Texas Books

The Big Bend is a rugged, powerful, unforgiving, and beautiful country,that exists on a scale that most of civilized man never experiences. Most casual tourists who visit Big Bend are disappointed, as I was, in their pitiful efforts at capturing the essence of the experience both in words and 35mm photographs. This is a land that does not exist in standard format; it is truly a large-format landscape that requires exceptional verbal ability and skillful large-format photography to do it justice. Gentry Steele has done just that. His love and knowledge of the Big Bend country are clearly evident in his text and, especially in his striking black and white photographs. A hearty thumbs up for this spectacular book!

This is the kind of book you return to again and again. Steele has both consumate technical skill and the eye (and heart) of an artist. The composition of each photograph is striking, but it is the play of light and shadow -- across canyon walls, over abandoned adobe buildings, and the occasional plant -- that will delight and amaze the viewer. Steele used the intense desert light as his accomplice, creating art out of light, shade, rocks, and space. Each photograph is accompanied by a brief description of what you are seeing and where the photograph was taken. Steele's love and respect for the Big Bend region is evident on every page. This isn't the kind of book to be flipped through casually. I find myself lingering over each page, savoring the image, returning over and over to particular images, seeing some new each time. I plan to give this book to friends and relatives for Christmas this year. I confess to owning two D. Gentry Steele photographic prints, including the one chosen for the cover of this book. Highly recommended!!

Gentry Steele conveys the essence of the remarkable northern extension of the Great Chihuahuan Desert in his well-written text and supliments it admirably with supurb large format photographs. An excellent introduction to one of America's least explored regions.

I got my first lasater order and have been eating way too much beef the last few days. I feel fine. The beef tastes herbier than the grainfed organic beef that I have been eating from Whole Foods for the past few years. The burgers from grinding up the chuck roast is better than the "sirloin" ground beef from Whole Foods. One thing, the bags are not sealed well and defrosting the chuck in my brand new Whirlpool created a pool of blood all over my spring water bottles on the lower shelf. It was madness and now I have to clean it up. With Sal Suds from Dr. Bronner, of course. The burgers are from the chuck roast that was exposed to air and bled all over my fridge the last few days and it smelled fine, tasted very good. It smelled and tasted better than "fresh" sirloin I got from Whole Food. I'm still shaken up over the mess I have to clean up though. The burgers are delicious. The quality and freshness of this beef is unlike anything I have gotten from the supermarket.

The Lasater Philosophy of Cattle Raising, by Laurence Lasater, is an outstanding basic guideline for economic selection of cattle that can used in either an extensive or management intensive grazing system based on sound environmental practices.

The Lasater Philosophy was developed by Tom Lasater, one of the founders of the Beefmaster breed; and a succesful cattleman in Texas. His philosophy has several basic principals that can make any livestock breeder succesful in profitable production. He covers topice like selecting animals that will be hardy and performance oriented in your environment. Basically, select those animals that will be coming from a harsher environment than the one that you will be putting them in. If they come from an easier climate, one can expect performance to drop. Lasater also covers the importance of the bull and the cow in making genetic decisions and how fertility should be measured.

Perhaps the hardest part of the philosophy to grasp is the rather strict cull policy. Any female animal is culled if they lose an offspring for any reason. That means predators, scours, or even lightning. Keeping the best of the best, should prove to produce consistency and quality over the long run.

I found this book to be excellent and recomend it to any breeders of any livestock who are interested in environmentally and grass based production methods. We currently use these principles in correlation with Linear Measurement to manage one hundred head of Belted Galloway cattle. Remeber, if you replace the words cattle raising with sheep, hog, or goat raising, the principals are still quite useful. Excellent photos of the Lasater type Beefmaster are included in all chapters and easily illustrate how these animals should appear in actual management conditions.

As a beginning cattleman I found the book extremely helpful and one can use the philosophy in all aspects of ranching. Great book for all interested in cattle and land stewardship.

Jeff Carroll has a unique way of presenting the history of Texas...from the perspective of the courageous people that settled this great land. While you won't find many of his stories in traditional Texas History text books, they are nonetheless, just as important. In fact, I will go as far as to say that these stories and accounts are more important because they bring the history of Texas to a personal level - they bring it to life!

The stories are fun to read and very educational. I've read all of the 'Legendary Texas' volumes at least twice and will enjoy reading them again! I highly recommend these books for anyone that enjoys a good story and especially those who enjoy Texas History.

Contains easy-to-read stories of Texas Heritage. Makes historical understanding fun. I never tired of Mr. Carroll's vivid and unique storytelling. A must for anyone who is usually bored with history and for the historically-inclined.

As a Texana historian I scour book shelves to find the "New Book" with stories of Real people. This author has indeed done his research with a zesty writing style that will leave you waiting for the next story. This is a "Must read" if you like the West.

I'm a fourth grade teacher and have read this book to my class after/during teaching Texas Independence. Although it has some fictional elements, it makes history come alive through the eyes of Liberty (Sam Houston's dog). A GREAT extension to a students learning!

Liberty, Justice, and F'rall is a fun historical novel about the dog heroes of the Republic of Texas. Liberty is the soft-spoken golden retriever/narrator owned by Sam Houston; Justice is a handsome, black labrador who faithfully attends Jim Bowie; and F'rall is their mutt of a pup. Liberty gives a dog's eye view of life with Sam Houston, from the time she was given to Sam by President Andrew Jackson, through the war with Mexico. I read parts of this book aloud to third, fourth, and fifth graders during their library storytime. My Texas accent finally came in handy! The waiting list for this book is longer than the number of weeks left in school, so I will be buying two additional copies. It's a fun, energetic look at the war for Texas independence, which, by the way, took only 18 minutes to vanquish Santa Anna's army.

If you want your children to get into history this is a good start.

The author is familiar with all the aspects of the fall of the Alamo and puts the story from the view of the dogs (named Liberty, Justice and Furall) that were owned by the main characters of the hitorical incident.

The characters are easy and fun to follow for every adult that may read this wonderful and heartwarming story to their children. There is no political overtone, only a pivital hitorical event told from a different aspect.

This book has been chosen by the Daughter's of the Texas Revolution to be sold AT the Alamo book shop!

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus Lane. And for Darrell Bain, life at home is filled with more funny and unusual experiences than a stocking is filled with goodies on Christmas morning.

Life on Santa Claus Lane is a collection of amusing stories detailing Bain's life on a Christmas tree farm in East Texas along with his spouse, dog, and two cats. You certainly won't be disappointed with Bain's down-home, tongue-in-cheek style and quirky perceptions of life. (Per evidence of his definition of the actual use of a tape measure: "There is no actual use for this tool because it mysteriously disappears whenever anything needs measuring.") But don't look for any talk about sex, because that topic is emphatically off limits. Just ask Darrell's wife. The exploits of their dog, Biscuit, however, is fair game.

Through it all Bain spins a sequence of tales that provide smirks of familiarity, chuckles of amusement, or downright, out-loud laughter. Wait till you read about "The Great Closet Expedition" or learn of his ironclad memory in "A Simple Errand." Even putting up a garden tent can be quite an adventure where Bain is concerned.

Whatever happens on Santa Claus Lane, you can be sure Darrel Bain will tell us about it in a fun and entertaining fashion. This book is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

Reviewer: Gene Berger

I will never look at a Christmas tree the same again. What a funny, funny recounting of life in the not so fast lane of a Christmas tree farmer and his long suffering wife Betty.

If you've had a hard day at the office and want to relax while reading about the hilarious trials and tribulations of someone else, this book is the one. This is better than cherry vanilla ice cream.

This just has to be the funniest book I have ever read. I was doing a job for the publisher Bookmice, improving the appearance and usability of the HTML versions of several books: background, headings, internal links and so on.This kind of work doesn't involve much reading from the book, but when I started on 'Santa Claus Lane', my eyes were caught by a sentence, and I got to reading, then I went to the start of the chapter to make sense of it. Before long, I gave away all pretense of working on the book, and simply read it from end to end. Even then, the content wouldn't let me alone. Many of the stories were well worth a second read, and now weeks later, they still make me chuckle. Darrel has a wicked turn of phrase: * "I was watching a football game through closed eyelids (this is something only men can do)." * "...anyone who has been owned by kittens..." * "What's that noise?" she asked. "The wall," I said. "Walls don't make noise." "They do when I bump them with my head." He describes perfectly ordinary domestic episodes in a way that'll have you laugh. I suspect this book is not for youngsters, but the more mature among us will identify with this self-effacing rogue and his ever-victorious wife Betty.

Big Bend National Park, which is located in southwest Texas along the Mexican border, contains more than 800,000 acres (which is larger than the state of Rhode Island). Due to its unique location, this park is sometimes referred to as three parks in one because it includes mountain, desert, and river environments. A short drive can take you from the Rio Grande River and its canyons, to a mile high mountain basin or the Chihuahuan desert. As a result, plant life within Big Bend National Park is highly diverse.

While book does contain a lot of information on the many of the common plants found in the park, the book primary focus is to provide information on those plants that are often overlooked by other guidebooks. Each of the hundreds of plants featured in the book has at least one high resolution photograph that accompanies the text that allows the reader/adventurer to easily identify the plant and its flowers.

Finally, unlike many guide books which fit into the back of your pocket, the book is a standard sized book, which allows for large sized pictures to be included.

Devoted to the plants of Big Bend National Park this book also captures the stark beauty of the park. After brief sections on the preface, acknowledgement and design of the book, the book opens by explaining the environment in the short chapter headed, "Big Bend, The Land of Extremes." Along with rainfall rate, temperature extremes, elevation changes of thousands of feet, and other facts of interest the author also writes of the ecological diversity and the human influence on the park from the earliest hunters to modern time as well as the history of park itself.

That is followed by a brief section on how plants are named and a section on plants helpfully organized under the various family names. Page numbers are also noted for the family plant names making it easier for readers to find the pages grouped together for a certain family plant name.

Page 35 begins the actual heart if the book with a plant name, a close up color photograph and an easy to read and understand text on the plant. The text for each plant covers a description of the plant, where it is found, and some interesting history on the plant such as its reputation for inflicting damage on people and car tires (Lechuguilla), what the Aztecs used it for (Havard Agave) and other interesting information.


More than 250 pages later after a color picture of a beautiful Spanish dagger, the appendices begin. Appendix A is devoted to the status of the plants and how endangered they are in Texas. Appendix B is devoted to selected locations in the park such as Boot Canyon, Casa Grande, Panther Pass, and many others and the names of plants found at each location. Appendix C is devoted to the author's suggestions concerning photographing plants and necessary equipment. All of the pictures in the book were taken by the author and he explains how to achieve the quality photographs he does. Appendix D is a brief two page explanation of what sources were used for the names of the plants and why.


A glossary of terms, a list of sources for more information on the park, reference materials and an index brings this beautiful and easy to use book to a close. Designed for people who want to know what they are looking at in the park, this book is superbly done in text and photographs and is easy to understand. Not only does it depict many of the plants within the park, numerous photographs also capture the surrounding countryside and the beauty of the park. This is a must have for your next trip.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008

Exceptional book for the southwest plant lover. Not an exhaustive study of all the plants in that area but a nice crisp focus on exceptional, interesting or the unusual ones. Photography is dead on the money. Highly recommended.

When Buddy's desparate mother leaves him at the home of the local sheriff she found more then shelter for her endangered child she found a home. A home made complete when his grieving aunt shows up save him from the man she thinks killed her little sister.

I love this book. I've read it a dozen times and it remains one of my favorites and in my opinion one of Shayne's most powerful books ever. Plus being the start of The Texas Brand series.

Book 1, Texas Brand series. I love book series & this one is no different. The Brands are a family you will enjoy getting your teeth into. Garrett is the oldest brother who has bought his siblings up since their parents died. He runs the Texas Brand ranch with his family.

One night he finds a baby on his door step. The mother implies in a note that Garrett is the father. A couple of days later baby Ethan's aunt Chelsea turns up at the ranch ready to confront the babies father & murderer of the mother. But Chelsea has got the wrong man.

This story is full of suspence, intruige, laughter & passion. I just loved it &can't wait to read the rest.

Jessie's story is next in "The badest virgin in Texas" (Book 2).

I loved this book. It had adventure, romances, and suspense. It was a heart warming story. Garrett was a hero in the finest sense. Chelsey did not know what to think on this big warm Teddy Bear of a man. This book was one of Maggie Shayne finest.

Once you pick this book up you can't put it down! Lone Stars and Legends: The History of Texas Music takes you on a fantastic journey through the history of Texas music. The author, Paula Felps is a creative and witty writer who makes the words come alive, and has her facts straight. If you consider yourself a music buff, you've got to read this book. In short, if you like music and want an interesting read, you need this book. It makes a great gift, too!

Texas is a mighty big place. Big enough, it seems, to produce a wealth of influential musicians - players who not only helped shaped the sound of Texas music, but of American music in general.
"Lone Stars and Legends," Paula Felps' excellent chronicle of the first 100 years of Texas music and musicians, sheds light on a host of these musical mavericks and their various innovations. Along the way, we hear about the birth of such styles such as Tejano and Western Swing, while also gaining new insight into specifically how Texas legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Ernest Tubb and Buddy Holly contributed to the advancement of more widespread artforms like blues, country and rock'n'roll.
Unlike many other historical tomes, Lone Stars and Legends is written in such a way that it actually holds your interest, making it as hard to put down as it is easy to soak up the information. In addition to providing a truckload of facts, Felps interjects these history lessons with humorous asides and investigations into not just the output but also the people behind the guitars, accordions, fiddles, pianos and trumpets - the people whose contributions provided the framework for Texas and American music as we know it today.

Texas is home to a legion of musical trailblazers ranging from Scott Joplin, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and T-Bone Walker, to Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Willie Nelson. In Lone Stars And Legends: The Story Of Texas Music, music journalist Paula Felps traces the diverse paths of the men and women who laid the foundation for what has come to be described as "Texas Music" and a musical legacy that reaches deep into Texas history and culture. All forms of the Texas musical tapestry are surveyed including ragtime, Blues, Boogie Woogie, Jazz, Cowboy ballads, Country, Western Swing, Honky-Tonk; Rockabilly, and Rock 'n Roll. Lone Stars And Legends is a unique and welcome contribution to the study of Texas cultural history in general, and the history of American music in particular.

I always find it interesting to study the life of someone before they were famous. Whether it is a writer, artist, singer, or serial killer. Later, you can see how fame changed their life. I found it fascinating to learn of Burroughs living in South Texas, in many ways the most "un-beat" area of the country, a place that to paraphrase Burroughs, people come to die. However, even without a connection to South Texas, the book is an excellent read. I missed an appointment, sleep, and my favorite tv show to finish the book.

Great book. Very interesting read on a part of South Texas History.

i found it an interesting aspect of burroughs life. a cotten farmer in south texas is 180 degrees out from new york city or london or paris. i have read burroughs extensively. this a lost chapter in his life. kudos to the writer for doing the research.

The specimens shown in this book from the Houston Museum are truly the top of their class. This is a coffee-table book for the mineral collector, and only falls short of a visit to the museum itself.

Excellent detail and photography. Very good section on attributes of mineral specimens, locations,and collections through the centuries.A wonderful table top book for everyone to enjoy.

Minerals and crystals are among the most beautiful objects on the planet. Their sculptural shapes and intense colors can be mesmerizing. Amazingly these specimens haven't been "enhanced" by cutting or polishing. They are as God made them. These magnificent photographs of the world's greatest collection capture their beauty as well as any book I've ever seen.