Newspaperman David Roybal came to be well recognized in isolated villages of northern New Mexico where his work addressed the state's pressing needs of education, health care, crime prevention, and government accountability. Confronting such issues from all angles, he also was a respected presence in county courthouses and the New Mexico State Capitol, reporting on governors from David Cargo to Susana Martínez. A New Mexico native, his stories have covered the political campaigns of former President Barack Obama and the U.S. Congress. Roybal has also served as a speech writer for a U.S. cabinet secretary and as an executive assistant to a New Mexico governor, state legislative leaders and university presidents. He's an "organic intellectual," moving beyond his formal education to understand the richness and frailties of his surroundings, says Arturo Madrid, a distinguished professor honored in the White House for his contributions to the humanities. This is Roybal's fifth book.