The native son of a distinguished West Texas family and a 1954 graduate of Texas A&M whose career and personal pursuits have ranged from farmer to insurance salesman to wildcatter, pipeline entrepreneur, rancher, banker, real estate mogul, big game hunter, conservationist, philanthropist, front-running gubernatorial candidate, and oil tycoon, Clayton W. Williams Jr. is by all measures one of a kind. He has repeatedly been on the Forbes list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, yet more than once Claytie has also been on the verge of bankruptcy. This authorized biography captures the dimensions of his fascinating life: his determined work ethic and honesty; his passionate interests and rough-hewn style; his devotion to wife and constant companion Modesta and family; his all-in wildcatter bets and integrity-above-all payoff of debts; his patented gaffes in the "wildest, woolliest Texas governor's race ever" and their spotlighted consequences for the state and nation; and running through it all, both unrestrained celebrations and knees-on-the-ground repentance. His many notable successes, his most admirable traits, as well as his most outrageous flaws are all portrayed in this book, often in Claytie's own words or in the extensive comments, revealing anecdotes, and first-person accounts of others, supplemented by family and business documents, as well as contemporary journalistic records. This book tells it all, revealing one distinctive maverick who has left his boot prints all across Texas for 75 years.

In its fourth edition, this exhaustive guide to roller coasters in the United States and Canada also provides a history of coaster evolution (from the 16th century) and a look into the future of coaster technology and design. The book lists by state or province more than 700 coasters at more than 160 amusement and theme parks. Each entry includes contact information along with summaries of each coaster's origins, features and history. There are six appendices: famous coaster designers, the longest wood and steel coasters in North America, a coaster census by state or province, a chronology of wooden roller coasters still in operation, interesting amusement park and coaster facts, and a guide to the alpine coasters at winter resorts in the U.S. and Canada.

Two Men, Thirty Roller Coasters. What happens when two guys from Mississippi want to ride lots of roller coasters, but there are no roller coasters in Mississippi? Road trip! And not just any road trip. Four days. Thirty roller coasters. Plus they live to tell the tale.

Your ticket to thrills and chills! From wooden classics to wild steel serpentine monsters, this book beautifully captures every coaster from every region of the US. A "thrill chart" compares all the great roller coasters head-to-head, including the world-famous Cyclone at Coney Island, the Steel Phantom at Kennywood in Pennsylvania, the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, California, and the Texas Giant in Arlington, Texas.