Texas 24/7

With its images of cowboys, oil derricks and the sparkling Dallas skyline, this lavish tribute to Texas would feel like an extended travel brochure for the Lone Star state if it weren't for the few more negative depictions, such as a shot of bundles of marijuana seized at a border crossing, or a photograph of a boy laying on a hospital bed with a broken arm. It's hardly all downbeat, though--witness the dozens of photographs of children playing and adults enjoying sporting events and family gatherings. Indeed, Smolan and Cohen, the team behind last year's bestselling America 24/7, offer a wide variety of images. They portray Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders practicing in Irving, kids frolicking on a water slide in Leander, a Taiwanese woman praying in a Buddhist temple near Dallas, residents watching a tornado in Conlen, tourists eating dinner on San Antonio's Riverwalk. All the larger images feature a telling caption, and Dallas Morning News columnist Steve Blow's even-handed introduction to Texas pride nicely sets the collection's tone.