THE FAR CRY was first published in 1951, and is considered one of Fredric Brown's best mystery novels, which is saying something indeed, considering how many great ones he penned. Slightly different from his famous "Ed and Am Hunter" series of novels about a uncle and nephew team of Private Eyes, THE FAR CRY is more of a downbeat noir type of thriller, dwelling as it does on the main character's growing depression regarding his own marriage and career, coupled with a burgeoning obsession on his part with the mystery surrounding an 8 year old murder of a girl he never knew, but whom he has become compulsively attracted to.

George Weaver is a middle aged Kansas City real estate man, unhappily married, father of two, and recovering from a nervous breakdown. His doctor recommends a summer of peace and relaxation, away from his business and family concerns. To achieve this he rents a small primitive house a few miles outside of Taos, New Mexico. The only problem is that the same house was once the scene of a grisly murder. Eight years previously a young woman named Jenny Ames had come to meet a man who she thought wished to marry her. Instead the same man, an aspiring artist named Nelson, killed Jenny with a kitchen knife and then buried her body a quarter mile from the house, the very house that Weaver is now renting.

Try as he might, Weaver can not get the events of 8 years previous out of his mind. He begins to investigate the murder and the mysterious events leading up to it. At first he believes that he will write an article and profit from it, also that investigating it will help detour his thoughts from contemplation of his own unhappy marriage, but as the summer progresses he finds himself more and more obsessed with the young Jenny Ames. To tell any more of the plot would be a spoiler, simply suffice it to say that Brown delivers as usual. I definitely recommend this one for those who like their noir dished up with believable characters and suspense.

It's really sad to see this book out of print, and I hope Black Lizard or another reprint series will consider reviving it. This is a masterpiece of low-key suspense. Frederick Brown uses great subtlety to gradually introduce the mystery and draw the protagonist into it. The murdered woman in the story has a ghost-like presence; but the way she haunts the tale is much more credible than a supernatural tale.

The protagonist is fascinating because he seems so banal. He's no hero, and seemingly no villain, but a man forced by circumstances and finances to endure a bland, lonely, meaningless existence. It is this vacuum of meaning in his life that draws him to be obsessed with this murder victim from the past.

This is one of my all-time favorite mysteries.

Brown's other books are also quite worthwhile, especially MY NAME IS DEATH and THE FABULOUS CLIPJOINT.

Teri Sloat is the author of several books including: The Thing That Bothered Farmer Brown, and she lives near a farm. Nadine Bernard Westcott is also no stranger to farms and animal sounds.

All the animals are just comical. The cat is also quite cute. At the beginning, all the animals are making their normal animally sounds. The pigs are oinking, the cows moo.

But then he heard a rumbling sound That made his smile turn upside down. ...."Look out!" he cried. "A twister's coming!"

The following pages will bring giggles as all the animals get caught up in the clothes line and the expressions on the sheep's faces.....you just have to see it!

When the twister drops them all, the sheep are clucking and the cows are oinking. More silliness continues as the sheep take over the roost and the muddy, oinking cows get slopped.

The rooster takes over the farmer's job and tells everyone what to do. Fortunately another twister hits and sets things right again.

"Except on days when strong winds blew...."

A purely silly delight!

My kids and I both love the whimsical nature of both Farmer Brown books by Teri Sloat. The wording and pictures go perfectly together and are good for a laugh and putting us all in a fun and silly mood. I hope there are more Farmer Brown adventures to come!

Most enlightening. I was able to track my ancestors as they traveled thru Georgia and Alabama. With the aid of a good map, one can pinpoint their exact route. Highly recommend for anyone doing research on their family that settled in Georgia or Alabama.

Enlarged beyond its earlier incarnation as an article in "The Alabama Review", this work has emerged as a highly valuable resource for readers and researchers of early Alabama history. Utilizing maps and exhaustive primary and secondary sources, the authors present evidence of the profound impact of the Federal Road upon the Alabama in its formative years. Here, the reader will learn that antebellum Alabama was far from a unified state, but rather a politically polarized collection of sectional counties, interspersed with tribal lands of the Creek, Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw. North Alabama, with a citizenry constituted largely of emigres of Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina, held political power from Alabama's Territorial period (1817-1818) and through early statehood (1819-1840). Entering Alabama at a point roughly near present-day Columbus, Georgia/Phenix City, Alabama, and proceeding southwesterly to New Orleans, the Federal Road accomodated the massive influx of settlers emanating from Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia. This book reveals how the surge in America's westward expansion affected the present-day formation of Alabama. With pent-up demand for land, and a sympathetic Andrew Jackson in the White House, the Federal Road became the venue through which the white combatants prevailed in the Creek War of 1836-37. The resultant final removal of Creek and Cherokee tribes to Oklahoma, caused such a rush of new settlers into South and Central Alabama that Alabama's political structure underwent a drastic and lasting transformation. The shift in legislative power to South Alabama and, particularly, the Black Belt of Central Alabama, resulted in the 1846 removal of the state capitol from Tuscaloosa to Montgomery. The rise of the "Bourbon Democrats" of this region was to shape the landscape of Alabama politics for over 140 years thereafter. The authors, through scholarly, annotated research, offer the reader an opportunity to attain a thorough understanding of the significance of the Federal Road as the single most important element in the formation of Alabama's geography, government, economy and sociology. This reviewer highly recommends this book as not only valuable, but essential for anyone seeking to attain a thorough understanding of Alabama history.

I have this set and i got them when i was a kid. Now my daughter has them and they are all still perfect LOVE them still, just like i did then. I dont know (and really dont care) what they are worth in $$. If you are going to get any of these books, they are wonderful for children of all ages :)

A great story for "children" of all ages....teaches (or reminds) us the value of sharing. The illustrations are absolutely incredible. Why does it have to be out of print?? I bought one for a gift on clearance somewhere and now want one for myself and can't find it!

Louis DeCaro Jr. has presented a perspective of John Brown that has largely been hidden from most biographical studies. He shows us John Brown, the evangelical Christian, deeply rooted in reform theology and a student of the Puritans. DeCaro reveals the theological aspects that caused John Brown to pursue a course of justice for those held in the bondage of slavery, ultimately resulting in the raid on Harper's Ferry.Whether one agrees with the actions of John Brown in his quest to free the slaves or not, we are shown the thinking that led to his attempt to overthrow the system.

I believe the issues raised by this book are instructive in understanding the possible future course of those engaged in the fight against abortion.It is not inconceivable to imagine another "John Brown" rising up in the quest to bringing about justice for the unborn.

This is the first actual biography of John Brown published since the 1970s, by historian and religious educator Louis A. DeCaro, Jr. It skillfully contextualizes John Brown's religious and abolitionist development within his Calvinist background and the evangelical movement of ninteenth century America. John Brown is is shown -- through careful and lengthy research -- as a son, brother, husband (twice), and father as well as the leader of the militant abolitionists. The book is especially rich with the relationship of John Brown to African Americans, notably free people in the North who were creating communities of families and congregations in Springfield, Massachusetts and in Essex County, New York. These individuals come alive in their relationship with John Brown, who the author calls "the practical shepherd," assisting with ownership of small farms and businesses, extending the American dream of self-sufficiency, land ownership, and the rights of citizenship to African Americans. DeCaro has researched Thomas Thomas, first an employee at John Brown's wool warehouse and then a resturanteur who moves to Illinois and becomes a friend of Abraham Lincoln: "Brown and Lincoln never came so close as they did in friendship with Thomas Thomas, and the black man could speak with some authority about both leaders." Dr. DeCaro does not flinch from analysis of the Pottawatomie Massacre in Kansas in 1856, and develops an accurate background of the threatening acts of the victims. He examines several historical viewpoints about the incident, and has found a recollection by the grandaughter of Henry Thompson, the son-in-law of John Brown who was part of the violent attack. The author asks: "perhaps a fundamentally different question is needed to frame the Pottawatomie killings. What kind of circumstances would drive exceptionally moral and religious people like the Browns to such desparate measures?" This biographer of John Brown feels his subject deeply, from his heart, and from his chest as he breathes new life into the complex and human individual whose moral fire made people worldwide think about the immorality of slavery.

Mr. Brown goes a long way to test his theories. Recreating the articles of every day life was at times arduous and demanding, but his work was not in vain.
What I liked most was the practicality of the author. Instead of writing from the lofty towers of "academia" and pure theoretical knowledge, he and his small band of peers proves the discoveries and findings at archeological digs are based on real events, not some kooky theory. The people described did exist, and after reading this book they will become more real to you.
The knowledge gained from reading this book is immense and is time well spent.

This is the best book I've read on Florida's Paleo-Indians so far, not only for identifying pottery, tools (both shell & stone) and other artifacts, but the author's details on reconstructing the methods of creating and using the same, are wonderful. The photos and drawings of hundreds of different potsherds are alone worth the price of the book. At last I can not only identify the many pieces I have picked up over the last several years, but gain a greater understanding of the people who created them.

This is the most complete guide to bonefishing written to date. For those of us who are addicted to fly fishing for bonefish, this book goes on every trip to the flats. There are a few more recently-written bonefishing books, with updated tackle and location descriptions, but Dick Brown's book is the most complete for learning what to expect on the flats--wading or in a boat. Great photos and drawings of different scenarios when fish are spotted, and tips on spotting fish in different wind, cloud, and temperature conditions. The book has brief descriptions of bonefishing destinations, the best times to go, and what to expect once you're there. There is also an interesting discussion of the bonefish's diet based on a recent scientific study of what bonefish eat. I've flipped through this book so many times, the pages are falling out. If you've ever been fly fishing for bonefish or you are considering going, get this book first.

This is an essential book for any person interested in Bonefish. It explains habitat, techniques and fishing areas clearly. Mr. Brown has a love of the sport and this clearly shows through in the text and photos. Highly Recommended !

These 15 four color posters help you ensure compliance with FDA/USDA regulations.As you know employees play a vital role in food safety.Make sure they're aware of the regulatory requirements, and just good food safety practices. Our health inspector saw them and I think we gained some points (positive) on our inspection - because it shows we care.We also display these posters in the kitchen and employee break room and in the employee areas.Posters are in both English and Spanish which is critical to use here in Orlando Florida.

In my work as a food service manager I must repeat the same instructions to my employees over and over - these 15 laminated four color posters will constantly remind your emplyees about the importance of food safety and the correct procedures. They are colorful and very informative.We bought two sets one for the kitchen and one to use throught the employee areas of the restaurant.The 15 posters in the set is like having 15 more of me pointing out constantly the importance and proper procedures in food safety!.

The table of contents alone gives an impression of how thoroughly this book covers all the aspects of managing costs in restaurants and food service operations. The book is also well organized and accessible - important concepts are clearly explained, and examples are well chosen. And it is also timely: no matter how attractive or imaginative your restaurant might be, controlling costs is critical to maintaining financial stability in a competitive environment.

Here in a single, engaging volume is everything you are likely to encounter (and the answers too!) in keeping costs down and sales up. A recommended investment.

Great Book! I Found These step-by-step guides easy-to-read, and easy to understand! The books are packed with information. They reminded me of "cliff Notes" from my college days.The information is comprehensive without the fluff you find in so many of the more expensive books out there on the subject. The books are also packed with resources such as phone numbers and the web sites of the companies they are discussing - there is no "theory" just great information.

This book is simply one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. The photographs are breathtaking. Each line of the poem is complemented with Scripture. I was facing a very dark period in my life and this book gave me the light to see that indeed God is always with us.

Learning the meaning behind the poem shows a new light on it and goes to show that God does work in miraculous ways. Margaret Fishbone Powers' story is remarkable and she truly is deserving of the credit for the poem.