Cowboy Values: Recapturing What America Once Stood for

A few years ago, my wife clipped out a book review about Cowboy Ethics by James Owen. In the article was his Code of the West. She placed the Code on our refrigerator and there it sat for a few years. Then my mother, who was raised on a ranch, lost her final battle with cancer and was called home at the age of 89. When I got home from her funeral I looked at that code on the refrigerator and decided that I would buy the book. When I read the book I realized that I had heard many of these life lessons before. Different words but the same messages and lessons my parents taught me. As I looked around at what our society had become, I decided that I would in my own small way tell as many people as I could about how this book would be an extremely valuable tool for teaching children and reminding adults of what counts in life and how to live by a code. The books have changed my life and I want to help change the lives of others particularly our children Since then I also purchased Cowboy Values and I now buy them and give the pair of books as gifts to friends, relatives and even to some politicians. If I had to start a school or teach a class, these two fantastic books would serve as the basis of my curriculum. If the kids could learn these basic principles, there is no mountain they couldn't climb or dream they could not fulfill. If you have children or nieces or nephews I would recommend you give them these two books as gifts. And I will bet that many adults should be reading these books as well. At a time of uncertainty and anxiety about the future, Cowboy Values and Cowboy Ethics will give you some hope that we will get through this period if we just remember the great truths that built America are still true today. As that great American icon, John Wayne once said, "A man's got to have a code, a creed to live by, no matter his job". When you read these two books and absorb the lessons I think you will agree.

Isaiah Berlin in his famous essay, The Hedgehog and the Fox, wrote eloquently about "the knowledge of how to live". Cowboy Values likewise speaks volumes about such knowledge but in the way you would expect a cowboy to communicate - few words and a whole lot of substance. It is a stark reminder in today's troubled times that each and every one of us is responsible for our own choices. Each of us almost always knows what the right answer is; the difficulty comes more often in finding the courage to make the right choice. Cowboy Values will help you find that courage.

The Cowboy Values book is filled with great images of the western culture. The words helps to explain the values that the true American cowboy holds and lives by today.

I bought Cowboy Values for each grandchild --- if I die before they can grasp my "values", I have asked that their parents make sure that the grandchildren read the book and know that it was given to them with much love and a deep understanding that individual values are often the key to happiness. Great Book, beautiful pictures, and an easy read.

We live in a complicated world full of different agendas, competing for our hearts and minds. Like his first book "Cowboy Ethics", James Owen presents a guide to navigating the terrain of modern life, simply, elegantly, and with heart. I wish I had written this book. I wrote down the ethics and values from both books in a small notebook, and carry it with me daily for inspiration. Buy this book, but most importantly, live the message.