Author Charles Chilton Moore (b. 1837) was the grandson of Barton Warren Stone, the "Stone" in the Stone-Campbell religious heritage. Moore graduated from Bethany College, Virginia (now West Virginia) with a Bachelor of Arts degree on July 4, 1858. After preaching in Christian churches in Kentucky for a few years, he became an infidel and ended his ministry.

In 1884 he began publishing a (soon to be weekly) paper, Blue Grass Blade, in Lexington, Kentucky that was intended to promote prohibition, atheism, and free thinking causes.

The book was written by Moore in 1899 while he was serving a two-year sentence in a federal prison in Columbus, Ohio, after being found guilty of sending "obscene matter" through the mails. He subsequently had his sentence reduced to six months by President McKinley.

I found the book to be entertaining and educational. Entertaining in that the author's writing style is conversational and at times humorous. Educational in that he shared numerous details about his personal experiences while at Bethany College and the Campbell family. For example, I learned that that author was actually formally engaged to be married to Decima ("Dessie") Campbell, a daughter of Alexander Campbell (the "Campbell" in the Stone-Campbell religious heritage).

Persons who are of the Stone-Campbell religious tradition and wish to learn more of it should find this book to of value. ( )