Texas Hold 'Em: How I Was Born in a Manger, Died in the Saddle, and Came Back as a Horny Toad by Kinky Friedman, John Callahan (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

“Texas Hold ‘Em  is more than just a card game.  It deals…with that fine, forgotten art of playing a poor hand well…Texas Hold ‘Em  is a state of mind, a spiritual survival technique, a way of holding on to things that might just be important in this ever-changing world." —from the introduction to Texas Hold ‘Em

The irrepressible, future Governor of Texas is back with a crusade to stop the wussification of the Lone Star State.  He never thought he'd see the day when he'd miss gun racks in the back windows of pickup trucks, but he almost does.  He misses the days when cowboy shirts never had buttons and coffee with a friend was still a dime.  Many of the stubborn, dusty, weather-beaten little towns, roads, trucks, jeeps, people and animals are gone now.  Like it or not, the peaceful, scenic bucolic Hill Country of his childhood is being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century.

 His is at his outrageous best as he gives Americans a look at the state made famous by the Alamo, the armadillo, Willie Nelson, and, well, Kinky Friedman.  Texas Hold ‘Em is composed of provocative essays, including autobiographical pieces that are at times bittersweet and at other hilarious, profiles of such stellar Texans as his friend, Willie Nelson, as you've never seen him before, George W. Bush, and Racehorse Haynes, and a treasure trove of lists, quizzes , including:

If the Ten Commandments Were Written by a Texan

Tex My ride

Texas Firsts

What Kind of Texas Driver Are you?

As an added diversion, the book is decorated with cartoons by thebrilliant John Callahan, particularly appealing to those whose lives are spiraling downward into tailspins of despair.

Texas Hold 'Em is the way in which the Kinkster plays the game of life.  To him, Texas Hold' Em means holding on to what is dear to him, to the things that made him who he is, always remembering that the most important things in life aren't things.  An old cowboy philosophy of life sums it up — "hang on tight, spur hard, and let 'er buck."

Publishers Weekly

The Kinkster, "Kinky's term of endearment for himself," has been busy churning out the pages (three books last year; two so far this year), even as he prepares to run for governor of Texas in 2006. Given the successes of Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Kinkster figures he could be a governor, too; since governors don't do any "heavy lifting," he could do "some spiritual lifting," perhaps referring to his vow "to fight the wussification" of Texas. Apart from arguing for know-nothings in politics, Friedman supplies his readers with a great number of lists: Texas cheerleaders, Texas inventions, Texas oddities, Texas prison slang, etc. He even tries his hand at a bit of pop sociology, pondering the number of former Eagle Scouts on Texas's death row: "The Boy Scouts don't allow non-Christians or gays in their organization. You would think that would weed out the nutters but apparently not." Although in the end, it's clear Friedman doesn't have much to say about anything, his many fans will probably set aside a couple of nights' beer money for this latest collection, enhanced by the cartoons of John Callahan. Agent, David Vigliano. (July) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents