<DIV>The working cowhand of old was a dusty laborer, but today's rodeo performers can hone their skills before small-town crowds and be stars in urban coliseums.<br><br> Historian Kristine Fredriksson follows the evolution of rodeo from the range to Buffalo Bill's Wild West to the extravaganzas in modern times. How an ordinary, low-paying job became an entertainment that attracts thousands of spectators is a lesson in American culture and a story that will appeal to anyone who spells "western" with a capital W.</DIV>