie can't be troubled by boys and kissing, she's only interested in having a farm ranch and raising horses.

All winter and summer, the girls learn to cook, sew, crochet and take care of Helga's new baby brother. These new skills will help them in the future. Living in the 1880's is hard work. You learn to grow up fast.

Jeannie's wish might be coming true soon enough. She has always dreamed of having her own farm ranch. Her mother just inherited some money from a relative so Jeannie has a sizable amount in her savings. Will she be old enough next year to have a ranch? Who will she want to work on her farm with her? She might have someone in mind!

Look for Book Three, coming soon!

I just finished Book Two. It was great and very adventurous. I am in the third grade at a Christian school Mrs. Horan visited. I also read Book One. I want to get Book Three when it is published. I want to say God bless you to Mrs. Horan.
Love,
Victoria

Evelyn Horan is not only a talented writer but she is a delightful and charming woman to boot. A true talent in her chosen genre of books and me (a grown man) loving every word she writes! I have ordered copies of her books for my own nieces and nephews. Her stories are well-written and educational. Her school teaching experience apparent with each book she writes. I look forward to the remaining books in her charming series!

John Savoy

"With Morning Star trotting along behind, the girls guided their horses to the wooded, north pasture. In a small clearing near a stream, they dismounted and walked toward a white picket fence enclosure surrounded by yellow sunflowers and a cluster of brightly colored Indian paintbrushes. A few baby blue eyes lingered among the shady cedars and live oaks." pg. 15

Evelyn Horan is a native Texan who has spent many years as a teacher-counselor. Over 200 of her children's articles have appeared in over 80 periodicals and publications. Her grandparents told her many stories about their adventures, traditions and customs in an earlier time. Evelyn wanted to write about these memories so children would know what life was like in the 1880s.

This is the second book in a four book series set in the Texas frontier. Books 1-4 were written for children and grown-ups who love to read about the Texas Frontier.

In Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book Two, we find Jeannie and her friend are now 13 and 14. (In Book three they are 15 and by book four they are 20 years of age. The content remains appropriate for younger readers.)

The second book is a continuing tale of friendship and adventure. Jeannie has two new playful puppies to look after and the start of the book presents a cute situation where "Princess" and "Junior" play near a braided rug by the stone hearth as Pa, Ma and Jeannie enjoy the puppies antics.

The reader is immediately drawn into the story as we read about Jeannie's brother and her parents. Jeannie wishes she could be more like her mother because she is such a great cook and is a real frontier woman who knows how to make a delicious aromatic vegetable soup. She can't wait for Helga to visit and together they remember Jeannie's experience when she met a mountain lion.

Henry, Billy Joe, Helga and Jeannie go fishing and catch a catfish and Ma shows Jeannie how to fry the filets in a black iron skillet. Ma also makes a blackberry cobbler. You can just imagine a table filled with food as the aroma of freshly baked cobbler mingles with the crisp evening air.

There are stories about visiting Mr. Wasserman's store, piano lessons, drinking punch at a party and a Christmas Eve Nativity play. This was a time when people made strings of popcorn for their Christmas trees. One of my first memories of Christmas was making a string of colored popcorn for a tree, so this book brought back some memories of my own more recent childhood. Evelyn also writes about childhood memories from the 1800s, like "Alice in Wonderland" by Lewis Carroll, published in 1865.

In this book you will find out:
1. How the girls help a family in need.
2. How Eagle Feather changes Jeannie's ideas about the Comanche Indians

There is a West Texas Map from the 1800s and this shows where Jeannie and Helga live. The locations of the Church, school, creek and Trading post are all on the map.

Evelyn Horan is today's " Laura Ingalls Wilder" and she has created unique books that not only capture the excitement of living on a frontier, she also focuses on daily life and has a flair for writing about cooking! Her descriptive writing is something I look forward to and I can't wait for the third book!

In Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book Three, Helga trains Morning Star and Jeannie's dreams of her horse ranch start coming true.

~The Rebecca Review

Gifted writer, Evelyn Horan, has given us a wonderful set of books with her BESTSELLING "Jeannie, a Texas Frontier Girl," series.

I have read all four-books and enjoyed each one of them very much. My daughter, Michelle and I shared the stories together and had a lot of fun taking turns reading the chapters in each book.

After we read the books we gave them to Michelle's school library and the books became some of the most popular books in the history of the school. Yes, the stories are that good!

Kids of all ages relate well to the excitment and the adventures Jeannie and her friends share together.

The characters are real (even though these books are a work of fiction), and the dialogue is lively and fun, and the plots are exciting and believable.

You owe it to yourself and your kids to join them in a family read night. You have no idea how much fun you'll have with them. So, what are you waiting for? Turn off the tube and open a book for a change. Start with Jeannie, a Texas Frontier Girl: Book One, and work your way through. You'll be glad you did.

If you liked 'Little House On The Parie," then you are going to LOVE the Jeannie series.

(Highly Recommended Children's Series!)

Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book Four, will leave readers smiling. It's gratifing to see Book Four of the series end exactly the way the reader hopes it will----in a happy, positive
conclusion. Jeannie and her best friend, Helga, have faced all of life's trials and tribulations, and through perseverance, along with a warm, loving friendship, and their faith in God, they have prevailed. Jeannie's horse ranch has succeeded, as has her personal life. Her future looks bright and promising, giving readers encouragement that, in their own lives, they too can overcome hardship and loss. This is a wonderfully written story that young and old alike will find endearing and entertaining.
Thank you, Evelyn Horan, for the memories your Jeannie series evokes of an earlier era on the Texas frontier."

Jeanne Glidewell, author, Soul Survivor, and Lexie Starr Cozy Series

With the finesse of the talented writer that she is, Evelyn Horan has presented us with the final book in her famous JEANNIE, A TEXAS FRONTIER GIRL four book series. Horan's series introduces us to a preteen Jeannie, her best friend Helga and to their families and friends. Interspersed with the fiction, the author offers us glimpses of Texas as it was in the 1880's. Book four of this, for-young-and-old alike, series carries us forward to Jeannie and Helga maturing into young women. Using their memories of the past, Evelyn Horan, advances her narrative while reviewing bits and pieces of previous books. Book four is a delightful, well-written culmination of Horan's marvelous "Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl" series. Horan's avid fans will not be disappointed with this, best-of-the-series final book. I applaud Evelyn Horan for her marvelous achievement in penning a series that captures the interest of preteens; young adults as well as us older folks, a series that seems destined to enchant readers for generations to come. Good job, dear Lady.
Beverly J Scott, author of Righteous Revenge, Ruth Fever and Jena's Choice
http://www.beverlyjscott.com

We must now say goodbye to Jeannie and her friends, but so many great things are happening in "Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book Four," that we are left with a good feeling, knowing that all will be well for them as they continue on into adulthood. There is much growing up, along with happiness and sadness as they deal with daily experiences. In "Jeannie, A Texas Frontier, Book Four," the characters begin to cope with life's realities, to continue on undaunted, with happy attitudes of expectancy and joy as they look toward the future. A wonderful reading experience for both young people and adults! "Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl," books one-four are a must for every young person's library! It will be given to our school library.

V~

At the young age of 17, Jeannie moves to her horse ranch and begins to live her dream, with the help of Slim, her ranch foreman. Changes take place in Jeannie's life over the next three years with her friends and family. She faces a personal loss and must decide what to do about the oil found on her property. She receives two marriage proposals, which is surprising to Jeannie, who has been concentrating on running her horse ranch and nothing else.

Will Jeannie decide to marry, and if so, who? Will she pump oil on her land? You'll have to read the book to find out!

The last in the Jeannie series, this book will bring tears and laughter but leave the reader with that warm, comforting feeling of having visited with an old friend. An outstanding series for adult and child alike, filled with characters who have become family, with plenty of warmth and love, and rounded out with enough historical information to edify while entertain. Highly recommended.

A fascinating and unusual account of one of Texas' most alluring outlaws. I was struck by its sheer intelligence. It transports you back to that dark period of Reconstruction Texas. Wirth deftly blends history and fiction so seamlessly that it's hard to tell what's real. It's wicked and witty. And, Wirth pulls it off so well that the reader really believes what he is reading. I feel that I've learned more about Wes Hardin in these pages than I did in his autobiography or any of the various biographies. Wirth's writing takes you inside the mind of Wes Hardin in a way that most don't. Check it out to learn about this largely overlooked western killer.

As a direct descendant of John Wesley Hardin (he was my grandmother's so-many-greats uncle) I read every book on him I can. This is my favorite of all, because I believe it is one of the view that gives a realistic, balanced view of the man he was.

My father was born in Fannin County, Texas in 1910, the birthplace of John Wesley Hardin. I grew up listening to stories of Hardin's exploits and was pleasantly surprised to run across Steppen Wirth's book, John Wesley Hardin: Suppressed Memories. Many of my father's stories of Hardin came to life and old memories resurfaced.

The various biographies about Wes Hardin are little more than a retelling of his autobiography. Some authors go on to vilify, and some glorify Hardin but none really gives any insight into Hardin's personality. There isn't any reason for anyone to write
another biography on Wes Hardin unless new information is uncovered and that is doubtful. That's why a book like Steppen Wirth's is refreshing. He is not limited to rehashing Hardin's autobiography. Like one Reviewer put it: "The line between what is real and what the author has crafted from imagination is difficult to see." In Steppen's book Hardin steps from the pages, you can feel him breathe. You can almost touch him. The softer side of Wes Hardin, his deep love for his wife and close bond with family and friends moved me. Just when I started to feel empathy for Hardin the author reminded me of Hardin's willingness to kill. I admit there are parts of this book I think are too graphic for my taste. I wonder about the necessity of such violent detail. I have never understood why men have to kill each other but I've never understood war either. Most women don't. I realize Hardin's world was a different world, a world where you had to stay alive during that horrible period after the Civil War. I know anti-Union sentiments were still strong in my father's youth.

This title is a welcome addition to the Hardin list of books. Steppen's prose is vivid and strong. I became so engrossed I read the whole thing in one sitting. I will read this book again and look forward to more books by Steppen Wirth.

In his own time, gunfighter John Wesley Hardin was one of the most feared men in Texas and the Southwest. Author Steppen Wirth has created an unusual yet enteraining book about Hardin by combining fiction with facts, eyewitness accounts, and old photographs from the 1870s, 1880s, and 1890s. The line between what is real and what the author has crafted from imagination is difficult to see. And that is a key factor in the charm of this work, now in its second printing. Mr. Wirth, a Texas native, lives and writes in Montana.

This book tells the story of the meteoric rise of master gunfighter John Wesley Hardin, a legend by the age of eighteen, who dazzled outlaws and lawmen alike with his extreme daring and phenomenal skill with firearms. The author, Steppen Wirth manages cleverly to interweave crystalline paragraphs, reminiscences, letters, journals, and newspaper accounts to recreate this intensely human story. Eminently fascinating...a colorful, and inventive book, but not one for the queasy.

As a Hardin fan I read this book with great curiosity. In fact I read it four times and each time I found something else to like about it. Steppen Wirth effectively conveys the many sides of John Wesley Hardin's complex personality. It is truly a work of art. I highly recommend it.

I bought this book simply for research material on desert wildlife, but it turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read. Highly recommended to anyone and everyone!

I highly recommend this book to anybody who likes animals AND to anybody who gets a kick from good old fashioned entertaining writing.

As a child I enjoyed the works of the late Gerald Durrel, because he was a skilled zoologist and bonafide nature lover PLUS he was a funny and entertaining writer. I long thought that no one could ever take Durrel's place, but Jim Harris may be the one to do it. In "Lone Star Menagerie" he shares his knowledge of the wildlife of the West but is not afraid to do it in a humorous manner, even if it happens to be at his own expense. This is one of the best books I've run across in a very long time.

There are authors who can write gripping adventure tales and there are authors who can make you laugh out loud; rarely are the two combined. If you enjoy the works of Tim Cahill, you will enjoy the works of Jim Harris. There are accounts of attempting to capture a vulture bare-handed, being chased down a canyon by a herd of peccaries, seeking out sheep-killing coyotes to protect the innocent individuals of the species from the wrath of stockmen.... And all dealt up with a large portion of entertaining wit. Highly recommended for all readers, and particularly animal lovers.

Lone Star Menagerie introduced me to the state of Texas and some amazing wildlife found within its boundries, but the true charm of the book was found in the way Mr. Harris could spin the tales of his adventures. I walked away from Lone Star Menagerie with a greater respect and knowledge of Texas and its wildlife, and the bonus being, each time I recall the buzzard tale (or some of his other adventures) they still make me laugh! BRAVO!

Finally the book to popularize Yoruba culture has arrived! A MUST for any serious santero or babalawo, this is the New Testament of Santeria to Migene Gonzalez-Wippler's Old. Told by a master storyteller, this book explains traditional Yoruba society better than any dry text could. One learns through the eyes of the author as a child what polygamy is really like, about obscure herbs/ebbos, and how the language is really spoken. Buy it now.

Toyin Falola's "A Mouth Sweeter than Salt" is a memoir of the first 13 years of his life in Nigeria. Readers will find a fascinating account of his upbringing in an extended family which was Christian, but polygamous, influenced by English colonialism, but more by Yoruba tribal traditions. Fascinated by trains, he recklessly boarded one as an adventurous youth and found himself stranded in a far-away Muslim city, where he supported himself as a "stick-man" guiding a beggar who faked blindness. Returned to his family by benevolent postal workers, he subsequently aided his grandfather in trying - unsuccessfully - to combat the abuse of a poor farmer by corrupt and exploitive tribal leaders. All in all, this book affords insights into African childhood which will absorb the interest of anyone previously familiar only with American or European experience.

I just finished reading the masterpiece, A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt:An African Memoir, Toyin Falola, University of Michigan Press, 2004. This book is truly brilliant. It made me laugh, scream, and cringe. It is a superb combination of critical African oral discourse, brilliant analysis of modern African history, and lucid exploration of the making of the Nigerian state. I hope you will obtain your own copy and recommend it to others.

Olufemi Vaughan
Professor of African Studies & of History
Associate Dean, Graduate School
SUNY, Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY 11794-4433

Falola's memoir, A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt, is a "must read" for anyone seeking to gain deeper and serious insights into the mind of the true African child. The author gives the reader a breath taking, bird eye view of the cultural panorama of the Yoruba society, and the implications of growing up in its most complicated and sophisticated city of Ibadan. The uniqueness of this book lies in its ability to transcend academic and cultural boundaries. It is as good a history book as it is a novel; social scientists will find it valuable and educators will find it to be of great relavance. It is a story of life and of living. It is indeed a celebration of youth and its rites of passage. Humor, wit, and readability add color and lucidity to all pages of this book. Wild, weird, wide, and even scary at times, this is a memoir that will stand the test of time.

Growing up in Nigeria in the years around independence provides good material for a personal memoir. These must have been extraordinary times, full of hope and expectation for the emerging new country. For a growing teenager though, the issues were closer to home. Falola, well known scholar of African history, has used his personal experiences to create a rich innovative kind of memoir that combines his growing up during that time with events in his community and the country as a whole. The resulting book gives the reader vivid insight into a complex society with its intricate traditions, in particular those of the Yoruba culture. Falola writes an easy accessible style, often addressing the reader directly. He demonstrates his narrative skill and an ability to impart local events with gracefulness and humour. He demonstrates how the use of proverbs, idioms and traditional imagery has remained part of everyday discourse by interweaving sayings into his narrative. "A proverb is regarded as the 'horse' that carries words to a different level, investing them with meanings...".

Falola's account suggests that he was already at the age of 10 a curious youngster and an astute observer of people, relationships and events. His early fascination with trains led him to experiences beyond his age level that were to influence his standing in his family and community. After an unplanned train ride and its aftermath, that created upheaval in the family, he was transplanted to another branch of his family in a more rural sector of Ibadan, the city-state in Nigeria's south-western region. Not having taken notice of the hierarchical structure of his polygamous family, he realized only then which of his "mothers" is his birth mother. There he also learned to connect with the rich traditions of the local people who have maintained much closer links to their past than those in the urban centre. For example, children are given an additional name by the family, a praise name (oriki). This name should establish a link to a real or imaginary hero of the past. Such names should enhance the young person's deep character and his ambition to emulate the past bearer. Like a young detective he tracks an old woman, different from any he had seen in the neighbourhood. When he is finally confronted by her, the outcomes are an important lesson for his life and future. These early influences shape his thinking into his adult life.

While the chapters stand as independent stories or essays, they flow together easily as a portrait of a person in his time and place. He merges the memories of his childhood with his comprehension of circumstances as an adult. Understanding of his roots and the culture instilled in him led him to study the cultural traditions of the Yoruba people and the history of the land. His reflections on how the two religions, Islam and Christianity managed to co-exist with the rich African traditions are as pertinent today as they were during the sixties. So is his criticism of the trend among the younger generation to denigrate their own culture in the face of western influences. [Friederike Knabe]

Hundreds of people play 'no limit' poker, but few realize its strategies can be used to get ahead in business and life. NO LIMIT explores connections between poker and business, showing how Texas Hold 'em, the most popular version of the game, holds many keys to business success. Any game players who know Texas Hold 'em well and are interested in business concepts, as well as business libraries, will find here a fine opportunity for success and strategic planning.

As a poker player and a businessman I have for years realized the close correlation between the skills needed to succeed in both arenas. Krause and Carter do an outstanding and insightful job of making these correlations quite clear for the reader and their use of keywords to assist the reader in digesting and recalling these skills is very useful.

This book touches on a number of topics that are considered by some to be taboo in business today. I would like to thank them for being so open and blunt about these topics. Even if one's character does not allow them to use all of these tactics in pursuing their successes at least they should be informed enough to recognize when some of the more questionable tactics are being employed against them.

Success in business and poker require an understanding of the game, an ability to react quickly to uncertain situations, and be prepared to take calculated risks knowing when the reward justifies such risk taking. The authors do an outstanding job at pointing out to the reader how to recognize these opportunities, determine the risk/reward payoff, and identify which tactics and strategies can be employed to achieve optimum results.

Krause and Carter have successfully defined the game in business today and given readers the foundation for success. All that is needed is the strength of heart to understand yourself, your opponents, and which tactic suits you for the attainment of your goals. This book is not about a quick fix or even a big one time score it is about making the changes that can positively impact you over the long haul. Just like poker, success is not measured by your performance on a particular night or during a specific tournament, it is measured by your long running results from the time you began playing the game until you ultimately stop.

Read this book, apply what suits your own character and player type, then go out there and get in the game with confidence in knowing that you are equipped with the tools of success!!

It was a good read. Very clever of you guys to center it around the national phenomenon of poker playing. I happen to be the worst poker player ever to attempt the game - I used to be pretty good at bridge tho' - but my son plays, my nephews play, my brother-in-law plays, etc. Even in JAX there are several thriving poker rooms with more opening all the time. I can see why college professors would refer to and use the book since a large portion of their audience probably plays poker.

The book was easy to read and kept my attention. I like the use of acronyms to help with retention. I guess that's why we use them so much in our field. I also enjoyed the off-hand buried references from the OZ books. I guess the chapters on The Land of Oz and Getting to Know You were two of my favorites - probably because I do a lot of that intuitively. I think I am a mutated Wizard. I truly lack the "keen desire to dominate and wield power" (more about that later), but a lot of the rest of it sounds like me.

I am not sure if these next paragraphs have more to do with my X chromosome, my ENFP Myers-Briggs, or my somewhat limited spiritual gifts of mercy, service and encouragement; but this wouldn't be an honest and complete review without this part.

I am not personally motivated by winning. I think this is probably an X chromosome thing, but please never quote me by name on that - I'll get drummed out of my gender. What motivates me is service and gratitude. What keeps me going is believing that I have made a difference. If someone actually thanks me - that's the gravy. That's one reason why I loved working for you so much - you were always so good about thanking. The reason I blame it on the X is that my son, who is also ENFP, cares deeply about winning. He is in law school now, and even though he has a highly defined sense of justice, etc., at the core of it he just wants to WIN. He loves to compete in his areas of highest confidence, like moot court and trial team competitions. I really believe that a high percentage of women in the work force are motivated more like me than they are by WINNING. They probably would never admit it though. The ones who try hard to compete and make winning central tend to be the least happy and the most bitter. I think we take losing more personally than the Y crowd. We internalize it (I'm a bad person) and it makes us miserable. I think the book was important for me to read because, even though I'm not energized by the winning thing, I need to understand the people around me. I have always worked and I will be working for some time still. I need to understand other people's motivation and behavior in order to survive.

On the ENFP front, I am not big on planning and life-time commitments (the P) and I lead with my gut A LOT (the F). Parts of the book made me tired and a little depressed because they depend on characteristics I don't possess. I guess I could do it (like anything else) if I were willing to pay the price, but I'm not. The good news is that the book affirms that my highly developed intuition (the N) will probably keep me in the game even if I don't win much which I don't really care about anyway. I learned some things I can keep though - things where the value of the hand comes up positive for me - and I'm going to work on those.

On the "mercy and encouragement" side, the parts about manipulation, subterfuge, intentional disruption - that all creeps me out. Setting somebody up to fail is not something I would consciously do, even though I probably have done subconsciously. My least favorite parts were the ones about exploiting character flaws and the D-I-S-C-A-R-D. That said, I am a realist and I do believe in the doctrine of Total Depravity, so I have rather low expectations of the human race (including me). It is important for me to be reminded that there are people out there who would do me harm in order to advance and it's good to study exactly how they might do it. I do like to be safe and understanding where the threats are and what I need to do to parry the blows is great information.

Summary: Good read - clever, smart, entertaining, thorough. Imparts a lot of information in relatively few pages. Is designed for take-away action. I recommend it for everyone who has to interact with other humans (grin). Even if you wouldn't plan to use the offensive strategies and tactics, the defensive possibilities are invaluable. I plan to order it for my son. He grew up in an X household and I think it will feed his Y soul.

Once you pick up No Limit and start turning the pages, it will not be easy to put down. This book is extremely easy to read and more importantly, apply. Krause and Carter's clever use of acronyms and overall structure make the content very easy to pick up and maintain. After reading this book, I've been able to increase my level of performance at work through applying the No Limit strategies.

Poker, business, and life require a strategic decision making approach that positions you for the best possible chance for success. This book will help you enhance, transport and modify your Friday night poker methodology into your professional & personal relationships creating a competitive advantage over your competitors.

Everyone wants to be a winner but not all possess and nurture the skills necessary to win. This book is not about a one time, quick fix for success or the bluff that gets you the promotion or project you've had your eye on. It is about applying the skills addressed by Donald Krause and Jeff Carter to your everyday life in order to know yourself, know and understand the players in the game you play and increase your odds. It is about striving to be the winner, cultivating the attributes of greatness from within, and learning from failure-yours and those of others- to not just win the big pot but all those little ones that make us get up everyday and pursue our aspirations.

This story is hard to imagine anyone living through. Mr. Ladd's accomplishments are outstanding. This brings a reality to the reader that most people have no idea exists except those living it. This autobiography also shows the power of determination, attitude and self-reliance.

This should be inspiring and educational to young people especially but also to adults who can see the world from a young black man's perspective. Ladd allows us to walk in his shoes for a while; it is a privilege and a lesson.

The narrator for the audiocassette does an excellent job reading the book.

This story reminded me of "Finding Fish" by Antwoine Fisher, another great, inspiring story.

As a 24 yearold 1st yr. teacher in West Dallas I have been looking for answers. I work at the Middle School across from the projects referred to in this book. I am not too far from "Fishtrap", and the gangs (boyz) have changed from Ladd's time but only by the faces of their members. Some of the most infamous being my most delightful students. My kids are not like all of the others in America. They are different...special even and Jerrold Ladd told me why. As I read this book with every page I turned I anticipated that the "story" would get better. I prayed that his mother would change. I longed for the chapter when some long lost Great-Uncle from Georgia would come and take him from the reality of his torrid life. But it never happened. And I became frustarted because my students do not have anyone to rescue them from their realities, not for the long haul at least. Jerrold Ladd's book explained to me the generational frustaration that West Dallas incorporates. The resentment and struggle of blocks and blocks of people is the only thing this community truly owns. Ladd wrote the testament and explanation of a community's fear. His hopes and fears were evident on every page of this book. I only wish that my studenrs could take time from their troubles of hunger, fear, anger, and poverty to big up this reflection of possible positive self. Thank you for this invaluable tool of living and learning.

As a 24 yearold 1st year Teacher in West Dallas I have looked for reasons as to why my students (my kids) as I call them are the way they are. I teach eighth grade History at Thomas Edison Middle Learning Center which is located across the street from the projects referred to by Mr. Ladd. I can testify that all of my 109 students are the soul of Jerrold Ladd.

I have gone home frustrated many nights, crying myself to sleep distraught over what my kids must face at home from day to day after a long day at school. Mr. Ladd brought home the realities of my student lives. He pushed their questionable futures to the forefront of my classroom and by this Christmas I was sad to see them go. I was sad because I questioned how many of them would bathe without the motivation of not being ridiculed by mean classmates. I was sad because I wondered to what length one of my kids would go to pay his mother's rent, the same mother who stood in front of me and her precious son parent-confrence night and stated how he was a waste of 13 years.

As I turned the pages of this book I waited with each page for Mr. Ladd's situation to get better. Similarly, as I come to work everyday I look for my kids situation to get better. In the final ten to twelve pages of this testament to the community of West Dallas I finally saw inspiration and hope, however I shudder to think how long it will take the children of West Dallas to see the same thing.

Jerrold Ladd thank you for this guide into the minds of my babies. It is a invaluable tool.

I am a freshman student at my high school, and was assigned to a book report... I then choose this book, yet not out of wantingness, but just to get something and be done with it. When I started this book, I was so amazed at the details, and way Jerrold lived, with such horrific times in his live from his living style, to growing up, and all the obstacles, and problems that occured in his life. It was so sad, yet you cant put it down.

Excellent writing from a motivated and dedicated young man. Jerrold Ladd experienced disrupted education, a lack of early age positive male influence while proving first hand, that you can over come all obstacles and succeed in America.

It is a gut wrenching look into living in America's projects shortly after desegregation. It reminded me of the fact that life in America is not and has never been the same for everyone. For many, it is a living torture. Once you have read Out Of The Madness, you feel like you personally know the author. The author, Jerrold Ladd, tells an in-depth story about his life, his family (Mother, sister and brother) and some of his friends and associates. He provides an incredible amount of detail for a relatively short book (under 200 pages and large print). He allowed me to walk in his foot steps, feeling his disappointments, success's and failures. Each chapter presented intense quality of life and life treating situations that would test and potentially break the fiber of any man or woman. Jerrold exposes himself, his friends and associates in a bold and remarkable manner that allows you to actually feel his emotions. This book is a dead serious look at life within a segment of America, yesterday and today. The book reminds you that to many people (children and adults), needlessly, experience this and worst everyday. I recommend the book as a must read for everyone. My reason: This book provides an insight into a situation that many generations of Americans helped create. It gives motivation to those in similar situations and those that have not lived integrated into murder, drugs and abuse. Most of all, it proves, in America you can change your life.

Bill Wrights' PEOPLE'S LIVES is a straightforward approach that uses photography to show that our skins may be different colors, and our cultures may be diverse, but we are all tied together as members of the same humanity. Bill Wright is a photographer that shows us the world without making us voyeurs. His photographs invite us to have a clear understanding of our part in the family of man.

Bill Wright is an exceptional talent. His photographs celebrate the strength, courage, joy and hope of humanity. Mr. Wright's travels have taken him just about everywhere from Nepal to New York City. His images reveal an intimate view of the extra ordinary folks he encounters along the way.

A beautifully simple and simply beautiful book. Wonderfully seen photographs that really do capture and celebrate the human spirit. So many other photography books seem to be published solely to be jarring, hip, and fashionable. People's Lives stands out from this crowd as genuine, authentic, and mostly, just plain real. Well worth the price of admission to this more gentle view of our world.

Bill Wright's latest book is his best to date. Once you open the book, start looking at the beautiful images and read the text, you will become so engrossed you will not be able to put it down until you have read every page and studied every picture. With so many things happening in the world that are so negative, this book is extremely uplifting. Wright's book is a testament that the human spirit is alive and well and thriving everywhere...........you just have to look for it.

Bill Wright's wonderful photographs and commentary have a unique abilty to draw the reader/viewer into an emotional attachment to his subjects. I've yet to see one that didn't make me think, "I'd like to know this person."

I have visited the Big Bend more than two dozen times over more than that many years and have never found a book that captured the land and the people as well as this one by Bill Wright. I remember years ago searching for something like this. I could only find a photo book of the canyons back then but this is a book with much greater depth and it did not stop at just the geological. Wright does a top notch job of introducing the wild characters who inhabit the spaces between mountain and desert; the ones who live on the sand road that goes back behind the mesa. You won't regreat adding this book to your home library.

I live in the greater Big Bend area; and, was surprised to discover my newest neighbors were Bill and Alice Wright. Bill's reputation is that of a great photographer; but, it will become immediately apparent to you when you read this book, that Bill is a great story teller. You will not soon lay this book down, nor forget the colorful stories revealed in his experiences of the Big Bend area.

This fine book will give the reader a good look and feel for the Big Bend of Texas.

Although I am a native Texan, I have never visited Big Bend. Through the author's experiences with the people he met along the way, Big Bend has become more than the awesome pictures. I'm planning a trip. Bill Wright is a wonderful writer as well as photographer - I hope there are more books to come. Sounds as if he has travelled the world.

Photographer and writer Bill Wright comes from the West Texas town of Abilene: roughly eight hours drive at a steady seventy from his beloved Big Bend National Park. In Texas that, along with the fact that he's been visiting the park since childhood, pretty much makes him a local.

Texas has a considerable modern history, quite apart from it's more ancient nomadic inhabitants, and Wright maintains a consciousness of this in his travels through these southern borderlands of the USA. Passport controls do indeed exist at the border bridges into Mexico, along with stern warnings that it is illegal for Texans to carry guns into the neighbouring country, but the border patrols continue for nearly sixty miles across the desert into the USA with major checkpoints ocurring at the towns of Marfa and Marathon. The area South of these checkpoints, where Wright's portraits were made, are known as The Badlands and have been for the past 150 years.

Put simply Wright has an abundance of curiosity, the essential requirement of the documentary photographer; and a considerable degree of patience in the fact that he only really began making this book after a lifetime of visits. Be he visiting with the photographer Etta Koch, writing about "Crazy" Angie, who apparently isn't and operates the theatre at Terlingua Ghost Town, or photographing the rancher Buck Newsome, the white hat line on whose forehead clearly explaining how his life has been spent, Wright, while mentioning the people he was with and the details of the trip, never puts himself over the people or places he introduces to his readers. The border in West Texas might be described as permeable, with several unguarded but regularly used fords exisiting along the river. One such ford exists at a place called Lajitas, today a resort town bought lock stock and barrel by a billionaire and now boasting "the world's only international golf course", but Bill Wright digs deeper under the surface harking back to the time when the ford was an important crossing on the trail from Mexico city to the Spanish province of Nueva Viscaya. He remarks upon the "politically constructed" nature of the border between the States and their Southern neighbour, and the fact that locals continue to move freely across the Rio Grande even to this day. In an aside his thoughts wander to the realisation that where in the past Texas Rangers patrolled these areas, to keep international cattle rustling to a minimum, today the trade is reversed and the border patrols and enforcement agencies are more concerned with preventing the importation of illegal drugs. But for the local populace life continues much the same and Spanish remains the predominant language.

In many ways the story as a whole is about Wright and his experiences, but more about the manner in which the place molded him over the years than any form of personal recollection. For Texas is very much about the land. He has been absolutely true to his subjects and in this book he presents that very rare sort of travelogue that will be enjoyed by visitors, people who only ever visit far flung lands from the comfort of their own living rooms, and especially the residents of the Big Bend itself; who will understand.