Book Talk

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     Captives of the Word is a new 265 page volume by Louis Cochran and Bess White Cochran, and is a narrative history of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Christian Churches (Independent), and the Churches of Christ. The authors, who worked together in research for Fool of God and Raccoon John Smith, have drawn upon their vast resources to produce one of the most interesting volumes that I have read in a long time. This is a swift-running story of what is called "the boldest Protestant Reformation since the time of Martin Luther." I hope that brethren will give this beautiful volume to friends who do not know about this significant movement. It is an entrancing story. The cost of the book is $5.95 per copy. It was published by Doubleday.

     Guides to Straight Thinking is the book by Stuart Chase, which was written to provide an entertaining, readable and instructive book on how to improve your thinking and avoid being fooled by others. Chase is also the author of The Mature Mind and The Power of Words. The book which we here mention grew out of a series of articles in Reader's Digest called "Tips for Straight Thinking." Harry A. Overstreet says that Chase "turns straight thinking into a keen adventure of the mind." The book was published by Harper and Row, to retail for $4.95, but we have 25 copies which we will make available for $2.00 each while they last.

     A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven. When I mentioned Harper and Row it brought to mind this book by Gary Freeman. Of course, we have talked about it before, but it is still going strong. I am of the opinion that the publishers got the surprise of their lives when the book sold in such volume almost from the first. One reason is apparent. Nell has been arguing for years that all of the religious organizations in our day have about the same hangups, and Gary's book proves it. Although he makes his hero (?), Cletus Kincheloe, a member of The True Church, a lot of Baptists, Methodists, and even Catholics, think that he is writing about them. Don't be fooled. He is writing about "us" and the serious thing about "A Funny Thing" is that a lot of it really happened. I get a kick out of the tomblike silence of some of our orthodox journals. To read them you would not even know that we had a best-seller going! That's one reason we like to mention it, so that our good brethren in the hinterlands will know what is happening. To be quite honest, we do not mind being "spoofed" about some of the ridiculous attitudes we have manifested in the past. In any event, you will read with interest what Gary has written, even if you do feel a little queasy! The book is $3.95 per copy. Get one and pass it around to the underground!

     We are a little bit saddened that the paperbound edition of Raccoon John Smith is no more. It will not be reissued. The same will hold true for Fool of God, Alexander Campbell and His New Version, Thomas Campbell -- Man of the Book, and Apostle of Freedom. When our few volumes are gone that will be the end of these, and we are sorry. It is my firm conviction that the restoration movement has much to offer our ecumenical world, and I want to see all of the books we have brought to bear on that world. I hope you'll pardon me for saying once more that we need your orders for "Christian Commandos" which will contain all of our papers for 1969. The pre-publication price is $2.49.