The Hill Country, “sweet spot of Texas,” is in danger of being loved to death, or so it seems. The good news is that all the growth and development has triggered some serious conservation efforts. Folks are joining forces to protect the lands and waters of this extraordinary region—families have been partnering with land trusts to save their legacies; citizens have been creating parks, greenways, trails, natural areas, wildlife refuges, and nature centers, thoughtful stewardship is helping damaged lands recover; a network of conservationists has been hard at work; and Texas voters have been supporting conservation measures. Featuring photography by John Freud and a compelling narrative by longtime conservationist Brent Evans, this unique book on the Texas Hill Country includes inspiring images of conserved land, provides a history of conservation efforts, and highlights the contributions of regional land trusts, county programs, community projects, a community-based nature center and farm, and private landowners. With a goal of celebrating and inspiring grass-roots conservation, Freud and Evans showcase, through words and imagery, places that have been cared for and preserved by a generation of local landowners, local governments, and local nonprofits. As Evans writes in the preface, “the Hill Country is saving some of itself, and this is our story.” As a record of the many conservation efforts in the Texas Hill Country, Replenishing Our Hills serves as an invaluable and inspiring resource for those new or familiar to land stewardship.

A soldier’s eye view of Vietnam’s fiercest close-quarters battle upon its 50th anniversary Khe Sanh’s Hill Fights of 1967—as experienced by co-author Bobby Maras and told in this hour-by-hour, day-by-day account—were carnage on the ground, much of it hand-to-hand fighting in the dark. Thanks to the brave Marines of the 9th and 3rd, Khe Sanh survived the first concentrated attack by the North Vietnamese to invade the South. After the Hill Fights, American forces pulled back and held out against constant enemy shelling and frequent attacks until the siege was broken. Combining Maras’ personal experiences with the war’s bigger picture, Blood in the Hills honors the heroic actions of our soldiers and shows how Khe Sanh was microcosm of the entire Vietnam War.

"Nothing is more important to life than water, and no one knows water better than Sandra Postel. Replenish is a wise, sobering, but ultimately hopeful book." --Elizabeth Kolbert "Remarkable." --New York Times Book Review "Clear-eyed treatise...Postel makes her case eloquently." --Booklist, starred review "An informative, purposeful argument." --Kirkus We spend billions of dollars on irrigation, dams, sanitation plants, and other feats of engineering to control water for our own prosperity. What if the answer was not control, but replenishment? Sandra Postel takes readers around the world to explore water projects that work with, rather than against, nature's rhythms. Forest rehabilitation is safeguarding drinking water, farmers are planting cover crops to reduce polluted runoff, and "sponge cities" are capturing rainwater to curb urban flooding. Postel argues that efforts like these will be essential as we adjust to a hotter, wilder climate. Will we continue to fight the water cycle, endangering ourselves and the planet, or recognize our place in it and take advantage of the inherent services nature offers?