Be careful whom you cross--they may have read this book! Killed with a toilet? Deadly belt buckles? Sexed to death? Untimely Demise is a darkly comedic exploration of the 365 most fascinating ways people have offed one another since the beginning of time, from ninja swords to pernicious poisons, mobster murders to sneaky sabotage--and everything in between. The deadly details of 365 dastardly, mundane, ritualistic and just plain bizarre ways people have murdered one another are revealed in this darkly humorous--and surprisingly informative--cautionary collection. Whether you love a good whodunit or solve real-life murders for a living, this daily dose of dastardly deeds will shock and amaze you! Or, at least, remind you to lock your doors at night.

In 1836 revolutionaries routed the Mexican army at the Battle of San Jacinto and the nearby town took the name of the battle's victor, General Sam Houston. Since that time Houston has become America's fourth largest city, and its magnificent cityscape of concrete, glass, and steel bears little resemblance to traditional Texas imagery. It's easy to see why its residents, showing allegiance to their unique heritage, proudly refer to themselves as Houstonians rather than Texans. It was an entrepreneurial New York family who first promoted Houston's lush landscape and vast potential in the Northeast and Europe, and the town expanded from a handful of tents into a place of over 10,000 residents by 1900. Oil was discovered nearby in 1901 and from then on Houston never looked back. Sites include: City Hall, Carnegie Library, Houston Courthouse, Merchants and Manufacturers Building, Allen's Landing, Houston Chronicle, Main and Preston, Sam Houston Hotel, USS Texas, San Jacinto Monument, Congress Avenue, Houston Water Works, Hermann Building, Texas Capitol Building, Majestic Metro, Old Cotton Exchange, Gulf Building, Moorish Federal Building, Carter's Folly, Kress Building, Union Station, Esperson Building, Antioch Church, Houston Light Guard Armory, Magnolia Brewery, Grand Central Station, Rice University, Museum of Fine Arts, Hermann Park, Miller Outdoor Theatre and Warwick Hotel.

Texas Then and Now features the most prominent locations from around the state, comparing vintage photographs with modern views of the same scenes today. Included on these pages are many of the great Texas universities, tourist draws in Austin and Galveston, the historic oil strike at Spindletop, the old stockyards of Fort Worth, the Texas State Capitol in Austin, and the state fairgrounds in Dallas. This collection of Texas landmarks provides a vivid portrait of a dynamic and expanding state-but one that has not forgotten its rich and enduring history. Featruring sites in: Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi, Goliad, Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Washington-on-the-Brazos, College Station, Waco, Hillsboro, Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo and El Paso.