Texas Books

This book should be required reading for every 18 year old girl. A truly compelling story about how we too often judge people by appearances.

I read the book and saw the movie Deadly Intentions. I believe it but how can anyone be so sick? People like that are a threat for as long as they live.

William Randolph Stevens, author of DEADLY INNOCENCE, was the prosecuting
attorney in Pima County, AZ, in the 1970's and was responsible for the prosection of Dr. Patrick Henry, a highly intelligent physician, for the attempted murder of his wife, Christina. Henry is one of the more despicable characters you will ever read about (although I'll admit to saying this about half the sleazebags I read about in true crime). He was a man who was able to contol his emotions and to display his normalcy when necessary. He was also cheap, impossibly angry, vindictive, cruelly sadistic, and so cold as to be unimaginable. And was he WEIRD. I don't understand why he got married, though I guess it was his normal side coming out, because he very quicky came to despise his wife and delighted in nothing more than torturing her, both to remain in total control of her and just for his own enjoyment. As one of many possible examples, Christina was freaked out by a certain kind of insect that was common to where the Henrys were living. One night, in an almost unheard of gesture, Pat took Christina out to dinner, though he was so cheap they went to the cafeteria of the hospital where he worked. During dinner he excused himself for about 10 minutes. Upon entering the car to leave, Christina was descended upon by hundreds of the insects, swarming, landing all over her, and getting caught in her hair. Patrick laughed at her all the way home, refusing to stop the car to allow Christina to get out and escape the insects which he had so carefully planted.
Patrick also used to come home from work seething with anger and going into great detail about what he would do to anyone who crossed him. His plans included such things as sharpening a knife on both edges, taking his victim to a swamp (he loved swamps), gouging out his eyes, filling his orifices with firecrackers - small ones so he could stand close to watch - and lighting them, and eventually gutting him with his knife. In his fantasies these sessions might last several days.

He also told Christina that he would kill anyone who ever left him, which Christina finally did after witnessing him mistreat animals and suspecting him of abusing their newborn baby. This started Patrick's intricate and murderous plan which, being meticulous to the point of compulsion and filled with vengeful hatred, he plotted for over 3 years.
The book details the murder attempt, the excellent police work, and the trial and verdict.

It is unusual that I enjoy true crime books written by police or prosecutors. They usually have an amateur feel even if, as is customary, they are ghostwritten. And they are almost always self-aggrandizing making the author the "star" of the book. Another aspect of true crime writing I usually find boring is a lengthy account of a trial.
But DEADLY INNOCENCE is an exception. First of all, though Stevens is a lawyer, he is also a very good writer. The book is credited to Stevens alone and while he plays a major role in the story, particularly in the last half of the book which deals with the preparations for trial and the trial itself, he does not brag. He simply tells a totally fascinating story like a pro. And the lengthy trial section, which in lesser books has sent more than one true crime reader to Tedium City, is the section which pulls the story together and is superb.

DEADLY INTENTIONS is a truly outstanding work of true crime, and it is futher and continuing proof that the genre was considerably better during the 70s, 80s, and early 90s than it is now. You won't want to put it down.

It's a very good book , here we can even feel the coldness of this young doctor and his terryfied wife .Mr.Stevens did a wonderful work. It really worth reading!!!!

I finished reading, THE DEATH OF A HEALING WOMAN, when I went on a fishing trip. The fish had to wait until the authoress solved the mystery. Once in awhile, I still go back and look for a clue that led up to the gruesome murder. When the one who did the killing was caught I almost cheered at the justice of this person's demise. I won't say when you read this novel, I'm saying you must read this novel 'cause it is being reveiwed by the big reviewers. What I would like for you to do is E-mail who sent the article out of a newspaper in the last chapter. I've other things to do than go back and figure this out! THE BEST MYSTERY NOVEL I'VE READ SINCE SHERLOCK HOLMES! LUTHER BUTLE

Allana Martin's book, DEATH OF A HEALING WOMAN, is a page turner. A current television add states that, "LIFE IS DIFFERENT ALONG THE BORDER." Where the mesquite trees from the United States are divided from the mesquite trees from Mexico by the Rio Grande River, there is a society different from any other place in the world. Here where two cultures clash and clutch each other for life and death, this novel tells about a world where witches live with drug smugglers and horse doctors. I am only half way through with this mystery novel, and my only wish is that the book would never end! I'm wondering if a drug mule, an illegal, or a person who is afraid of the mysterious powers of the healing woman, is the muderer. Even though I have a mean streak, I wouldn't tell you who the killer is even if I knew. It is crulerer for you to suffer the suspense I'm experiencing! Luther Butle

Martin writes with a true feel both for place and for mystery. Her knowledge of the Big Bend area of West Texas is reflected in the accuracy with which she captures the people and lifeways of this interesting borderland. Her tale of the healing woman is both intriguing and resolved with a grimly appropriate resolution. This book will whet your appetite for those that have followed.

I read lots of mysteries, but enjoy the English village murder mysteries the best. This is a welcome addition of the American variety. I also liked this book because the heroine didn't do something stupid that put her in harm's way. It was well written and very enjoyable. I have now ordered her other mysteries.

Sid Underwood has written a very good and well deserved account of the life of Oklahoma's depression era bandit, who has previously been overshadowed by Bonnie and Clyde. True, Raymond Hamilton ran with Bonnie and Clyde, but his crimes were extreme and his life ended in prison. Underwood's book is very readable and will last as a true crime classic.

Excellent, highly readable, well documented biography of Raymond Hamilton, a colorful Texas bank robber of the 1930's. Hamilton is chiefly remembered today as a sometime accomplice of Clyde Barrow but his own criminal career is equally interesting and far more spectacular.

Sid Underwood has written an extremely in-depth account of the Gentleman Bandit. Underwood has traced the history of Hamilton and his cohorts, including Bonnie & Clyde, as well as interviewed many people who have since passed away that knew Bonnie & Clyde, including relatives. Besides giving very detailed accounts pulled from records and the interviews, the book is filled with some great photos. Depression Desperado is both historical and entertaining.

this book is an excellent one about the car stealing bank robbers of the midwest during the depression era.Ray Hamilton probably would have been as famous as clyde barrow if his girlfriend had been better looking and wrote poetry to the newspapers,even if her poetry was like Bonnie Parkers'-the type you observe on gas station restroom walls.Somehow depression era thieves almost always get our sympathy,and while you might not be entirely regretful when Ray takes his seat on "ol sparky,"you could at least wish he would have stayed put in prison instead of escaping so many times.This guy escaped from different prisons so many times i was loosing track in the book.He always tried to avoid any type of gunplay if he could,not like his "buddy"?,Clyde Barrow. Ray tries to come off as a John Dillinger,same smooth style of bank robbery. Barrow sort of comes off as a Baby Face Nelson type,quick on the trigger and probably a sadist as well. It was interesting to note that Ray often recruited for his "jobs"the residents of Depression Era hoboe camps,indeed he stayed there himself many times.there was alot of unemployed desperate people there ripe for any opportunity to make some real money or(depart from the world in a hailof bullets.)Of course Ray liked to keep a suitcase with a nice dress suit with him,ready to change skin like a chameleon.When he finally takes his place on the chair,he wants everyone to know,"I never killed anyone".from reading the book i believe he studiously tried to avoid gunplay.The book also shows well how the life of a fugitive is so expensive with different pay-offs to safe houses,etc. so if anyone out there is looking for Hamilton's unrecovered stolen loot,I can say from reading this book,it was spent before Hamilton got his 6 billion amps.Not only that but Hamilton was probably robbing banks to pay his fugitive bills.If only his girlfriend hadn't had such a flat face,who knows where he could have gone!

I know for a fact that Ben Feinberg has watched over one hundred hours of "I Dream of Jeanie."

But if that's not enough to convince you to buy his book, you might consider the actual subject matter. How do people in small places not overcome by the hegemony of time and space most people reading this website live with conceive of time and space? Feinberg looks at this, dealing with different categories of time and such from the perspective of the Sierra Mazteca. How do you get to Oaxaca de Juarez from Juatla? Where is the United States, and who are these weird tourists?

Read the book for the answers to these questions and more.

I've been interested in the Sierra Mazateca for years-- after spending time there, I read the handful of books written about it, yet felt that there was much more to be said. I was thrilled to discover that last year, someone finally wrote a well-researched ethnography about it. Feinberg's book is packed with fascinating observations and reflections on the way people in the Sierra Mazateca understand and talk about their lives, history, and "culture." I would recommend this book to anyone with a background in anthropology or a similar field who is interested in cultural identity negotiation and "indigenous-ness," Oaxaca, sacred mushrooms, and folklore about devils and caves.

His analysis is brilliant. If you are unsatisfied after reading through once, then I suggest you purchase another copy and read it over again.

I know for a fact that Ben Feinberg has eaten Armour(tm) Potted Meat Food Product.

One could not want a more well-written or interesting book about paleontology and dinosaurs. The quality is supreme, pictures are the best ever, and content is contagious. It makes the reader feel part of the conversation. Finsley's book gives the reader impetus to become an active digger! Charles Finsley is a master of communicating with the printed word. A must read for all ages!

Charles E. Finsley certainly succeeds in in his stated objective of making the story of dinosaurs in Texas into a twentieth-century story. The photographs of fossils as well as the fossil finders are great. The text is informative, comprehensive and slanted for the amateur in search of an overview of the story of Texas dinosaurs.

Mr. Charles E. Finsley give a great picture of the Texas contributions to dinosaur paleontology. Doris Tischler drawings give you not only posture, but feeding habits, behavior and a dynamical perspective of how the Dinosaurs lived. Mr. Langston experience gives a great complement with his participation. If you like dinosaurs, you'll finish this book in just two days! but you'll use it all your life.

Support your local paleontologist. This simple phrase describes much of what is learned from this interesting little book. Within, the reader learns where Texas stands in the search for our dinosaur heritage. Using an understandable geologic timeline, the Mesozoic story is told with a Texan viewpoint. Leading professional and amateur paleontologists are showcased as the significant sleuths in the story of how hard it is to find, prepare, study and display dinosaur fossils. Their personal experience educates the reader to the scarcity and importance of material and the hard work that has accumulated information throughout the generations. Using simple enough language for a child but having enough information for the average reader this book is easy to read and quite informative. Throughout, thought provoking questions and "did you know?" tidbits are added to instill in the reader the desire to go hunting dinosaurs for themselves.

With so many cookbooks, the layout can really turn me off of a book. The first thing that struck me when I flipped open to a random page how it drew me in. Most recipes include a bit of the author's personal history with the dish and many introduce with the "old way" of making the dish as well as present a new way that is less labor intensive. Often she will follow up with a recipe for those who want to try the traditional method.

A very thorough book that explores local ingredients, explains when they were served, what you might find in your supermarket and then clearly describes how to prepare the dish.

I'm a recent transplant to Texas and have had my eyes opened to Mexican and Tex-Mex food. This book introduces Norteno cuisine that is found in many traditional border homes. I couldn't wait to try my hand at these recipes.

Also, if you're someone who likes to read cookbooks for enjoyment, you'll love this one.

Great cookbook for those that are looking for TRUE South Texas-Northern Mexico cuisine. It is beautifully written and a cookbook you will keep in your library forever.

I am a beginning cook that moved from South Texas and love this book! Now I can make all of my favorites in my own kitchen far from home. The background Melissa gives is so interesting and it makes you feel like she is in the kitchen with you almost!

Of of the few, rare, authentic looks at some exceptionally wonderful food. The book is beautiful, and enhances the feel for understanding the landscape and people that authentic south Texas ranch cooking comes from. Thank God Melissa is secure enough in tradition that she did not feel the need to throw Mangos in everything to prove she was a creative chef. I have pet goats that were adopted as orphans, and they are very sweet and loving, so I no longer eat Cabrito, but have had it enough in the past to appreciate the recipes.

We recently chose this great little self published book as our March Selection, It is written in a folksy, charmingly funny style, and contains plenty of wisdom. There are short chapters about all kinds of subjects; relationships with wives, kids, dogs, work, etc. It is great choice for book clubs that want to alternate their deep. dark, reads with something happy that everyone will relate to. We all enjoyed it.

As a Texas now living in North Carolina I had read Dave Lieber's column for years and still do online. In 1996 I had the privelege of meeting both him and Sadie the dog at the walkathon in Bedford, Tx where I took my beloved dog, Jake. (Like Sadie Jake is no longer with me but still in my heart. Last week I was in Texas and saw this book and had to buy it. It is well written and brought back many memories of thing from Dave's columns. My favorites were always when he wrote about Sadie. Great book!

This is a wonderful heartwarming book that I found hard to put down. The story of Dave's dog is especially funny and sad. I wouldn't want to give away any plot secrets but the dog sounds pretty sharp. You will feel like you've been transported to Texas and invited to be part of a special family when you read this book. I hope there is a sequel.

As a longtime reader of Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Dave Lieber's work, I was privileged to purchase an advance copy of his book off his new Internet web site before the actual publication date. It's thrilling to see his best stories from the past decade collected in one attractive volume. Dave writes laughers that remind me of Dave Barry at his best. He also writes stories about people that, well, you better darn well have a box of Kleenex nearby. The one about how Dave brought former Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith to the classroom of a teacher who was dying of cancer (true story; it was her dying wish) is unbelievable! The book has almost 90 stories, each of them short and easy to read. They cover every conceivable subject -- from family, kids, love, education (Dave calls it 'Texas Edukation'), nutty politicians, quirky Texans, Sept. 11, a writer's life, becoming a cowboy, etc. There are probably about 50 photographs in the 288-page book, too. I guess what I like about this book is that it's full of surprises. You never know what is going to be on the next page. There's a story about Dave's relationship with a convicted murderer and then what happened when the guy got released from prison. It's surprising as heck. There's a story about Dave's first meeting with the Texas governor and the strange comment made by Gov. Perry. But the signature story of the book is about Dave's beloved Psycho Dog. Dave loved the dog, but the dog hated Dave. This opening chapter is a real tear jerker, reminiscient of My Dog Skip. I think it's wonderful that Dave is giving a portion of the proceeds of this book to the Humane Society in honor of his late dog. I promise you'll love this book. I'm already on my second reading. - M.W.

This is a very helpful book for Texas gardeners. The format is user friendly and it would be a great addition to anyone's gardening library.

Excellent book! Very beneficial to both long-term and novice gardeners.

Excellent format and the month to month guide is very useful.

Great choice.

I like the layout of this book. I read it cover to cover within the first week but have continued to use it as a reference. I like the month-by-month layout and it covers the majority of topics that a Texas gardener wants to know about. It's sort of like combining the best parts of several books...and the format is easy to read and is slightly humerous. The book covers several areas of Texas, so no matter where you live the book covers your area. There are some topics where I wanted more depth, so I used the internet or library to find more detailed information. This book also debunked some of the theories I had learned about specific gardening methods...old wives tales that were truly tales. All said, I would purchase this book again and recommend it for novice to experienced gardeners (stopping short of master gardeners, but they're the ones writing the books anyway).

Finally we have a companion to the nationwide Farmer's Almanac -

designed for our unique state - our climate and our plants.

Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac is the definitive almanac on

Texas gardening, covering indepth topics such as pruning trees,

attracting butterflies, and managing fire ants.


In addition, readers will find handy quick-tips including: using

clear plastic soda bottles for mini greenhouses, avoiding the

epidemic of crepe murder (over-pruning crepe myrtles), and creating

herb gardens in mini containers.

Hundreds of delightful illustrations by Aletha St. Romain -

including a beautiful amaryllis illustration for the chapter on

December - make the book a joy for the eyes.

It is so jam-packed with information, tips, and useful

illustrations, it would make a life-long garden guide for a new

gardener. Then too, experienced gardeners would find the book a

wonderful edition to their gardening book library.

As we become more dependent on food sources from millions of miles

away, the need to garden more closely in our own area is of primary

concern. For this reason, every school should consider ordering

copies for students. And if a high school student shows any

inclination toward gardening, this would be a treasured gift.

Medium weight slick paper with fading violet and lime colored edges

make the book wonderful to browse. Every library in Texas needs

this gem.

Valerie Brown, Texas Master Gardener

I have several guides for birds, butterflies, snakes, reptiles and amphibians. I just started learn about dragonflies this year and this is one of the best guides I have seen. In fact, it was highly recommended by an individual who has a Masters Degree in dragonfly study. I recommend it for individuals just starting out with dragonflies as the photos are great but it also provides enough information (range maps) to let you narrow down and identify the more difficult species.

This field guide is the one to own. It covers not only all the dragonflies of Texas and the Southcentral US, but all the damselflies as well. The photographs are superb and this make for easy identification of species in the field. However, because of these pluses, the result is a rather sizable guide that is just a bit too heavy to really qualify as a handy field guide. If you can deal with its size and weight, it more than makes up for this handicap in thes helpful information it provides. The only drawback and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5, is because it is a tad less user friendly for the novice or non-professional (i.e. The species identification keys are a bit confusing). Nevertheless, it is destined to become the standard to measure all other guides.

As an admirer of dragonflies and damselflies I was quite delighted to find this book by John C. Abbott. It is a mix of the very technical and (at least in part because of the 64 plates of magnificent color photos) the very useful for the non-specialist. The range maps are invaluable as a way of adding clues for the identification of similar species. The line drawings of anatomical parts are important in separating closely related species and the glossary of terms, the check list, and the large bibliography round out a very useful or even indispensable volume for the dragonfly watcher. In short, this book is a serious guide to an area with the highest odonate diversity in the United States. "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States" simply is a must for anyone interested in the odonate fauna of the five states involved. Its production, along with at least three earlier regional and national books on the subject, is a testimonial to the growing popularity of these beautiful and fascinating insects.

This is not a book that you can skim; rather, it is one intended for the serious student of Odonata in Texas. Written by an acknowledged expert in the field, it covers everything you might want to know about the dragonflies found in Texas.

Be warned, though, that you cannot approach this book lightly. The author uses scientific terms liberally: you will have to spend time acquiring the vocabulary.

For the serious Texas "Odo-nut" this is an absolutely essential part of your library.

I thought this was an excellent source of informaion. I used it for a class and earned an A. Very thorough and easy to understand. Lay terms are frequently used and I found I learned a lot and found it very valuable.

An excellent general overview, covering drug use and regulation, pharmacological basics, in-depth analyses of the legal drugs, tranquilizers and stimulants, narcotics, hallucinogens, and marijuana, and comments on "a rational look at drug use." Well-documented with an abundance of relevant quotes and statistics; a rich set of references follow each chapter.

I bought this book to study for a quiz-out test for my Psych major. I read through three chapters the first time I picked it up. I usually have to force myself to complete an assignment, but with this book I just kept reading with no pushing whatsoever! I highly recommend this book to anyone taking a class in this subject, whether or not it is the required text. It would be a great additional information source. It is helpful if you or someone you know may be going through any type of drug or alcohol treatment--from caffeine to heroin. I also enjoyed the online quizzes you are allowed to access once you have the book. It really enforces what you have learned.

This book is the source for unbiased information on the sociological, psychological, pathological effects of "drugs" - this compendium covers everything from caffeine to antipsychotics to alcohol to psychedelics and everything in between. A review of the history of each drug introduces each chapter. Careful attention is paid to not only the effects of the drugs themselves, but the effect which they have on our laws and the way in which treat addiction.

As a former student of Dr. Ray's I can attest to the thoroughness of this work. It is the one book that doesn't tell you what to think about drugs - it provides you with the data to be informed to make your own decision. In fact the DEA uses this book in training! If you are looking for a comprehensive resource for school, your own interest, or just to be informed to talk to your kids, look no further.