Texas Books

I have become a Harvey Girl re-enactor with the El Paso Railroad Museum since January 2006, giving presentations & doing research. FAR FROM HOME is the main resource for Harvey Girl uniforms. Our number of re-enactors is increasing, so we now have begun monthly meetings to discuss scripts for presentations, costumes for the span of time periods that the Harvey Girls existed, along with participation in historical events with other groups covering a similar time period. In addition, we are collecting & exhibiting Fred Harvey dinnerware & Santa Fe Railway dinnerware & preparing/serving food samples from the HARVEY HOUSE COOKBOOK. Since I am a retired school teacher as of May 2005 & a nutritionist, this is a perfect retirement activity for me. Thank you Lesley for all that you have published on the Harvey Girls ! !

A story/paperdoll book that even adults love

I've been collecting paper dolls for years, and this is one of the best books I've found. There are 6 dolls (4 women and 2 men) with a nice variety of costumes. The clothes are beautifully drawn and obviously well-researched (but kind of tricky to cut out). As an easterner, I know almost nothing about western history, and the diary entries that tell the stories of two sisters who become Harvey Girls are very interesting and definitely made me want to learn more about them.

The book was very interesting. I am in disaster cordination for our funeral directors Assn. I fond it elpful in knowing there procedures used and agencies involved.

Funeral director Byron Starr presents Finding Heroes: The Search for Columbia's Astronauts, the true story of his participation in mass volunteer search to find and catalogue the debris and human remains from the tragic space shuttle Columbia explosion that happened in 2003. Part memoir, part firsthand chronicle of sad history, Finding Heroes narrates not only the difficult hunt through the pinewoods of East Texas, but also the coming together of a community, and compassion amid fellow human beings in the wake of national loss. A touching and inspirational chronicle.

Having worked with Mr. Starr as he completed this book, I found myself fascinated by his account of his personal participation in the search for the astronauts from the Columbia shuttle. He introduces the widely varied searchers and support people involved, who outnumbered the entire population of the tiny town that was the center of the search. Old and young, from many areas, from organizations and alone, volunteers came. Local people worked endlessly to offer them food, housing (mostly tents) and all kinds of support. Starr manages to make everyone come to life, so that the reader feels he knows them personally. I am proud to have worked as his mentor as he produced this work. I think anyone will find i interesting and enjoyable.
Ardath Mayhar

In the first lines of Rex Anderson's fourth and latest novel we meet the main character, Private Investigator Tony Aapt-- a clever and, well, apt name considering that anything is apt to happen in this fresh and funny story about a David-Duchovny-ish gumshoe who finds himself suddenly reunited with an aging bartender pal, 30 years a widow now and recently come into BIG money, who throws the goofy, charming Tony, teller of tall detective tales, a BIG job-- to prove her husband's alleged suicide was actually cold-blooded murder. It's questionable at first if Tony has the, uh, aptitude to investigate this long-dead case-- thus far his forays into solving crimes and misdemeanors have earned him only an apartment full of shabby furniture, a refrigerator full of low-end domestic beer, and an ancient auto. But off goes Tony through a labyrinth of crossing paths-- from esteemed professors at Rice University to gay bars and their sometimes surprising patrons, from a high schoo! l football star turned big-bellied baseball fanatic to the richest of Houston's rich to the pinnacles of political power. And, in the midst of it all-- the seemingly clear-cut autopsy photos, the clear-eyed newly rich widow who KNOWS who killed her husband and why-- stands the forlorn and baffling lawnmower...

Lawnmower Blues captures your attention like rapid gunfire-- and I promise you will not stop reading this book until Anderson's done with you. If you like murder mysteries heavily peppered with hilarity and the shrewd weaving of people's strange lives and (mis)deeds, this is a must read. If you only treat yourself to one private dick this summer, make it Anderson's Tony Aapt.

Rex Anderson did a great job on this book! It reads like a classic private detective story, but in a modern day setting. The plot moves along nicely and there is the right amount of history provided to fully understand the characters. The book kept me guessing right until the last page! A perfect 3-4 hour book for a trip on the airplane!

In 1999 Houston private investigator Tony Aapt inherited a ton of debt when his grandfather died and left him the family sleuthing business. Fiftyish former bartender Maggie Hawk recently won a sweepstakes that guarantees her 500K per year for twenty years. She wants Tony, who frequented her bar with exaggerated tales of his work, to look into the death of her husband George W. Hawk in 1966. Tony looks at the detailed information she provides him and agrees with the official ruling of suicide until she begins to make a case that her spouse did not kill himself; he was murdered to steal his invention, a safe lawnmower blade.

Needing the money but feeling guilty as the clues will be cold and he has no experience with this type of inquiry Tony begins his investigation. He soon becomes convinced that people were paid off by the legendary lawnmower king Jason Woods to hide a homicide and a stolen invention, but how to prove it proves difficult especially when the target of his case offers him a job he cannot afford to refuse.

Tony makes the case fun to follow as he fumbles and bumbles the investigation, but perhaps it is in the DNA because he keeps moving forward one clue at a time. The hero is apt to fail not only due to his lack of experience, but also he is going up against a highly regarded superheavyweight who has much more power than when he seemingly bribed the world three decades ago. Fans will enjoy the twists to LAWNMOWER BLUES as Rex Anderson provides a fine mystery starring a wannabe hard boiled detective who is undercooked and truly a softy.

Harriet Klausner

This book does a very good job of listing fresh water fishing sites all over the state of Texas with information on what sort of fish to expect. It's geared to the fly fisherman of course but would be useful to anyone wanting to fish fresh waters of Texas. It list essentially all the rivers and lakes in the state and where the access points are. In a few cases it would be nice to have more specific instructions on how to get to the access point but it's still a very thorough listing of places to fish and what to expect when you get there.

Wow! What a terrific book! Fly fishers all over the state
are talking about the most comprehensive book written for
fly fishing Texas. This is the book to carry in your vehicle
when off gallivating in the hill country, the pineywoods
or the gulf coast. Congratulations Phil!
Constance Whiston

I have been an avid flyfisher for some 30+ years and have read countless books on the topic. Phil Shook provides a very interesting perspective, and although his observations and directions are specific to Texas, he does provide an excellent basis for any angler's personal quest for solitary fishing waters. As well as being very well written, providing interesting and helpful information, as well as tips on flies and equipment, the book contains locations, accommodations, and meal planning advise. This book will certainly be an asset to any angler, pro or novice wishing to improve their catches.

From the beginning, where Anderson announces that to understand present American politics, one must grasp that Texas is a third world country whose capitol is Houston, he grabs the reader's attention and doesn't let it go. (Not only is Texas a 'third world country,' but Bush et al. have tried to run the US the same way... and were successful for several years.) _Follow_ tracks several characters (DeLay, Bush, Abramoff) through a twisting maze of money laundering, fraud, and crooked politics.

Much of the book focuses on the Delay/Abramoff scandal, though he outlines clear ties between Abramoff and Karl Rove. (eg. Rove's personal assistant is Abramoff's former personal assistant.)

If you're not the sort of person who reads the news, this is not the book for you. If, on the other hand, you wish to know just how the American government was stolen by politicians more familiar with the Banana Republic known as Texas (and how it all fell apart...), buy this book.

"Follow the Money" begins in Houston, a city 62% minority, one of the most ozone-polluted areas in the country, and the largest city in the U.S. without zoning regulations. In 1994, top Texas officials were all Democrats, as was the majority of its House and Senate, and its Congressmen in Washington. The only exception was its two national Senators - both Republicans. George W. Bush won the Governor's seat in 1994, beating incumbent Ann Richards with 53% of the vote. (The author suspects that Rush Limbaugh's popularity in the state was a factor.)

After a brief introduction to James Baker (major player in the Bush I administration, and architect of Bush II's Florida win), the scene shifts inexplicably to Jack Abramoff, Tom DeLay, Grover Norquist, and Karl Rove. It's on to Abramoff's first clients (Marianas Islands - fighting to retain their exemption from U.S. labor laws, and a Mississippi Indian tribe trying to prevent new competition in nearby Alabama), DeLay's creation of the K-Street Project and relief for corporations from taxation and regulation.

Abramoff goes on to create a number of false front organizations to launder his fees and donations, double-cross one Indian tribe client (also worked for their competitor against them), made numerous contacts with Karl Rove and the White House (learned despite use of Republican National Committee e-mails to elude retention requirement), etc.

A well-detailed and sordid history of recent American politics.

"Follow the Money" is, as John Anderson writes, a "first pass at history," an effort to chronicle a "vast web of intrigue." He might well have said a vast web of corruption, as intricate as a Mark Lombardi diagram, for that is the book's subject -- the barely concealed but highly complex efforts of Tom Delay, Jack Abramoff, and a host of others, most with close ties to Texas, in their bald pursuit of money and power. Abramoff's story is particularly appalling -- for example, Anderson explains how Abramoff manipulated the anti-gambling Christian right in the service of his pro-gambling Native American clients who wished to crush competing tribes in nearby states, and then turned around to represent those same competing tribes in their efforts to legalize gambling -- but it is only one strand in Anderson's fascinating story.

Anderson's account is thoroughly documented and fair minded, acknowledging honesty and integrity on either side of the aisle whenever it presents itself. Witness the examples of Paul O'Neill, James Comey, and even John Ashcroft, all of whom come out quite well in Anderson's account.

Although George W. Bush is certainly an actor in this tale, his relative absence, compared to others, is telling in and of itself. Bush is not a prime mover in his own universe. That role falls to others, such as Dick Cheney and Karl Rove (yet another Texan).

Anderson's story, exposing the naked power grab of the Republicans in Washington, D.C. (and particularly in Congress), as well as in Texas, is a shocker. We can only hope the Democrats in Congress, and perhaps soon the White House, do a better job.

In our time of displeasure at government bureacracies, in a climate of cynicism and lost hopes, this story stands out and provides a light for us to follow. Although the suffering of the people of Burundi is brutal and truly sickening to the soul, the story of their plight and rise to move forward is heartening. Senator Krueger and his family displayed admiral courage in a theatre of true terror and life-threatening dramas. How many of us would have stood up to speak for the downtrodden when it meant our own lives were at risk...and those of our family?

This is more than an adventure story. It is a tale of the moral standards that can matter in the world, when the structure of civilized peoples is crumbling. We must learn from this and heed the wisdom of one of the last clear voices from the political estate left in the United States. Senator Krueger's appeal for peace and reconciliation is the call for action we must all heed or find ourselves caught in the disruption of our own alienated society.


Rick Tobin
Host of "The Road to Ready"
President/CEO
TAO Emergency Mangement Consulting

This book is well written and is very thorough. A must read for those interested in the realpolitik and history of Burundi and the internal conflict between Tutsi's and Hutus in the central African country. This book also provides great detail about the role and responsibilities of an Ambassador working on behalf of the United States and the ideological differences held within the State Department about the proper role the United States should play in Burundi.

This book is both harrowing and inspiring. Ambassador Krueger details how a dictator with an army used violence on his own countrymen to subvert a nascent democracy. Krueger's struggle to gain international attention for the genocide-in-progress reveals flaws in various national & international institutions -- flaws that still require scrutiny and improvement today. Mrs. Krueger's chapters vividly make the point that foreign service a family matter. Both authors provide moving portraits of individuals who worked in their own quiet or overt ways to stop the genocide; the ordinary-extraordinary courage of these people reminds one of Paul Rusesabagina's story. The Kruegers' conclusions about how a nation can move forward after genocide and autocracy offer hope for Burundi and much matter for thought for other areas of the world.

This is a great book on, not only the demise of the small Texas cotton farmer, but, the death of a way of life lived by hundreds of thousands of people all across the South. The arrival of the Great Depression followed by the implementation of the socialist policies of the New Deal spelled the end of an agrarian lifestyle that had been a part of the backbone of the American way of life for over two centuries. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves American history. Particularly American agricultural history.

A message to those interested in farm life, especially in cotton, cotton pickers and cotton farms: You need this book - From Can See to Can't (subtitled Texas Cotton Farmers on the Southern Prairies).
Written by historians Thad Sitton and Dan K. Utley and published by the University of Texas Press in 1997, this book offers an insiders view of Texas farm life from the time of Austin's colony to present day. It draws on,in particular, Texas cotton farming in the late 1920s for a great deal of its material and portrays a way of life that has almost vanished.
From See To Can't is a rich tapestry of photographs, memoirs, and oral interviews from and about the people who were cotton farmers. I was raised on a cotton farm during that period and reading this book always brings tears to my eyes.
A really wonderful bit of Texana, and our rural heritage, not to be found every day. A Five Star Rating hardly describes it at all.

I really liked this book. For me it started slow, but by a few pages in I couldn't get enough. If you are interested in what farm life was like in Texas in the 1920's, this is for you. It goes into great detail about (obviously) planting and harvesting cotton, small town entertainment, churches, schools, food... the list is endless. Best of all, I talked to my grandparents, who grew up then verified it all. Want a good book about day to day farm life? Want to know what farmers used a hog's scrotum for? Buy it.

This 237 page book tells the story of the defense of the Texas frontier from Indians, Jayhawkers, Unionists, and Deserters, by Texas Rangers, Texas State Troops, Frontier Regt, Bourland's Border Regt, and the Frontier Organization. Author David Paul Smith, has an extensive set of endnotes, index, and bibliography, which make this a great book for those who wish to probe this turbulent period in more detail.

The majority of the book deals with the region North and West of Fort Worth, although all of the Western frontier of Texas is covered. The author combines the facts with explanations to cover a period when reliable records are scarce and myth/legend are legion. Particularly impressive are the descriptions of the Elm Creek Raid and Battle of Dove Creek.

In addition, Frontier Defense also briefly covers strategy & tactics used before and during the War Between the States.

Simplified maps of the frontier districts are included, but a good map of Texas is needed unless the reader is very familiar with the frontier outposts. The free Texas Historical Commission map "Texas in The Civil War" is an essential item needed to accompany this book.

The border with Mexico, Gulf Coast, and Eastern Texas are not covered as this regions are beyond the scope of the work.

D. Smith has a talent for storytelling. In reading his book, I can almost hear his voice recounting so many stories (as he did when I was his student). Frontier Defense in the Civil War provides readers with a small piece of history rarely discussed. For those interested in the Civil War or the history of Texas, this is a fascinating book, and with Smith's wonderful prose, it a pleasure to read.

When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Texans suddenly faced the dilemma of having to confront two enemies: US armed forces and the Plains Indians. A significant number of US troops that played a major role in protecting settlers from Indian raids were withdrawn from the Texas frontier at the onset of war, and the Confederate government in Richmond was not about to replace them with its own troops: they believed the Texans over estimated the Indian threat there. David Smith in this book shows how the Texans dealt with this dual threat through the efforts of the Home Guard and the Texas Rangers, and dealt with them successfully. Through a combination of excellent organization and individual sacrifice and valor, the determined Texans defended their state admirably. Smith is a good writer and relates this chapter of Texas's history compellingly and with vigor. Well annotated and with a good bibliography as well.

I HAVE BEEN AN INSTRUCTOR FOR 8 YEARS AND THIS IS NOW ONE OF THE REQUIRED BOOKS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN MY TRAINING CLASS FOR NEW DEALERS. AT MY SUGGESTION A LOCAL POKER ROOM HAS INCLUDED THIS AS THEIR RULE BOOK AND ALL SUPERVISORS ARE REQUIRED TO USE IT. THIS BOOKS HAS COMPREHENSIVE UP TO DATE RULES. AS WE KNOW RULES MAY CHANGE FROM ROOM TO ROOM, BUT SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSE TO STANDARD THE POKER ALMANAC HAS IT ALL. TDA RULES, ROBERTS RULES, GAMES, AS WELL AS A GREAT UP TO DATE GLOSSARY. THIS BOOK IS AN ASSET FOR TRAINING NEW DEALERS. I USE THIS AND THE PROFESSIONAL DEALER'S HANDBOOK AS A REQUIREMENT TO PURCHASE.

This is a concise encyclopedia of the rules for poker. The Official Rules will particularly appeal to novices as it explains the nature of the cardroom, the equipment integral to the game, and hand rankings. Much of it is based on Robert's (Bob Ciaffone's) Rules of Poker and is elaborated upon by the author. It provides an introduction to the game as well by experienced player, Kelli Mix. The various styles of games are also discussed: limit, spread limit, no limit, and pot limit. The text covers just about everything including seven card stud high low and deuce-to-seven high low. The explanation of tournament rules is valuable because, as those of us who watch HSP already know, tournaments and cash games are entirely different animals. It even tells you what should be done with the "odd chip" in casino games. I appreciated the definition of "kill pots" and wish I would have read it before I began playing in kill limit games online, lol. This is definitely something I could have really used back in 2004 when I first began learning about the game.

Game Day highly recommends this book as the standard poker book for use during all types of poker games. This book is especially helpful to players in home games of poker, where it is important to have a way to resolve rules disputes quickly and amicably.

We at Game Day saw that there was something missing in the current field of poker books: a standard poker rule book. Before we published the Official Rules of Poker, the only authorities on the rules of poker was Scarne and Hoyle, which were written in the Nineteenth Century. The game has changed, especially in the last ten years, and we realized that it was important to have a Twenty-First Century rule book.

When we put out the word that we were looking for an editor and for such a book, Kelli Mix came forward. Ms. Mix, or "Poker Mom" as she is known at the poker table, eagerly took up the challenge of gathering and writing the rules to suit the modern game of poker. This turned out to be a gargantuan task. Ms. Mix researched each rule, making sure that they were found in at least five independent sources. Mix turned out to be a wonderful choice as editor and author of the Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker.

Mix is a professional poker player. She is still under most poker players radar, but she is quietly climbing the ranks of tournament poker players (she finished 11th in the 2007 World Series of Poker Texas Hold 'Em Women's tournament in a field of more than 1,200 players). However, she is more likely to be found at cash games, playing high stakes.

The Official Rules of Poker includes all the rules of poker, from the most basic hand rankings to the most obscure tournament rules.

Contents:
1: Elements of Poker. This chapter covers the most basic rules of poker, and also describes the way poker is played in casino card rooms. Mix wrote these rules in a way that makes them easy to use while playing a game.

2: Professional Poker Rules. These rules cover more of mechanical means of acting in a poker game, giving the finer definitions of what constitutes a raise, a call or a fold. They also discuss the penalties of rules infractions. There are four parts to this chapter.

a) Robert's Rules of Poker. These rules were written by professional poker player and authority, Bob Ciaffone, as a standard set of rules of cash games in casino card rooms. While local laws may require changes to these rules, and some casinos use their own rules, these rules are often cited as the official set of rules in professional play.

b) Robert's Rules of Poker for Private Games: This is Ciaffone's "Robert's Rules of Poker" which he adopted to home games where no impartial dealer or floorperson is present.

c) Poker Tournament Director's Association Rules (TDA Rules). Each year, the Professional Poker Tournament Directors Association updates its rules, which most casinos and poker leagues use as their official rule book in tournament play. Tournament rules add a new layer of rules to poker, as tournaments are about eliminating players, not about accumulating money.

d) World Series of Poker Rules: The World Series of Poker is considered the premier poker tournament event. Due to its sheer size and commercialism, the rules for WSOP tournaments are different than TDA rules. Many poker leagues use WSOP rules instead of TDA rules, as the WSOP rules are more popular among those who learned poker from television.

3: Poker Etiquette. There are types of behavior frowned upon in poker games, due to the fact that poker is a highly competitive game and may involve large sums of money. In some games of poker, violating etiquette may result in ejection from the game.

4: Variant Poker Games. Includes 69 different versions of poker, including 5-Card Draw, 5-Card Stud, Cincinnati, Chicago, Baseball, Anaconda, Mexican Stud, Chinese Poker, Iron Cross, Guts, English Stud, Kansas City Lowball, California Lowball, Pineapple,Spit, Three-Card Draw, and the ever-hilarious Indian Poker. Also includes rules for declaring wild cards and using jokers. WhIle professional poker players and casino card rooms will never play most of these games, home games are notorious for playing "dealer's choice" where the dealer chooses which of the many variations of poker will be played that hand. (Note: Mix and I had a really good time finding out about all of these games.)

5: Glossary. Again, Mix was very thorough in her research. Poker terminology is highly colorful and is a lingo all its own. from the Nuts to the Fish. Mix used multiple sources, as there are many local poker terms and terms used that do not last more than a few months. She excludes popular names for two-card Texas Hold 'Em hands, purposefully, although we plan to have a separate glossary for hand names in future editions. Still, this is one of the most complete glossaries I have seen in a poker book anywhere.

6. Index: Okay, I did the index. I believe that indexes should be thorough, and so I did my best to make the index easy to use in the heat of play. Still, this was a fairly easy index to create, as Mix's presentation of the rules and her organization of the material was straightforward, allowing me to easily pick out the rules.

The Official Rules of Poker has been wonderfully received. Professional poker dealers have been clamoring to get this edition. When we released the book at the WSOP 2007 in Las Vegas, the WSOP dealers practically knocked me over trying to get their own copy.

Thank you for considering The Game Day Poker Almanac Official Rules of Poker. I personally hope you will find it to be of great use, and that the book will provide you with years of fun--and fair--poker.

David A. Rozansky
Publisher
Game Day (an imprint of Flying Pen Press)

Although, by their very nature, the Texas ghost towns featured in Baker's book have deteriorated even more - or disappeared altogether - since the publication of this book in 1986, it remains a classic reference on this material and is a "must have" for the ghost town hunter's library.

The historical research is very in-depth and resurrects these "towns that time forgot" in the reader's mind. The book is lavishly illustrated with black and white photos taken by the author, as well as archival material. Highly recommended!

This is a great book on ghost towns (and near ghost towns) of Texas, and a model on how to present a guide to local history for travelers in a given state or area. This book describes 88 sites throughout Texas; each site has its own detailed map as well as precise directions on how to find the location. Also each townsite has at least one accompanying photograph, most more than one. Baker's text is lively and interesting and relates information about each town that is useful and informative. If you are interested in local history, especially of places that have seen better days, this book will give you much pleasure.

This is the kind of book you want to take in your car always! You never know in Texas when your going to be near a ghost town! The book has a map and is indexed, with good information on the towns , how to get there and what you will find. A must by for anyone interested in TX history