Adventures with a Texas Naturalist  •  Roy Bedichek  •  Rick Bass NATURAL HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 330 PAGES First published in 1947, this classic combines Bedichek's profound observation and his curiosity with the natural world. Employing a friendly, narrative style and a love of literature, Bedichek delivers memorable commentaries on subjects such as the northern mockingbird, country people and the naming of birds and wildflowers. (TEX14, $22.95)
All the Pretty Horses  •  Cormac McCarthy LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 301 PAGES The best-selling, coming-of-age novel of John Grady Cole, a 16-year-old boy who ventures from his Texas ranch across the Mexican border on horseback. (TEX22, $14.95)
The Big Year, A Tale Of Man, Nature, And Fowl Obsession  •  Mark Obmascik NATURAL HISTORY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Obmascik, himself an over-the-edge birder, recounts with glee and page-turning detail the race to see the most birds in North America in a year, a quest that has his three competitors on the road at a moments notice, heading out in the middle of the night, and combing the beaches. As he so winningly demonstrates, these people are driven. (BRD29, $14.00)
Birding Texas  •  Roland H. Wauer  •  Mark A. Elwonger GUIDEBOOK •  1998 •  PAPER  • 525 PAGES A site guide to the birds of Texas featuring birding strategies, a list of resources for planning a birding trip, and information on 200 of the best birding sites. The 40-page "Status and Distribution Checklist" provides information on the species occurring in Texas' ten birding regions. With 120 maps and a few black-and-white illustrations. (TEX17, $22.95)
Birds of Texas  •  John H. Rappole FIELD GUIDE •  1994 •  PAPER A photographic guide to the birds of Texas featuring 600 color photographs, descriptive information and detailed range maps. The photographs show each bird in its typical habitat. (USW93, $18.95)
The Birdwatcher's Companion to North American Birdlife  •  Christopher W. Leahy  •  Gordon Morrison NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 1072 PAGES A handsome, fully illustrated survey of the birds of North America, organized A to Z, covering birds, bird biology, conservation and birdwatching. Published in cooperation with the American Birding Association. (NAM21, $19.95)
The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic, A Walk in Austin  •  Kinky Friedman TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES A rowdy, rollicking tour of the state's capital city by a resident writer and bon vivant. Kinky Friedman (founder of the band Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys and also the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch) opens his guide with "The Barenaked Essentials." The book is actually useful (and funnny)! He also lists his favorite restaurants, bookstores and radio stations. Like all the books in the excellent Crown Journeys series, which pairs writers and favorite cities, this short book is loosely organized around the idea of a walk. (TEX63, $16.95)
Gulf Coast Seashore Life, Alabama to Texas  •  Raymond Leung  •  James Kavanaugh FIELD GUIDE •  2001 •  PLASTIC CARD This fold-out, laminated reference features illustrations of almost 150 species commonly found on the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. This is a handy, sturdy guide to take along on a trip to the beach, from Mobile Bay to South Padre. (USS217, $5.95)
Kingbird Highway, The Story of a Natural Obsession That Got a Little Out of Hand  •  Kenn Kaufman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES Kaufman's absorbing account of coming-of-age as a Wichita teenager on the road in 1973 with a summer's pay in his pocket and the goal of seeing as many birds as he could in a year. He tallied 671, impressive by any account and extraordinary if you count birds per buck. He did it all for $1,000. This cult classic was originally published in 1973. (BRD27, $14.00)
Mammals of North America  •  Roland W. Kays  •  Don E. Wilson FIELD GUIDE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A comprehensive guide by two noted mammalogists and featuring 108 color plates, illustrating 442 species. Range maps and descriptive text on ecology, habitat and behavior complement the wonderful paintings. (NAM11, $19.95)
Native Universe, Voices of Indian America  •  Clifford E. Trafzer ANTHOLOGY •  2008 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES This anthology of personal and historical essays, as well as over 300 color illustrations of Native American art, is being published to accompany the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. It includes selections from several modern Native American writers, including Louise Erdrich and Sherman Alexie. (USA95, $22.00)
The New Encyclopedia of the American West  •  Howard R. Lamar REFERENCE •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 1320 PAGES A massive -- and entertaining -- reference to the West, featuring more than 2,400 entries and 600 illustrations. From prehistory to today, it includes historical and geographical overviews, trivial tidbits, biographical sketches of major figures, and commentary on art and literature. Compiled by Yale professor Howard R. Lamar, it's the most comprehensive single volume of its type. (USW416, $85.00)
The Raven, A Biography of Sam Houston  •  Marquis James BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1988 •  PAPER  • 489 PAGES Winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1930, this is a fascinating biography of Sam Houston, who was elected president of the Republic of Texas in 1836. (TEX33, $26.95)
Remember D-Day, Both Sides Tell Their Stories  •  Ronald J. Drez  •  David Eisenhower HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 64 PAGES • YOUNG ADULTS An engaging and well-constructed history of the D-Day invasion for readers in grades 5 to 8, complete with anecdotes from soldiers, black-and-white photographs, plenty of historical information, and an introduction by David Eisenhower which paints a personal portrait of his grandfather, Dwight. (USA96, $17.95)
Return to Wild America, A Yearlong Search for the Continent's Natural Soul  •  Scott Weidensaul NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES Weidensaul follows in the footsteps conservation pioneers Roger Tory Peterson and James Fisher in this homage to their 1953 journey, modern travelogue and eye-opening report on wilderness in America. (USA123, $15.00)
Roadside Geology, Texas  •  Darwin Spearing NATURAL HISTORY •  1991 •  PAPER  • 432 PAGES Designed for the roadside traveler, this book explains in detail the geologic history of Texas as seen through the window. It is a great introduction to basic geomorphology and how the dramatic landscapes were formed. Each section is organized around a particular route, with black-and-white photographs complementing the amazingly detailed geologic maps. The highly readable text lets you know exactly how and when that butte on the horizon was formed and how it fits into the larger geologic picture. (TEX51, $20.00)
Shifra Stein's Day Trips from Houston  •  Carol Barrington GUIDEBOOK •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A practical, frequently revised guide to where to go and what to do with a two-hour drive of Houston. (TEX36, $14.95)
Stolen Continents, 500 Years of Conquest and Resistance in the Americas  •  Ronald Wright HISTORY •  2004 •  PAPER  • 464 PAGES A powerful history of imperialism and resistance in the Americas, with a focus on the Aztec, Maya, Inca, Cherokee and Iroquois. Wright's illuminating account, told largely from the point of view of the losers, details the rapid collapse of cultures and societies in the Americas following the arrival of the Europeans in 1492. Wright draws on an impressive range of archival material in reconstructing this classic account, originally published in 1993. Wright is also the author of Time Among the Maya. (NAM20, $17.00)
Streetfinder Houston Map  •  Streetwise MAP A folded, laminated pocket map of Houston, shown at a scale of 1:31,000. (TEX32, $7.95)
To See Every Bird On Earth: A Father, A Son, And A Lifelong Obsession  •  Dan Koeppel NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES Ostensibly about birds and birdwatching, this enormously appealing book is a memoir by a talented writer of his father, a father who happens to be in the elite cadre of major birders. Dan Koeppel chronicles his father's growing interest in birds in this enormously appealing memoir of a life devoted to birds. Richard is a member of an elite group who have tallied more than 7,000 species. Koeppel includes his own travels tagging along and brief profiles of other eccentric listers. (BRD28, $14.00)
The Verb to Bird, Sightings of an Avid Birder  •  Peter Cashwell NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 269 PAGES A memoir of the birding life, its pleasures, obsessions and pitfalls. Based in the Carolinas (where he teaches English), Cashwell recounts in these essays the birds he's encountered, the why and wherefores of the birding life and some very entertaining anecdotes. Along the way, Cashwell traces his own development from casual novice to life lister (with a desire to see all the birds of North America). (BRD26, $14.95)