Absurd Realist poet, translator, and memoirist Ron Padgett, long ensconced in New York's East Village boho Beat & Existentialist milieu, turns to his roots in this tale of Tulsa folklore circling around his father, Wayne Padgett; King of the oil town's bootleggers. The Tulsa time of this wiley tale is somewhere 'tween boom & bust. The earliest reaches extend back two generations to Padgett's granddad Grover, though only briefly touching upon Teddy Roosevelt's trust busters and the populist ferment brewing against BIG OIL. Padgett barely mentions the Tulsa race riots in passing.

Oklahoma was a "dry" state when it came to hootch, but oil lease rigs were still dripping when Wayne Padgett came of age. Though there isn't much of Osage tribal flamboyance on display, as Ron Padgett hews closely to his dad's immediate territory. Terry Wilson's book on the Osages and their visibility in and around Tulsa during the boom years can fill in some of the local composition. Ironically Wilson deploys an absurdist deadpan in chronicling the Osages, close as an academic can come to the style Ron Padgett pioneered earlier in his career writing Beat memoirs & punchline poetry. Wilson cinematically captures the new oil heirs on their joyrides into town having assimilated silk top hats, tux and tails into their tribal regalia. Padgett is challenged with a central subject dry as the Protestant work ethic he embodied, illicit work notwithstanding. Despite the Dixie Mafia contacts and some compulsive gambling that plays out in tragic ways a bit up the family tree, the Padgetts seemed to be straight shooters, with only narrator Ron betraying much of an appetite or curiosity for life lived on the wild side.

The contrasts found within the House of Padgett are the stuff of cross-pollinated literary dreams. Imagine Elmore Leonard or his fictional hardboiled characters holed up in a tornado alley Plains safehouse with Burroughs adding-machine heir and stiff-lipped Wild-side explorer William Burroughs, as this Tulsa teen scene deftly sketches in. Ron Padgett recalls his fledgling effort at publishing an underground lit journal while still in high school and working out of bootleggin' dad's house:

"But the oddity of the larger situation dawned on me only years later: at one end of our house was the office of one of the biggest whiskey businesses in town, while at the other was the 'office' of an avant-garde literary magazine. Really, though, I was simply imitating my dad: I had my office desk, I operated a cottage industry, and I pursued a project that most people would have considered bizarre. But what was truly bizarre was that Daddy was reading Beat and Black Mountain poetry." Wild-eyed ecstasy chasing visionaries such as Ted Berrigan, er rather, a private eye hired by Berrigan's squeeze's proper parents, might stop by the house looking for the literary mentor, only to be gruffly chased off by Big Daddy. How did a high school junior out in the oil & red dirt provinces manage to net a cast of literary luminaries like LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), Paul Blackburn, Robert Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Ron Loewinsohn, Clarence Major, Gilbert Sorrentino and Berrigan for his WHITE DOVE REVIEW 5x8 1/2 staple job? Just neighborhood luck to have buddy Joe Brainard hangin' out as Art Director. The same Joe Brainard whose too short career retrospective was being exhibited at top tier museums of modern art from Boston to Berkeley a year or so ago. But this is Wayne's story, a different sort of exemplar of Junior Achievment in action.

Don't be put off by the title OKLAHOMA TOUGH. Turns out the subtitled: "My Father, King of the Tulsa Bootleggers" is a tender and flavorful slice of regional folklore. Virtually every minor character does a star turn, burning some bit of colorful essence onto a reader's retina. From the penitentiary cameo by old school toughs like Jew Snyder, to the more fully fleshed out complex shades of modern men-in-the-making like Bobby Bluejacket, the bedrock matriarch Verna Padgett, and the younger generation roadhouse loves from whom off-the-cuff wisdom literature flows in Ron Padgett's interview tapes, one only wishes this memorable Tulsa tale included an index. If this ever makes it to the big screen I have no suggestions for the casting of King Wayne or Boho Scribe Ron. But the soundtrack wouldn't be complete without some ol' J.J. Cale-Leon Russell seductive shuffles, Jimmy LaFave dustbowl retreads and the Red Dirt Rangers' roadhouse stomps.

A very well written story that depicts an unique individual living in an intriguing time and place. Wayne Padgett is a compelling and contradictory man, some one I would like to get to know. Reading this book is like having a conversation with this powerful figure.

This gripped me from beginning to end: a very finely drawn portrait of a man of unusual quality. Anyone who's ever been drawn to the "outlaw" mystique will appreciate the opportunity to see how it begins, lives, and ends in Wayne Padgett, the author's father. A terrific read.

Terrific book for kids 11 years and up. I read it (I am 57), my son-in-law then read it (He is 36) and my 11 year old grandson then read it!! We all could not put it down until the end. A wonderful book to get kids into reading and a lesson on the outdoors all in one book!! I recommend it highly! I do hope there will be more adventures of the boys and the life on the Gunflint trail!

Yes it is a real page turner. Great for adult sportsmen and great for the young reader

I ordered One Last Chance this past summer for my 13 yr. old daughter to read to us on our lengthy trip across the Dakotas for a family reunion. My daughter, son, husband and I loved the suspense and it also brought back memories of our past trips to the BWCA.

The Book Peter Pan is probable my favorite childrens book of all. Peter Pan is about a young boy named, of course, Peter Pan. Peter lives in a place far away called Neverland. In Neverland no one there can get older. The only adults in Neverland happen to be pirates, and although Peter is just a boy all of the pirates are scared of him because he is the only person who can fly. The book is jam packed with adventure, Peter even has a friend fairy. Peter Pan also has friends called the lost boys. This book is a definate must get book for your child. I recommend this book to all ages, because every kid needs Peter Pan

If kids like Peter Pan, then this is a book for them. With illustrations and the vocabulary the kids can understand, this book provides an easy way for the kids to understand the story. It is a must for any children's book collection.

A wonderful version of this classic Walt Disney story! With beautiful illustrations, it is the perfect addition to your book collection for your children.

This was THE book that made the difference in writing my own resume, as well as writing resumes for others. Tepper's power resume approach consists of identifying value-added benefits (as in the kinds of problems you can solve), not features (as in job duties and responsibilities), that show a hiring manager what you as the applicant can add to the bottom line...without saying it. It shows you how to carefully match your qualifications with the requirements of top jobs using 10 power resume ingredients that can also be incorporated into your job search. Although this book takes awhile to read, and it is geared towards those in the executive job market, the techniques learned here will stay with you forever.

This is one of the best practical books I've ever read, with a wealth of tips, tactics and examples. It shows you how to get a plum position in today's aggressive job market, from resumes and cover letters, to searches, contacts and interviews.

While Ron Tepper geared this book to the executive job market, the techniques and concepts are transferrable to other sectors. This one book made me change the way I presented myself, and my resume to prospective employers, and how I taught my clientele to write resumes.
Make this book one of the top three in your career planning library. Perfect for resume creation specialists, and job seekers alike.

This is an excellent series for historical fiction lovers. Set in the Revolutionary War, the book follows a fictional family and friends through the war, with incredible detail. The book is full of interesting facts, and at the end of each chapter, the author tells the reader what was fictional and what was factual, and cites the references for further information.

To those who may be religiously sensitive, the book only touches on the religious aspect, and does so in a very nondenominational way. Mainly, the only mention of religion is with the characters in the book wondering if their actions were being guided by God; something many of the participants (especially Washington)truly wondered.

There are currently five books in the series, with more to come.

These books are so wonderful. I felt as if I were actually there and as if I personally knew the characters. I have learned so much about the Revolutionary War and all the sacrifices and hardships our forefathes endured in order to gie us our liberty. I highly recomend these books to anyone interested in knowing what happened and what life was like back then.

I read this book prior to going on my sixth grade trip to Monticello, Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, Virginia. The masterfully written novel opened a window of knowledge for me to enjoy and cherish. I learned more about the Revolutionary War from this book and series than from any other source. It is a great book to share with friends. I highly recommend it.

Whatever else you may have read or heard, this book is for people who really want to handle either their own or someone else's drug problem. This is a proven, workable, system to rid the body of drugs. And I'm afraid anyone who would knock anything that helps get people off drugs and helps with drug problems is someone with serious problems and obviously not interested in people's well-being. Possibly they have their own agenda. Whereas L. Ron Hubbard was a humanitarian whose only purpose was to help people.
I highly suggest you read the book and make up your own mind.

The Scientology crime syndicate's "Purification Rundown" is the occult ritual which killed Lisa McPearson in the Fort Harrison Hotel in Clearwater, Florida. As such, an examination into this ritual as exposed by the head crackpot madman himself is _highly_ valuable to anyone who is interested in deadly crackpot medical rituals.

I give it 5 stars for its informative value, though 0 stars for its rationality value.

This book is perhaps one of the all-time most wacky expositions of cult pseudo-medicine.

It's about getting rid of impurities in your body. Short summary: sweat them out in a sauna for 8 hours a day, for a month, while exercising until exhaustion, and taking dangerous levels of Niacin.

L Ron Hubbard (who originally claimed to be a Nuclear Physicist on the cover of this book -- until people found out that he failed out of college) claims that radiation can be "washed off" buildings, and in the same way "washed out" of your body. Sure, radioactive DUST can be washed off buildings, but radiation is an ENERGY, not a SUBSTANCE, and when it affects your body, cells deep inside are changed and damaged -- you can't wash that off.

In successive years, Scientology has claimed that this prime example of Hubbard's "perfect" technology applies to LSD and psychiatric drugs, and that you can't reap Scientology's super-powerful benefits without gett! ing rid of these dangerous chemicals.

Uh huh.

There are plenty of web pages that go into great detail about Hubbard, Dianetics, Scientology, and various other trappings of this cult. Just search for "Scientology Criticism."

This is the third book by Ron Teeguarden that I've read and he just keeps getting better. It is laid out in a logical categorical order, which makes it very easy to compare different herbs. Ron has rated the herbs with a star rating that indicates how many treasures each herb will affect. Then he goes on to rate actual patent tonic formulas. It is a wonderful reference book, something you will refer to again and again for information and reinforcement, but it is written in very down to earth layman's language. It has an incredible amount of information, even down to some chemical descriptions and cellular activity, but if you aren't interested in going that deep, the descriptions are arranged so that you can skip whatever you don't want to read and go straight to the pertinent parts. Of all the books on Chinese herbology that I have, this one is quickly becoming my favorite. It's one of those rare books that is good to start with, and it is good to finish out a collection with also.

Whatever your interests in life are, Ron Teeguarden shows how the Tonic Herbs can support you. There is a lot of information in this book and it is delightfully presented. It is also a very practical exposition of the basics of Traditional Chinese Medicine. But Ron's approach is not about medicine and treating diseases as much as it is about choosing power superfoods to enhance health. I love it!

Ron Teeguarden is clearly an expert on Chinese herbal remedies. He presents clearly the philosophy and benefits of using various ancient herbal tonics. It makes you want to begin using them right away. The problem, it seems, is it's not easy to find reputable suppliers with dependable high quality herbs.But that's key as the author points out which makes one suspect that one of the author's purposes in writing the book was to promote his own products. Well even if that's so, it's a blessing from my standpoint to have these magical tonics available from a reputable supplier.I'm stocking up!!!

Very few books are written about these brave soldiers. This book not only gives a good history of the Rangers it has some excellent in country photos as well.

Ron Field's book provides an excellent overview of LRRP/LRP/Ranger doctrines and missions in Vietnam. The narratives have been provided by those who participated in the actual missions and includes most of the LRRP/LRP/Ranger units which fought in Vietnam. Through the verbiage, extensive photos and excellent artists renditions, and even sections on equipment and uniforms, the reader gets a lot a information in a single book. A couple of our team's missions were included and the author faithfully depicted them as they occurred. An excellent contribution to the growing literature on special ops in Vietnam.
-Dave Hill, formerly of Co.F/52nd Inf(LRP), 1st Inf. Div.

This is an illustrative book well written and true to fact. The information was obtained from those LRRP Rangers who were inserted in the midst of enemy units as 5 and 6 man Special Operation teams. This book is about the men who volunteered to get a piece of the action...and they found it. I know, I was unit one of them.

SGT. T. Yoshimura CO H (Ranger) 75th Infantry (aiborne) Vietnam 1970-1971

I, too, know Ron Modra, and I always look for his credits in any issue of Sports Illustrated. His photos can be counted on to be the best in that issue. It is wonderful to have a book full of Mr. Modra's baseball pictures. The pictures are extraordinary, i.e. excellent photographs which are not the ordinary, garden-variety sports photos. The photos capture wonderful moments with the subject. The commentary is also extraordinary, describing the sport in ways we, as fans, may not have considered. I'll be buying at least two more copies of this book as Chrismas gifts this year.

I've worked on occasion as Ron Modra's assistant (including on one occasion pictured in the book) so I am a bit predjudiced. However, even I was pleasantly surprised by what an interesting and original book this is, which is not easy to do with a subject covered as often as baseball. The photos, as always with Ron's work, are great but it is the text which makes the book so original. Ron's insights and those of Pat Jordan and the players are what holds one's interest and make this book a great "read" as well as a great "see". I particularly recommend Ron's comments on Barry Bonds, Pete Rose and Wade Boggs. Well done.

I've been a subscriber to Sports Illustrated for years, and often tear out great photos from the magazine to hang on my bulletin board. I first noticed Ronald C. Modra's photos when he was covering track and field at the Olympics. I still have a picture he took of Jackie Joyner-Kersee from the L.A. or Seoul Games (I don't recall which...) After that, I started looking for his credit line, and while he always took amazing portraits of men and women in a variety of sports, I soon realized his true love was baseball. I started watching the game with a fresh eye, through his photographs, and now that they've been collected in a single volume, I'm really thrilled to re-experience the pleasure his photos always gave me! This is a great gift for anyone in your life who loves the game of baseball. The text is straight from the hip, but it's the pictures that take your breath away.

This is the best book that I have seen on the election process. I am going to use this book for the course that I will be teaching on Campaign Management at our our local college.

Excellent "how to" book on every aspect of running a political campaign. Some of the best pieces from Campaigns & Elections magazine are in here, from fundraising to media, polling to targeting, organization to strategy, direct mail to telephones.

Ron Faucheux knew what he was talking about when he wrote this book. This book is a virtual blueprint on how to win a political campaign. It is not for everyone but for anyone in the political industry you will use it like a bible ! This book along with Chris Matthews' Hardball and John Brady's Bad Boy is required reading for all political junkies and soon to be campaign managers. I cannot recommend this book enough !