136Southwestern Historical QuarterlyJuly tions for his accomplishments and failures. Briscoe is refreshingly candid about his own insecurities, and he recognizes that his personal faults were often the cause of his setbacks. Perhaps the strongest aspect of this work is that it provides a delightful look at the inner-workings of mid-century Texas politics as practiced by giants like Garner, Rayburn, and Lyndon Johnson. The photos chosen for this book brilliandy capture the moods and personalities ofTexas politicians throughout the era. Occasionally, the editing of the interviews interrupts the natural flow of Briscoe's narrative, but a very down-to-earth, honest, and humble Briscoe still emerges. A man of high integrity who held a genuine appreciation for the judgment and wisdom of the Texans whom he served, Briscoe is not typically included in the pantheon of important Texan leaders. Carleton must be commended for his efforts to bring Dolph Briscoe's story to the public's attention. Texas Tech UniversityKelly E. Crager Colonias in Arizona and New Mexico: Border Poverty and Community Development Solutions. By Adrian X. Esparza and Angela J. Donelson. (Tuscon: The University of Arizona Press, 2008. Pp. 208. Illustrations, tables, references. ISBN 978081652, $19.95 Paper.) "Colonias." The word conjures stereotypical (but not always accurate) images of rural shanty-towns along the United States-Mexican border where ethnic minorities of questionable citizenship status, trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty and underemployment, exist in substandard housing, lacking even the basic essential services of clean water, indoor plumbing, electricity, and other standard infrastructure most Americans take for granted. Co-authors Adrian Esparza and Angela Donelson wrote this book to raise awareness of the almost half a million people who dwell in over two hundred officially recognized colonias in Arizona and New Mexico. (The authors concentrate on colonias in Arizona and New Mexico because, they claim, extensive literature already exists for colonias in Texas and California. They suggest Texas is a more progressive example of where state and federal governments and non-governmental entities have been more proactive to alleviate some of the worst situations—albeit with the recognition that much remains to be done). The authors hope readers will be motivated to help those inhabiting the poor, isolated communities in southern Arizona and New Mexico to improve their quality of life. Esparza and Donelson claim the Arizona/New Mexico region's distinctive history is important to understanding its development, but offer only a cursory and selective overview of the region's history from the Spanish conquest to die present . They highlight hostile indigenous populations and geographical challenges that prevented this region from being settled as effectively and profitably as California and Texas. For Esparza and Donelson, the most pivotal events on either side of the border having significant impact on the growth and ethnic makeup of the Arizona and New Mexico colonias include two devaluations of the Mexican currency in the last thirty years, and shifting U.S. immigration policies and enforcement. 20ogBook Reviews137 The majority of this book is contemporary demographic analysis of the colonias in southern Arizona and New Mexico, with recommendations for improving the quality of life of those who reside there. Esparza and Donelson stress the importance of recognizing the differences among the colonias, and emphasize single policies or programs will not fit all. Resources must come from both within the colonias in the form of energetic community leaders who have earned the confidence of their neighbors, and from external sources at the county, state, and federal levels working in conjunction with non-governmental agencies, as die colonias often lack even basic start-up resources. Years of mistrust from neglect , malfeasance, and racism must also be overcome by all parties. Esparza and Donelson recognize that helping these communities improve their quality of life will not be easy, but they are optimistic for the future. Esparza and Donelson did not write this book for historians, and it shows as gaping holes in dieir historical discussion detract from dieir argument. Although not a requirement that a book discussing this region's history should mention the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, for the authors to leave this pivotal event out of their discussion of why the Spanish...