Loren C. Steffy

As mass deportations and escalating “border security” budgets dominate the headlines, Reconstructing Immigration: How to Rebuild America’s Economic Advantage, shows why America cannot remain a global economic leader without a modern, lawful way to attract, legalize, and retain the workers it clearly needs. It connects the dots between immigration reform, productivity, entrepreneurship, and regional development, giving readers a coherent plan for how the United States can turn a chronic political crisis into a durable competitive advantage.

Deconstructed reveals how decades of immigration policy failures created today’s crisis. Following the Marek family journey from Czech immigrants to major contractors, this definitive account challenges divisive myths and offers a pragmatic blueprint for immigration reform that benefits workers, businesses, and the American economy.

Published by Texas A&M University Press

The first definitive biography of George Mitchell, “the father of fracking,” who perfected drilling techniques that transformed America from being oil-dependent to a major producer. Yet he also created The Woodlands, pioneering sustainable community development. Steffy examines the “Mitchell Paradox”—his conflicting legacy in energy innovation and environmental protection.

Silver Winner — Best New Nonfiction, IBPA’s Ben Franklin Awards

Legendary oilman T. Boone Pickens, cut from a lucrative Permian Basin oil deal, fights back with trial lawyer Chrysta Castañeda. This riveting true story chronicles their billion-dollar courtroom battle against powerful oil industry adversaries, offering an intimate portrait of a business icon’s final fight and the determination required to win.

The first person ever to reconstruct an ancient ship from its sunken fragments, J. Richard Steffy said ships spoke to him. In this biography and adventure story of the highest caliber, learn of Steffy’s unlikely transition from small-town electrician to the world’s leading authority on ancient ships and how he helped build a field of study that continues to harvest new discoveries from the depths of the world’s oceans.

Silver Winner — Best New Fiction, IBPA’s Ben Franklin Awards

When a computer chip factory arrives in the West Texas ranch town of Conquistador, worlds collide. Third-generation cowboy Trace Malloy and Silicon Valley executive Blaine Witherspoon clash as drought and cultural tensions ignite. Loren C. Steffy’s The Big Empty explores what families will sacrifice for pride, tradition, and the future.