An amazing overview of the early years of Austin Texas' ascension as a thriving American music centre that joined rednecks and hippies together into a communal musical mishmash that revitalized country music for the better, and sowed the seeds for today's No Depression alternative-country scene. Joyfully poignant stories on early luminaries like Kenneth Threadgill, the fateful establishment of Armadillo World Headquarters, and Willie Nelson's eternal stamp on Austin as the in-house musical Jesus. Many fascinating profiles on people like Michael Murphey, Kinky Friedman, and other important artists either ignored or forgotten. The story is told with wry wit and a gripping style that paints a loud, colourful, wonderfully dusty picture of Austin's cosmic cowboy scene of 1973-74. A must for archivists and historians, a good read for the curious country fan, and an all-around amazing piece of music journalism that reads more like Hunter Thompson than Ian Tyson.

Jan Reid's fascinating account of the rise of the "Outlaw Country" scene of the 1970's will more than hold the interest of folks who were into the Austin scene of the time, as well as those who have only recently discovered some of the singer-songwriters from that period via covers of their work by Lyle Lovett and other artists.

Reid's book explains why Austin has long been an island of culture and tolerance in Texas, and how that atmosphere set the stage for a burgeoning music scene. He chronicles the rise of artists who went on to varying degrees of mainstream success, such as Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Michael Martin Murphey, and Jerry Jeff Walker. He also tells the story of artists who once seemed on the precipice of stardom, only to fade into relative obscurity as the sun set on the era of "redneck rock": Willis Alan Ramsey, Steve Fromholz, Rusty Wier, Bobby Bridger, B.W. Stevenson, and Kinky Friedman (who reached a level of success as a novelist which surpassed that of his music career).

This is a readable, enjoyable book. Well worth a look.

This book is very well put together. The material is presented in, at times, a jovial manner(hard to do with an instructional computer text). It's easy to understand and the authors have an incredible grasp on the subject matter.

I loved the part where the little dog got run over by the truck and little billy ran after him

ITS ABOUT TIME co-authored by Austin and Irwin, based on cutting edge research,
is the single most important book on the problems with American imprisonment. The authors use orginal research
to discuss the imprisonment binge, who goes to prison, imprisonment of children and women, private prisons,
doing time, super max, release, and three strikes and you're out. The book has been widely adopted for
both undergraduate and graduate courses at universities across the country. This is the book every lawmaker should read and consider before they vote to spend another dime of the taxpayers money on new prison construction. The research demonstrates that the dramatic increase in prison population is predicated on the imprisonment of individuals for petty crimes, drug offenses, and technical violations of probation and parole. Meanwhile, the inner-city schools of America are denied adequate funding, the streets are no safer, and millions of children wait for the parents to return home from prison.

At last I have found a book which takes a realistic look at the problems of crime and prison. I taught Texas inmates for eight years during the recent prison expansion. People were usually surprised when I told them how much I enjoyed teaching inmates. The longer I worked in prison, the more I became concerned about the misinformation, based on fear instead of fact, which the public had been receiving from the news media and politicians. In order for our society to survive, we must stop reacting emotionally and start thinking rationally about solutions which will make a lasting difference in a positive way. Prison expansion in the United States has cost taxpayers millions of dollars for the buildings alone. But the price in human terms is far greater. This book is essential reading for every citizen who is concerned about how our government is spending tax dollars. Lorna Rios

I just purchased the new softback edition today. Great color photo of Johnny on the cover - 1964 style. I read the chapter "Callison for President" twice. It's a complete reliving of the 1964 season, which was my favorite even though we lost. The book takes us through the entire decade of the 60s, which brought back a lot of good memories for me. It's a must read book.

Mr. John Sletten's biography of Mr. Callison is not your typical baseball 'fact' or 'stats' book. It is a truly marvelous story of a pre-million dollar contract player and his rise from poverty to MVP. Anyone with an interest in the 'old' baseball and its heros will love it!!

Martin Brandise Fan

It takes a near miracle to get this NY editor and her rodeo cowboy to the altar safe and sound, especially when their engagement goes bust two weeks before the wedding because of a surprise that doesn't sit well with the bride-to-be. But the couple teams up when their friend Cindy runs off with no explanation. Five states, three vehicles, two horse trailers, and a one-ton bull later, they locate her. But their troubles are far from over. Love, love these two!

If you read the two first of the AUSTIN-STONER-Files' books, by Stephen Bly - why are you still wondering if you're going to buy this one? It's entertaining, it's funny, it's good, it's great, it's even more. Have a good laugh.

This is a great book! I have been using it all semester in my 300-level Latin course, and I cannot emphasize enough how helpful I have found it. Austin's is considered the preeminent commentary on the Pro Caelio among the faculty at my school, and I would venture to guess that the same applies just about anywhere else. The Pro Caelio is a speech which was delivered by the famed Roman orator, Marcus Tullius Cicero, in defense of Marcus Caelius, a personal friend accused of attempted murder. This text is not a translation and is not intended for reading by those without a grounding in the fundamentals of Latin grammar and syntax. In this edition of the Pro Caelio, the author provides alternate readings of the Latin text in footnotes at the bottom of each page. (Disparities between the medieval codices by which this work was passed down to us are common). He assigns each codex a Greek letter at the beginning of the book which serves to identify, in abbreviated form, the text which the alternate reading is ascribed to. This makes finding alternate readings -- and thus starting arguments over the meaning of a passage -- quite easy. Also provided, in endnotes which follow an unbroken presentation of the Latin text, are Austin's personal commentaries on certain passages. These range from very short to sometimes two pages in length, depending on the passage's importance and perceived difficulty. These notes provide a glimpse into the history behind the dramatic trial. I would recommend this book to any Classics scholar, beginning or advanced. For once, one of my course books will find a permanent home on my bookshelf instead of at the used bookstore after finals week!

This book is the culmination of years of dedicated Oxford scholarship which has resulted in a masterful commentary on Cicero's Pro Caelio. I just started using this text in my advanced Latin class, and have found it far superior to even the exceptional Ciraolo text I used previously. The print is small, and the glosses and comments are placed in endnotes instead of footnotes, which makes the whole thing rather cumbersome. But oh, what marvelous information is to be found in those notes! Austin cites every major authority (up to 1959) on even the minutest of details and pits conflicting theories against each other, and then adds his own frequently curt pronouncements on the subject -- but always leaves the reader to make up his own mind. He makes certain to note where the various medieval codices diverge, even if there is only a scintilla of difference in the phrasings of a passage. This again shows his dedication to scholarship and letting the reader make up his own mind. This is THE definitive commentary on the Pro Caelio, for this is the place where you will find all the great Classicists of the ages gathered for one great symposium; it is the gateway to all the more specialized scholarship and a great general overview of them all.

The Magic May Return is a collection of short fantasy stories based on a common theme. Each tale involves the concept that magic, once prevalent on Earth, has now become at best an extreme rarity, having been exhausted through use. However, each story also raises, in its own way, the possibility that the loss of magic may not be permanent (hence the collection's title). The only exception to this is "Not Long Before the End" which is set in the time before the magic was used up.

This is a delightful collection of stories which is sure to entertain.

ONCE THERE WAS MAGIC IN THE WORLD....Unlimited magic, enough magic for every wizard's son who ever wished to cast a spell. But the "mana;' the power that makes the magic and fuels the spells, is drying up, a natural resource wasted by centuries of careless and short-sighted magicians. In The Magic Goes Away master fantasist Larry Niven chronicled the end of an age, and the beginning of a new world where steel and muscle rule. In this eagerly awaited sequel, Larry Niven has invited Poul Anderson, Steve Barnes, Mildred Downey Broxon, Dean Ing and Fred Saberhagen into his world to tap the hidden reserves of mana and uncover the forgotten places of power. All is not lost. The magic may return. Illustrated by Hugo winner Alicia Austin.

This is a fine collection of tales which fulfill and then exceed expectations. In addition to being loaded (mild pun) with eroticism, they are inventive, sometimes surprisingly so, often full of fun and mischief and sometimes genuinely affecting on an emotional level. If you enjoy the genre, you'll get a lot of pleasure from this book.

Most erotica collections feature very hot, explicit shots of studs on the cover. Although Manhandled has a much more tame visual, don't let it fool you. There are some wild stories in this collection. There's a total pigfest in which one man becomes the "rag" (if you know what I mean) in an orgy after his name is picked from a bowl. There's a pretty risky story about a bunch of preachers who teach some young men lessons about man-on-man desire by testing them out to see if being involved in the actual act turns them on! And if they do get turned on...they get a whooping. And all this takes place in a barn, no less. And there's one story where this sweet innocent guy gets roughed up by his carpenter, who then feeds him a box of popsicles...and not orally!!!

This is definitely a hot collection with a good assortment of original setups, and it has more stories and is much longer than many gay erotica collections that cost just as much.

I agree is a must for secretaries that are starting out on the field or currently working as well. I use this book when I am training a new secretary or intern in the firm I work for. It is a wonderful reference book to find quick answers to questions I may have. It is also the book I recommend secretaries to buy first. It would be great is this Legal Secretaries Handbook is easily available.

After being out of the legal field for over 10 years, this book was a Godsend! Every procedure, document or legal term I had forgotten was mentioned and explained in precise, yet easy to understand terms. I ordered this book while beginning to send out resumes to legal secretary help wanted ads. It gave me great insight on cover letters, resumes, thank you letters and tips on interviewing. After sending out just seven resumes, I received two offers to interview within 24 hours. I accepted an offer from the second firm and by reading this book, I was able to walk in on my first day on the job feeling confident that my skills were up-to-date. And, if I come across a term or procedure I am not familiar with, I know that I will find the answer in this book. This is a must own for legal secretaries everywhere, those that are new or not so new to the profession.

This little book/diary was very interesting. And I might add original. Even the cover is in itself eyecatching.
At the start of the book, it has it's special parts to fill out stuff about you, your family, etc.
Then it starts off. It goes on a month by month basis, starting with January and ending with December. For each month it starts out with a bit from a popular Fear Street book, and that would be the focus for each month. Each included things like quizzes about youself, quizzes about Fear Street characters, fun activities, and much more, and of course places to write your thoughts, feelings, secrets, etc.
For example, on one part, you write down secrets about you and others, then there's instructions where to fold the page up halfway and then tape it so that "no one will find them".
This book is a definite recommend for anyone into the Fear Street books or who just likes something a little on the scary side. Like I said, interesting and original to the fullest.

This book was so cool. I defenitly recommend it espically if your into fortune telling and of course Fear street.