Book excerpt: From the hills of Coahuila, Mexico, to the plains of west Texas, this is the story of one family's struggle to survive and prosper in the face of the declining U.S. cattle industry. Laurie Lasater, a descendant of two of America's great pioneer ranching families, began his career in Mexico in 1964 where he introduced the Beefmaster breed of cattle, which was genetically developed by his family, to the Mexican market. In 1972 he moved to San Angelo, Texas, where he later founded the Isa Cattle Company. Over the course of the next twenty-five years, Laurie and his company introduced the Beefmaster breed to markets throughout South America and Africa. More than just the story of a cattleman, this biography is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit.