"Examines how inhabitants of the Oklahoma Panhandle throughout the 20th century used the semiarid lands that Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico did not want, and that Texas, after entering the Union as a slave state, could not have. Focuses particularly on agriculture and production of natural gas and helium"--Provided by publisher.

Hopi traditional elder Thomas Banyacya once described the American Southwest as "the spiritual center of our continent." Author, photographer, and adventurer John Annerino retraces ancient trails to show us why this is so. Through recent and historical photos, essays, and literary quotes, he takes us across what the Spaniards often feared as despoblados, or unknown lands, from Old Mexico to the Four Corners of ancient cities, painted deserts, and trilingual cultural landscapes--some of the most inaccessible land on the continent. Juxtaposed with tales of his own perilous excursions, the book contains oral histories and remarkable images of terrain that few of today's tourists have ever seen. Told from a current point of view, this throwback to the days of Geronimo and Navajo headman Manuelito will appeal to adventurers, historians, and those interested in the mesmerizing mystique of our own American outback.

Richard Menzies has logged a quarter of a million miles on his vintage Volkswagon bus in pursuit of pictures and unusual stories. His favorite destination is Nevada, which encloses more open public land than any other state in the lower forty-eight. "Nevada's backcountry is sparsely populated yet surprisingly rich in diversity," he writes. "Her social fabric is a colorful tapestry of cultures and ethnicities, fringed by eccentrics who simply defy categorization. Think of the Silver State as a haven for those irregular souls who could never be content with a nine-to-five job or a three bedroom, split-level in suburbia."Passing Through is a compilation of the most memorable "misfits" Menzies has encountered in the course of his peripatetic wanderings across the American Outback.

This is a non fiction account of my struggles to balance a life of responsibilities with a need for nature and solitude

Ric Donato wanted Lara Seymour. But Ricwas a bad boy. Six months' punishment on anOutback ranch forced him to grow up. Nowhe's a Sydney tycoon….Ric's ready to claim Lara. But despite his successand wealth, she seems just as unattainable asever. How can he persuade her? By doing whata bad boy would do—kidnap her and make herhis bride!

The author describes his journeys through secret places that still exist in the American West, including sectios of the Colorado Plateau, the sacred Navajo mountain, the Indian holy grounds in the Badlands, the sand hills of Nebraska, Mono Lake, and the largest canyon in the world--the Barranca del Cobre in northern Mexico.