The Amazing Faith of Texas: Common Ground on Higher Ground
by Roy Spence With the People of Texas
Stories collected and edited by Mike Blair, photography by Randal Ford (Idea City Press, $24.95)

You don't have to be a Texan to revel in this account of spirituality that's as wide-open as the state that inspired it. Every page is an insightful lesson on tolerance.

The book is organized into three sections with focuses on faith, the Golden Rule, and values. Full-page portraits of Texas residents accompany their background stories and their beliefs, which range from the pithy to the profound. Among the featured: a rodeo cowboy preacher, a Uganda survivor Muslim, a Jewish comedian, a Catholic nun who breeds horses, a Native American shaman, and a Mennonite peace activist. One of the quotes from an unknown source best sums up the book's theme: "Here's the thing about God. He doesn't care how you get the message as long as you get it."