Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right

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What to expect

Texas may well be America's most controversial state. Evangelicals dominate the halls of power, millions of its people live in poverty, and its death row is the busiest in the country. Skeptical outsiders have found much to be offended by in the state's politics and attitude, and yet, according to journalist, and Texan, Erica Grieder, the United States has a great deal to learn from Texas.

In Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right, Grieder traces the political history of a state that was always larger than life. From its rowdy beginnings, Texas has combined a long-standing suspicion of government intrusion with a passion for business. Looking to the present, Grieder assesses the unique mix of policies on issues like immigration, debt, taxes, regulation, and energy, which together have sparked a bona fide Texas miracle of job growth. While acknowledging that it still has plenty of twenty-first century problems to face, she finds in Texas a model of governance whose power has been drastically underestimated. Her book is a fascinating exploration of America's underrated powerhouse.

Critics Review

  • “Refreshing…Ms. Grieder’s is the rare book that
    takes stock of the Texas model without ridiculing many of its traditions and
    politicians…This is a good book, and Ms. Grieder’s clear, vivid writing makes
    it downable in a single afternoon.”

    New York Times

  • “Erica Grieder supplies a fresh view of the
    nation’s second most populous state…Mixes equal parts history, political
    reporting, back-of-the-envelope economics, and cultural commentary. For those
    who have never enjoyed a plate of Kreuz’s barbecue, toured the Alamo, or
    attended the annual Sweetwater Rattlesnake Roundup, Ms. Grieder’s thumbnail
    sketch of Texana will make for an entertaining introduction. But most revealing
    may be the way she connects the state’s current boom with its unique history…Ms.
    Grieder’s work is a well-timed plea for the rest of the country to wake up and
    learn from its example.”

    Wall Street Journal

  • “Readable and often amusing…For those of us who
    didn’t grow up here and study Texas history, Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right is a brief but perceptive introduction
    to the state’s colorful past and fascinating characters.”

    Houston Chronicle

  • “Greider delves into Texas’ motley past, looks
    with humor and insight at where we are today, and makes some interesting predictions
    about our future…The depth of research, objectivity, and philosophical
    underpinnings of Greider’s writing make Big,
    Hot, Cheap, and Right     a dang good read for native Texans and for those of
    us who got here as fast as we could.”

    San Antonio Express-News

  • “Pacey, colorful, humorous, and cutting…The book
    is a commendable achievement. Some people are going to be very annoyed that
    they didn’t write it…Neither apology nor sonnet, the book’s treatment of Texas
    is robustly moderate.”

    Austin American-Statesman

  • “Thirty years from now there’s a good chance that most of America will
    look like Texas and somehow, improbably, using some strange dark prose
    magic, Erica Grieder has managed to convince me that might actually not
    be so bad. Written with verve and nuance, this is a fascinating,
    provocative read. If there were a book like this for each state, I’d read
    every one.”

    Chris Hayes, MSNBC host and author of Twilight of the Elites

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