This book was not what I was hoping it would be, nor what it was advertised as. I was hoping to get a nice history of rodeo, which it did include to some degree. There was some pretty interesting things about the origins of specific rodeos. That wasn't all of it, though. For a person that proclaimed to like rodeo, it sure didn't come across in this book. He accused stock contractors of lying about the treatment of animals, complained about the rise in popularity to the sport and what it has done to the authenticity, and finished it off by almost becoming apologetic toward the treatment of non-whites in the sport. This book is not good for anyone, outsiders to the sport of the rodeo or the hardcore fans who watch week in and week out. I hope this book was not written to "generate passion for the sport" because if I wasn't a fan, I wouldn't get past this book. In that respect, this book has failed miserably.