Reviews
"Think you know T. Boone Pickens, the larger than life business titan, energy trader, and corporate raider? Think again. The attorney representing Pickens in his final major court battle and the business writer who covered him most over the decades reveal a whole other T. Boone that few people outside his bubble could have ever imagined."
-Joe Nick Patoski, author of Austin to ATX and host of the Texas Music Hour of Power
"T. Boone Pickens, the legendary wildcatter and takeover tycoon, was a controversial figure - and a hard man to truly understand. As Pickens' attorney in the highest stakes trial of his life, Castañeda got to know him better than most, and in this captivating, candid portrait, she and Steffy shed new light on the character and quirks that made him a villain to some and a hero to others."
-Jennifer Latson, author of The Boy Who Loved Too Much
"Excellent story, well-told, which I highly recommend. Boone Pickens never ceases to amaze, especially in his later years showing passion, intelligence, humor, and an overall zest for life. Love him or hate him, the reader gets to know this complex (yet in many ways common) man who made billions, and then gave much of it to charity. Lawyers will enjoy this book, because it explores modern day, high-stakes litigation. Geologists and oil/gas professionals will enjoy this book because it explains the renaissance of the energy industry circa 2008-2015. But most of all, everyone will enjoy the fascinating people behind the courtroom drama. As a bonus, the author tells the story from her perspective, and allows the reader a glimpse into a fascinating person in her own right, author and lead trial lawyer Chrysta Castenada. You will love this book."
-Tracy Turner, reviewed on May 10, 2020
"This is an extremely well written story from inside one of the biggest verdicts of 2016. In "The Last Trial of T. Boone Pickens" Chrysta Castañeda outlines the history of the case starting from a relatively small case given to a small law office to a case potentially worth more than a billion dollars. The courtroom part of the story is worthy of a movie even as she repeatedly talks about how real trials are never like movies or TV."
"Additionally it reveals the genuine friendship that developed between the two people who should have been like "oil" and water, but both had a love for details of the oil business."
"This is very quick and enjoyable read."
- CLM, reviewed on April 27, 2020
"As an oil and gas lawyer, I love the law and the oil and gas industry equally. This book captures all of the reasons why. The book describes a monumental battle in which a famous (or infamous) Texas oil man fought a lawsuit over his contention that he was cheated out of his interest in a major oil discovery. It is told from the perspective of the lead trial lawyer in the case and details the ups and downs that transpired throughout the litigation."
"It contains one unforced error; the Daisy Bradford #3 was completed in 1930 and was the discovery well for the East Texas Field, not Spindletop as is listed in the book. This is a quibble that would be lost on most anyone not steeped in the traditions and the lore of Texas oil and gas."
- C. M. Godfrey, reviewed on April 26, 2020
"As one of the paralegals on the trial team for Mr. Pickens, I was eager to get my hands on a copy of the book. It did not disappoint! It is a first-rate and accurate account of the trial and how one of the titans of the oil industry was swindled out of one of the biggest oil plays in history. But the books goes much further than just sound bites from the trial transcript. Chrysta Castañeda and Loren Steffy did an excellent job completing the circle on the story of who T. Boone Pickens was, in contrast to who the man in the final years of his life, sitting in a courtroom and battling for something more than just the money the jury ultimately awarded him. The way Chrysta and Loren close out the book is really beautiful and a touching tribute to the legend of the man that was T. Boone Pickens. The book is also a spot-on account of what it's REALLY like to try a multi-million dollar case (not what you see in the movies). I highly recommend this well-written book!"
- DBaatz, reviewed on April 21, 2020