Started Out From Texas

Desmond Bragg was born in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1919. An orphan at the age of four, he spent the next ten years of his life in an orphanage in Beaumont, Texas. At the age of fourteen, he was sent to live with a foster family on a dairy farm in Kountze, Texas. Two years later, with the farm going bust and unable to graduate with his class due to his failing grades, Desmond dropped out of high school and left Texas for good. He hopped on a freight train at midnight and headed north to seek his fortune. With fifty cents and a biscuit in his pocket he journeyed by foot and rail through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. It was in Denver, Colorado, at the age of seventeen, that Desmond joined the army. Sent to Ft. Warren, Wyoming, he was befriended by a kind and loving missionary family, and this encounter proved to be a turning point in his life. Desmond was determined to leave the army to attend North Park College and Seminary in Chicago, Illinois, to become a minister. Eventually, he was sent to a small town in Northern Wisconsin as an intern minister. There, he met the love of his life, but he was plagued by serious doubts and found he no longer believed in the fundamentalist teachings of the church. It was his dark night of the soul, and he left the seminary to join the navy near the end of World War II, feeling profoundly disloyal to his North Park friends and mentors and utterly depressed. It was his marriage to Jean that saved him and turned his life around. With her encouragement and support, Desmond went on to get a bachelor, masters, and doctorate in education from the University of Wisconsin. Eventually, Desmond and Jean and their three children settled in Iowa, where Desmond was a college professor at Drake University for twenty-five years. Also, during this period, Desmond became a marathon runner as well as a noted lecturer and writer on the subject of UFOs, having investigated the subject since his sighting in 1951. In 1987, a tragic accident left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. He went on to coauthor a comprehensive book on UFOs entitled Science Meets the UFO Enigma. This is the true story of one man's triumph over adversity and a tribute to the steadfast human spirit.

Based on a Navy SEAL's inspiring graduation speech, this #1 New York Times bestseller of powerful life lessons "should be read by every leader in America" (Wall Street Journal). If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed. On May 17, 2014, Admiral William H. McRaven addressed the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin on their Commencement day. Taking inspiration from the university's slogan, "What starts here changes the world," he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy Seal training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life; and he explained how anyone can use these basic lessons to change themselves-and the world-for the better. Admiral McRaven's original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service who dealt with hardship and made tough decisions with determination, compassion, honor, and courage. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life's darkest moments. "Powerful." --USA Today "Full of captivating personal anecdotes from inside the national security vault." --Washington Post "Superb, smart, and succinct." --Forbes

Full-color plant photos and complete step-by-step growing instructions for the native plants of Texas.

From a pampered son who showed little promise, to his rise to the presidency, George W. Bush has transformed himself through acts of will and faith. Stanley Renshon examines the psychological transformation of Bush and identifies those pivotal changes that allowed him to achieve success in his personal life and in the political arena, and shows how Bush's personal transformation has come to shape his political policies. The man who battled--and defeated--his own inner demons has become a president determined to battle the demons of terrorism and extremism that prevent democracy from flourishing around the world. This psychological portrait provides a much-needed antidote to prevailing critiques that ridicule Bush's values and policies, as it celebrates his resolve and strong leadership.

Agatha and Frank met in the Army; they fell in love, got married and had three children. Aggie got out of the Army and became a history teacher. Frank stayed in the Army and retired after twenty-two years. One of their dreams was to travel around the USA in a RV. They wanted to stop and see everything they had driven by so many times before. They went out on a road trip with their children and grandchildren for a month. That is all it took to convince them that it was time to start Living the Dream. They left Houston, TX and headed to Eureka, CA to see Franks Folks. The plan was to go from Eureka up the Oregon coast. Then go where ever the wind blew them. This book not only has adventure, but real stories of the history they found on the road.

Here in this remarkable collection from American Heritage, such noted authors as Tom Brokaw, Wallace Stegner, John Lukacs, and others bring to life many of the most famous men and women of the Old West - from Lewis and Clark to Charles Frémont, Billy the Kid, Wyatt Earp, Chief Joseph, Frederick Remington, the defenders of the Alamo, the Texas Rangers, and the riders of the Pony Express. It also shines a light on topics such as the origins of scalping, the famous Lincoln County War, the grim medical reality of Western gunfights, cowboy jargon, and the first rodeo.