NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST • The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Looming Tower—and a Texas native—takes us on a journey through the most controversial state in America. • “Beautifully written…. Essential reading [for] anyone who wants to understand how one state changed the trajectory of the country.” —NPR Texas is a red state, but the cities are blue and among the most diverse in the nation. Oil is still king, but Texas now leads California in technology exports. Low taxes and minimal regulation have produced extraordinary growth, but also striking income disparities. Texas looks a lot like the America that Donald Trump wants to create. Bringing together the historical and the contemporary, the political and the personal, Texas native Lawrence Wright gives us a colorful, wide-ranging portrait of a state that not only reflects our country as it is, but as it may become—and shows how the battle for Texas’s soul encompasses us all.

A reporter’s account of the people, culture, and terrain of Texas in the mid-1800s. Frederick Olmsted was a journalist when he made his journey through Texas. Tasked with covering the state of slavery during the quiet years before the Civil War, he took copious notes about the people, places, and cultures of the Texas of his day. These notes, in the form of a journal, would become his seminal work, Olmsted’s Texas Journey. In Olmsted’s Texas Journey, the reader gets to travel back in time and witness Texas as it once was, and see how today’s Texas, with its variety of peoples and traditions, still shares a deep connection to the richness of its past. But his great Texas journey was in fact so much more. As he made his way to that great state, he took copious and wonderful notes of all the others he passed through. From Maryland to California, and Ohio to Louisiana, Olmsted’s great history chronicles every detail that he observed. This truly is a classic piece of American literature.

Since it was first published in 1996, Official Guide to Texas State Parks and Historic Sites has become Texans' one-stop source for information on great places to view scenic landscapes, tour historical sites, camp, fish, hike, backpack, swim, ride horseback, go rock climbing, and enjoy almost any other outdoor recreation. This revised edition includes five new state parks and historical sites, completely updated information for every park, and many beautiful new photographs. The book is organized by geographical regions to help you plan your trips around the state. For every park, Laurence Parent provides all of the essential information: The natural or historical attractions of the park Types of recreation offered Camping and lodging facilities Addresses and phone numbers A locator map Magnificent color photographs So if you want to watch the sun set over Enchanted Rock, fish in the surf on the beach at Galveston, or listen for a ghostly bugle among the ruins of Fort Lancaster, let this book be your complete guide. Don't take a trip in Texas without it.

If you are interested in birdwatching, wildlife viewing, or stargazing; flowers, geology, or water; nature centers, festivals, or photography, a destination in Texas awaits you. From the desert gardens of Big Bend to hawk watching on the Gulf Coast to caving and bat watching in the Hill Country, nature-oriented travel in Texas also includes lesser known getaways. Organized by the seven official state travel regions, Explore Texas features descriptions of almost one hundred nature-oriented sites, including information about the best time to visit and why it’s worth going; location, and other logistics; and a “learn” section on the observations and natural phenomena a visitor might expect to experience. Photographs by professional photographer Jeff Parker accompany the accounts, and handy color-coded icons help guide readers to the activities of their choice. Perfect for planning the family’s next outing or vacation, this book also contains a message of how nature tourism helps to protect biodiversity, promote conservation, and sustain the state’s tourism economy.

Delectably steeped in tradition, a living culinary heritage

The 2018-2019 Texas Tech men's basketball team began the season unranked and ended it playing on Monday night for the National Championship. Raider Power gives every fan a fully immersive experience with the story of a group of stone-faced dreamers and their historic journey from unranked to Big 12 Champions to the Final Four. Raider Power offers a showcase of the Red Raiders' individual players, spotlighting and providing insider information on this unexpected group of winners, all while focusing on the bond that transformed a group of underdogs into a world-class team with the best defense in the country. Follow the team from the earliest parts of the season all the way to the Championship game on Monday night. Relive every highlight, locker room celebration, and trophy ceremony. Learn the ins and outs of head coach Chris Beard's vision for the team. The ultimate effect of the Red Raiders' amazing run was to establish a culture of excellence and community: this was a group of guys who cared for each other personally, in addition to complementing each other on the court. Raider Power is the official insider companion to an incredible season--it is a must-read for all Red Raiders.

A collection of photographs and text highlighting the beauty of Texas.

My name is Texas and this is my story. The daughter of a Southern Baptist pastor, I ran away from home when I was 17. For 28 years I traveled a path that took me to places from which few return. Unhealthy relationships and unbridled lusts corrupted my view of freedom and left me cornered in addiction--financed by crafty manipulation and drug dealing. My tainted knowledge of love and polluted desire for escape kept me on a treacherous treadmill that continually fed the heartache of those I loved. But, through it all, the One who loved me unconditionally remained. This is my unvarnished account of the years I spent running and what brought that season to its redeeming end.

"In this historical account, author Evelyn Barker tells the story of the Texas Centennial and the woman who, with the support of her extraordinary family, rose above early hardships to become one of Texas' finest photographers and the first to compile a comprehensive picture of the state."--Jacket.