Books

Ephemeral City: Cite Looks at Houston, edited by Barrie Scardino, William F. Stern, and Bruce C. Webb (University of Texas Press, 2003)

Architectural journal Cite presents a compilation of essays from nationally recognized writers and architectural historians who explore the nature of Houston via the "Idea," "Places," and "Buildings of the City." Compelling black-and-white photography complement this must-read manual that explores Houston's roots, its past growth, and its future.

Gone to Texas: A History of the Lone Star State, by Randolph B. Campbell (Oxford University Press, 2004)

Accomplished Texas historian Randolph B. Campbell offers a look at the state's past by studying its ties to Mexican history and Texan relations with African Americans and Native Americans. Campbell's critical analysis, while remaining faithful to the facts, will interest Texan and non-Texans alike.

No Color is My Kind: The Life of Eldrewey Stearns and the Integration of Houston, Texas, by Thomas R. Cole (University of Texas Press, 1997)

Professor and author Thomas R. Cole tells the story of Eldrewey Stearns, the self-proclaimed "original Texas integration leader." Cole met the civil rights lawyer and activist who led Houston's peaceful desegregation while touring a Galveston mental-illness facility. The two men spent ten years documenting Stearns's story as he fought his own personal battles and moments of insanity. It is a touching tale of courage and despair in the context of race relations that spans five decades.