Ranger College Home Page

Dark Valley Destiny: The Life of Robert E. Howard by L. Sprague De Camp

This is the definitive biography of Robert E. Howard, a giant of the pulp era, who created the archetypal brooding fantasy figure. To the general public, he is virtually unknown, but millions are familiar with the name and exploits of his most famous creation: Conan, the barbarian.

Texas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow, and Eat the Best Edibles for Texas Gardens by Greg Grant

This book includes more than 60 fruits, vegetables and herbs suitable for the diverse growing conditions of Texas gardens. Texas Fruit & Vegetable Gardening addresses the climate, soil, sun, and water conditions that affect growing success. Each plant profile highlights planting, growing, watering, and care information. Helpful charts and graphs assist gardeners in knowing when to plant and harvest.

“Then Bud Said to Barry Who Told Bob…”: The Best Oklahoma Sooners Stories Ever Told by Jeff Snook

Written for every sports fan who follows the Sooners, this account goes behind the scenes to peek into the private world of the players, coaches, and decision makers—all while eavesdropping on their personal conversations. From the Oklahoma locker room to the sidelines and inside the huddle, the book includes comments from Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer, and Bud Wilkinson, among others, allowing readers to relive the highlights and the celebrations.

The Clean House and Other Plays by Sarah Ruhl

This volume is the first publication of Sarah Ruhl, “a playwright with a unique comic voice, perspective, and sense of theater” (Variety), who is fast leaving her mark on the American stage. In the award-winning The Clean House—a play of uncommon romance and uncommon comedy—a maid who hates cleaning dreams about creating the perfect joke, while a doctor who treats cancer leaves his heart inside one of his patients. This volume also includes Eurydice, Ruhl’s reinvention of the tragic Greek tale of love and loss, Late: A Cowboy Song, and Melancholy Play.

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton

The Reformation of the sixteenth century was a vast and complicated movement. It involved kings and peasants, cardinals and country priests, monks, and merchants. It spread from one end of Europe to the other, and manifested itself in widely differing forms. Yet in spite of its diverse and complex character, to start to understand the Reformation you need know only one name: Martin Luther. Roland Bainton’s Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther remains the definitive introduction to the great Reformer and is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand this towering historical figure.

The Big Book of Texas Ghost Stories by Alan Brown

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Lone Star State

Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Alan Brown shines a light in the dark corners of Texas and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From tales of haunted hotels like the Von Minden and The Beckham, to a creek where a woman’s screams can still be heard to this day, and the shadowy figures still stalking the Alamo, these stories of strange occurrences will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

Rise to Globalism: American Foreign Policy Since 1938 by Stephen E. Ambrose and Douglas G. Brinkley

Since it first appeared in 1971, Rise to Globalism has sold hundreds of thousands of copies. The ninth edition of this classic survey, now updated through the administration of George W. Bush, offers a concise and informative overview of the evolution of American foreign policy from 1938 to the present, focusing on such pivotal events as World War II, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, and 9/11. Examining everything from the Iran-Contra scandal to the rise of international terrorism, the authors analyze - in light of the enormous global power of the United States - how American economic aggressiveness, racism, and fear of Communism have shaped the nation's evolving foreign policy.

The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook: An Actor’s Reference to Over 1,000 Scenes and Monologues from More than 300 Contemporary Plays by Ed Hooks

All actors and acting teachers need The Ultimate Scene and Monologue Sourcebook, the invaluable guide to finding just the right piece for every audition. The unique format of the book is ideal for acting teachers who want their students to understand each monologue in context. This remarkable book describes the characters, action, and mood for more than 1,000 scenes in over 300 plays. Using these guidelines, the actor can quickly pinpoint the perfect monologue, then find the text in the Samuel French or Dramatist Play Service edition of the play. Newly revised and expanded, the book includes the author’s own assessment of each monologue.

Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera and Lisa Dillman

Signs Preceding the End of the World is one of the most arresting novels to be published in Spanish in the last ten years. Yuri Herrera does not simply write about the border between Mexico and the United States and those who cross it. He explores the crossings and translations people make in their minds and language as they move from one country to another, especially when there’s no going back.

Traversing this lonely territory is Makina, a young woman who knows only too well how to survive in a violent, macho world. Leaving behind her life in Mexico to search for her brother, she is smuggled into the USA carrying a pair of secret messages – one from her mother and one from the Mexican underworld.

Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening by Becky Blades

No matter how hard they try, parents never have time to teach their children everything they need to know before they leave home. Luckily, Becky Blades has compiled the best tidbits of advice into one thought-provoking, conversation-starting book that she wrote for her first-born daughter as she was preparing to leave home for college.

Covering everything from posture to finances, with a hint of motherly sass, Do Your Laundry or You'll Die Alone is beautifully illustrated and the perfect funny graduation gift for daughters leaving the nest, or anyone in your life who could use a little bit of coming-of-age common sense. Lined pages at the back of the book allow space for you to leave your own thoughtful messages.

Incredible Doom (Volume 1) by Matthew Bogart

Welcome to a new age…the age of the internet.

Allison is drowning under the weight of her manipulative stage magician father. When he brings home the family’s first computer, she escapes into a thrilling new world where she meetings Samir, a like-minded new online friend who has just agreed to run away from home with her.

After moving to a new town and leaving all of his friends behind, Richard receives a mysterious note in his locker with instructions on how to connect to “Evol BBS,” a dial-in bulletin board system, and meets a fierce punk named Tina who comes into his life and shakes his entire worldview loose.

Unlikely alliances, first love, and minor crime sprees abound in this teen graphic novel debut about making connections while your world is falling apart.

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

Almost two decades ago, the New Yorker published a now infamous article, “Don’t Eat before You Read This,” by then little-known chef Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain spared no one’s appetite as he revealed what happens behind the kitchen door. The article was a sensation, and the book it spawned, the now classic Kitchen Confidential, became an even bigger sensation, a megabestseller with over one million copies in print. Frankly confessional, addictively acerbic, and utterly unsparing, Bourdain pulls no punches in this memoir of his years in the restaurant business.

Fans will love to return to this deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—this time with never-before-published material.

Y’all Need This Book: The Definitive Guide to Being a Texan by Jay Sauceda

The Lone Star state can seem like an enigma to those who have never had the pleasure of spending time there. Texans seem to walk differently, talk differently, and dress differently than any other people in the nation. Jay B Sauceda, a Texas native, understands the trouble that “foreigners” from New York to California have comprehendin’ their Texan neighbors. This funny and engaging primer on how to be a Texan will help you get a better handle on the unique Texas history, language, culture, customs, and do’s and don’ts―whether you’re movin’ there or just passin’ through.

Jay B Sauceda is a photographer and lifelong Texan. He moved from La Porte to Austin to attend the University of Texas, and “stayed for the ample supply of patio bars and beer specials.”

Making it on Broadway: Actor’s Tales of Climbing to the Top by David Wienir, Jodie Langel, and Jason Alexander

Countering the misperceptions about Broadway performers leading glamorous lives, the words of more than 150 Broadway stars provide unprecedented insight into their struggle for stardom. With an introduction by Jason Alexander and candid interviews with today's most celebrated Broadway stars, this book offers stories to entertain and astonish theater lovers, as well as serve as a sobering reality check for those considering careers on the stage. This book shares firsthand accounts of professional actors' difficult yet fulfilling journeys to Broadway: moving to New York, finding survival jobs, auditioning, landing roles, avoiding pitfalls, forging a family life, and much more. Interviews Include These Award-Winning Actors: • Jason Alexander • Daisy Eagan • Heather Headley • Wilson Heredia • Randy Graff • Donna McKechnie • Donna Murphy • John Rubinstein • Lea Salonga • Scott Wise • Chita Rivera

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Eiffers

In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum.

Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.