I picked up this book on a whim and you should, too. These stories about the post-WWII rural South are often funny, sometimes moving and worth reading.

The stories are short and easy reads, so stick this book on your bedside table and read a story or two each night before going to sleep.

The only fault I had with "Southern Fried Plus 6" is that many of the settings and characters had a sameness to them. But this is a minor problem in what is overall a fine collection.

This a a good collection of stories to introduce readers to William Price Fox. "The Pit Fight" is an exceptional read because of its insightful comment on evils in human nature and has been enjoyed by many of his students that participating in his creative writing classes at the University of South Carolina. You will not regret buying it, it has something for everyone and you'll want to go back to the stories again and again.

I read this book back when I was in college in the early sixties; it was just SOUTHERN FRIED then, a little paperback I picked up on impulse...it turned out to be one of the funniest books I had ever read, and I always regretted giving it away when I joined the army. I never forgot it - who could forget Leroy Jeffcoat with his fast nerves, or Round House with his razor, or the Buzzard's Lope, or, oh, don't get me started.

So I am delighted to see it back in print (with six new additions) and heartily recommend it. This is a particularly good book to have if you're reading in bits - coffee breaks and the like - because the stories are very short. (Some aren't even stories so much as little vignettes.) Be warned, though, your co-workers may look strangely at you when you burst into uncontrollable guffaws.

I can't think of any close comparisons - maybe Jeff Foxworthy on some sort of very dangerous drugs? Anyway buy this and read it. If it doesn't make you laugh you must have had your sense of humor shot off.

I am in agreement with Mr. Fox in feeling that it was our system of values not our affluence which made this country the most moral and most free society this world has ever seen. And like Mr Fox, I feel these values are either dead or in the process of decay. This frightens me tremendously not for myself but for future generations.

Altruistic behavior, the putting aside concern for oneself, for the welfare of society as a whole is essential for the survival of a democratic country. You do not have victorious citizen armies if the individual soldiers are more concerned with their own survival than the victory of their country. There are numerous other examples, of how the stability and even the survival of this country was dependent upon people having more concern for society than themselves. Mr. Fox contends that the development of these behaviors is a product of a set of values. Many may dispute this claim. The modern-day theorists state that it is poverty not values which hinders a person from developing into a contributing member of society. This modern-day ethos is based upon a contradiction, the application of which has undermined the stability of our society. It states that once people are given material possessions, they will enjoy them so much that they will want to do what is necessary to not only maintain them, but acquire more. The contradiction is, if a person is primarily driven by a desire for material possessions or recognition, there exists no basis for him/her to choose to do the moral thing when doing so would cost him money and social acceptance. This was pointedly brought home to me when I was helping at my daughter's high school. The teacher was emphasizing the need to get a good education in order to secure a well-paying job. One of the girls in the class, who lived in the projects, laughed out loud and then said, "Well, I ain't worried about studying. I can sell drugs and make more money in a week than you can in a year." It's true that in poverty-stricken societies where people daily struggle against starvation, there are few principles other than physical survival. But this is an extremely rare situation in the United States. In the projects, we see color television sets, VCR's, and stereo systems. This is not a segment of society facing starvation. Once a certain base level of material needs has been met, the satisfaction from possessions comes not from the possessions themselves, but from the acceptance or adulation that they elicit from other members of society. "Keeping up with the Joneses" is not representative of real material needs, but of a psychological need to feel as important as other people. It is a need, for better for worse, that links us to other people. It is insatiable and often times addictive. It explains the existence of white-collar crime which the aforementioned modern-day panecea can not. Corporate CEO's who already have an abundance of wealth steal from their workers so that they can acquire wealth far beyond what is needed for their physical survival. All of this illustrates that affluence is not even a basis for people not resorting to crime and definitely not a basis for the altruistic behavior that is necessary for a democracy to survive.

Some people accept the proposition that it is values not affluence that is important in producing contributing citizens, but still dispute a decline of values. They point to the advances which both women and minorities have gained over the past few decades. I applaud these gains, but unfortunately they are offset by a multitude of negatives forces growing in America. We have become a nation where more and more children are born out-of-wedlock and thus more and more children will never know a father's commitment to their lives. This is not limited to the inner-city children of the projects, but is now commonplace in the middle class. The modern-day sociologist had at one time attributed the erosion of the family in the projects as a product of their poverty. As the whole of society has become more affluent, the problem has grown in all social classes. Another example of how affluence is not the solution. We have become a nation that can not find the money to provide a living wage to its teachers, its police, its social workers, but we can find the money to make multimillionaires of those who entertain or excite us. We have become a nation that has more leisure time and more money than our ancestors and yet we show less responsibility for the care of our elderly relatives, we shut them away in nursing homes where their needs and decaying bodies impose little sacrifice upon us. We have become a nation where violence and drugs and sexual promiscuity has become a prevalent part of the lifestyles of children and adults in all classes of society. We have become a nation increasingly dependent upon the importation of our intellectuals because we are gradually producing less within our own borders. This is not the society that our founding fathers envisioned nor is it one that will have the self-discipline not to succumb to leaders who will promise us something for nothing, the self-discipline to willingly sacrifice ourselves and our pleasures for the welfare of future generations.

Approximately 250 years ago, a remarkable and beautiful experiment was reignited. That experiment was called democracy. It was not based, as many would like us to believe, upon the pursuit of material possessions or self-fufillment or the freedom to do whatever excited a person. It was based upon the belief that humanity's destiny lay in the pursuit of the moral life. Mr. Fox offers a plethora of sound solutions to halt the decline of our society and restore the ethics which made us value one another more than we value material possessions, or power, or transitory sensual pleasures.

Many readers may not fully agree with Fox in terms of the nature and extent of the decline of "American values." Most will agree, however that certain basic values -- affirmed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and especially in the Bill of Rights -- have been under severe attack in recent years as our nation continues its struggle to meet global obligations while responding appropriately to domestic problems. Specifically, problems such as those caused by illiteracy, immorality, poverty, hunger, violent crime, fraud, and loss of faith in various institutions such as government at federal and state levels, law enforcement, the legal system, and even religious denominations such as the Roman Catholic Church). Since "9/11," there has been widespread disagreement about how to wage an effective "war" on terrorism (especially in the U.S.) while protecting human rights, even of non-citizens whose loyalty to our nation may be suspect.

In this volume, Fox addresses questions such as these: Why are certain core values essential to our personal as well as national well-being? Are these secular values compatible with the values of various religious faiths? How and by whom have so many of these values been subverted or at least threatened? Why? And why are these values so vulnerable to subversion? To what extent (if any) should the values in our schools the the same values of our community and nation? Why? Why has there been a decline of basic values in the American political system? What must be done to restore their primacy? Also, why has there been a decline of basic values in the American legal system? What must be done to restore their primacy? Obviously, these are important questions to pose. Whether or not readers fully agree with Fox's responses to them is, I think, much less important than the fact that his responses force us to consider, better yet reconsider what we may now think about prevailing, indeed dominant values as the new century proceeds.

One of my greatest concerns, one with which Fox may agree, is that there has also been a serious decline of the quality of discussion of American values. This is perhaps most evident when viewing network and local newscasts, various "talk shows," and even single-subject "specials." More often than not, immensely complicated issues are addressed with sound bites, simplistic explanations, and self-serving posturing. I fear that we are now at a point in our nation's history when it is politically incorrect to tell the emperor that he not only has no new clothes but, worse yet, he is stark naked.

What to do about all this? Fox offers his own quite specific, indeed eloquent suggestions. Each is worthy of careful consideration. If you disagree, fair enough. Long ago, Voltaire suggested "We should cherish those who seek the truth but beware of those who find it....(for all time or without adequate current, objective substantiation)." Our search for truth must continue. Fox insists (and I agree) that, en route, our journey must be guided and informed by certain values which are even more important now than when they guided and informed the creation of a new nation. Those basic values have not declined; rather, we have neglected, ignored, or compromised them...and as a nation, we have lost our way. Other nations look to ours for leadership. Literally, we are what we believe. Therefore, our effectiveness as a global leader as well as our health as a society will be wholly determined by the same moral and ethical infrastructure. "We hold these truths to be self-evident...." and always must.

William M. Fox presents an overview of the values Americans hold in common and what we can do to nurture them in ourselves and others in AMERICAN VALUES IN DECLINE: WHAT WE CAN DO. In a book rich with historical context, modern examples, and elaborate documentation, Fox examines the core values that bind our great nation together and the results of the current erosion to those values. More importantly, he provides thought provoking ideas and proven examples for reversing the moral decline in America.

Such values as honesty, freedom to inquire, freedom of speech, freedom of thought, justice and respect for human dignity were the core values handed down from the founders of our nation. Unfortunately, duty, honesty, integrity and responsibility are currently being replaced by predatory and self-destructive behaviors and the long-term inability to support oneself. Saving for the future has been replaced by the need for immediate gratification. Extended families have been replaced by broken homes, absent fathers, and single-mothers. The consequence of the breakdown of values is a dependency and lawlessness our country cannot afford.

Fox argues that despite the melting pot of ethnic backgrounds, religious beliefs, and political affiliations, commitment to certain core values binds the people of the United States together. Our current shift from a nation with a common destiny to the individualistic satisfaction of desires has resulted in a decline that threatens the basic foundations of our nation. Individual rights do not negate individual responsibility. Handouts should be replaced with opportunities for learning self-sufficiency. Ethical and legal judgments must be made with common sense and could of society in mind.

William Fox's extraordinary book AMERICAN VALUES IN DECLINE: WHAT WE CAN DO is a must read for every American. While I don't necessarily agree with every solution, for example paying young girls to not get pregnant, his ideas and examples of what already works make for a thought provoking and intriguing discussion. While Fox's treatise is not the type of reading I usually enjoy, I found myself quickly caught up in Fox's prose as he lays out the historical and cultural ramification of values. His examples are concrete, with thought provoking ideas that quickly inspired me to consider my own situation, family and work world. Remarkably approachable, AMERICAN VALUES IN DECLINE: WHAT WE CAN DO comes very highly recommended.

I teach a class of 2nd graders this book is even too childish for them. I don't even think that this book deserves a star, but it looks like i have to give it one so I did.

I bought this book for my son,who just turned 8. He had wanted to make animals out of pipe cleaners, they had done this at school. He really liked this book. I liked it because it comes with enough pipe cleaners to make everything in the book. It really does! The pictures are step by step and really clear. We had a lot of fun with this book.

I READ THIS BOOK AND THOUGHT IT WAS VERY CREATIVE. I ESPECIALLY LIKED IT BECAUSE IT CAME WITH ALL THE MATERIALS.THE DIRECTIONS WERE ACCURATE AND EASY TO FOLLOW.OVERALL IT WAS FUN,CREATIVE,AND EXCITING. A GREAT RAINY OR SNOWY DAY BOOK.

This is a well written look at 8 artists in Nevada. Most interesting is how these artists and their work reflects and interacts with the desert landscape in a variety of ways.The artists respond in a variety of ways using abstraction, collage, installation and mixed media. The book is well illustrated and shows examples of the artists' work. Fox has an obvious affection for the artists in this book and strikes a tone that is balanced and enthusiastic. It is an interesting look at 8 specific artists but also delves into the creative process, culture in the Western US and how the landscape impacts all of that. Definitely worth the time!

"Memory's Glass", is a collection of essays dealing with parts of the author's life. The vingettes themselves are small peaks into life and history as seen by a rural Virginia boy. Although this book is tinged with nostalgia, it is full of meticulously crafted, bitter-sweet recollections that do not shy away from the darker side of existence. The book seems very much to be one man's spiritual journey, concerned with the continual loss of innocence and the ways in which man must handle such losses. Overall, it is an engaging collection that comes from this reader with high praise and equal recommendation.

Driving in Jefferson City, Missouri a few years ago, I saw a man selling Confederate flags by the side of the road. In the St. Louis area, where I live, this man would probably have been beaten to within an inch of his life, but to most Missourians, St. Louis might as well be New York City. In out-state Missouri, publicly displaying a Confederate flag does not seem to be an unofficial felony.

Why? Why did a state which began life and perceived itself as Western become the most Confederate state in America(as some of us like to point out, WE didn't surrender until 1882, when Frank James turned himself in after Jesse's murder)? In this biography of Claiborne Jackson, the Missouri governor who tried to take his state out of the Union, Christopher Phillips argues that Missouri's transformation from Western to Southern basically boiled down to the protection of slavery. Central Missourians, the people around whom this book mostly revolves, did not see owning slaves as contrary to democracy but central to it. Their families had owned slaves since emigrating to the West from Kentucky or Virginia. Threats, or perceived threats, to slavery finally drove segments of Missouri's leadership to a full-fledged Southern identity and led to Missouri's exceptionally violent civil war, which in turn fueled Missouri's fierce postwar attachment to the Confederate States.

This is both a good biography of Jackson and a good study of antebellum Missouri. But I do have a few problems with it. Phillips spends the bulk of his time in the Boon's Lick(now called Little Dixie another result of the war)among the slaveholding aristocracy there. Natural, one assumes, because that's where Jackson was from, but the rest of the state is neglected. St. Louis is paid attention to, but other areas of the state, like the fiercely Unionist regions of the Ozarks, are barely mentioned. And once the war starts, Phillips seems in a hurry to wrap things up; I wish he'd spent more time on the war itself.

Nonetheless, if you're interested in antebellum American history, this book is well worth your time.

this hard to find book is well worth the search. if you love the south (carolinas) and can relate to being a poor adolescent with a desire to own your first car, were a little more adventurous than the average teenager, and understand people in a realistic manner come along for the ride. two young men decide that first hudson is worth smuggling a little moonshine for the local bootlegger. hilarious at times, gut wrenching at others. not recommended for the shallow at heart.

This book is funny, realistic, and the characters are exceptional. Anyone can relate to the plot of a girl that would like to make it big, help a friend see the light, and make it out of a small, provincial town. She meets people along the way that help her to learn where she's going. The ending atypical. If the reader has already decided in what direction Ruby is going, they might be a little let down, but it is nevertheless a realistic ending for a realistic and humorous story.

I love disaster books, and have since I was old enough to read chapter books. Early in my relationship with Amazon, I did a subject search on different disasters, and was suprised by the meager selection. There really are very few readable first-person/journalistic book-length disaster accounts available. We are indeed fortunate to have first-rate books like "The Perfect Storm," and "Isaac's Storm" come out so close together.

It is also the reason I must be kind in this review. These books remind you that you read books like this for two reasons. One is to participate vicariously in an intense experience. The second is to further our understanding of science--both social and physical. How does a disaster develop? How do we react to it? Were the right decisions made? This book, written before the others I mentioned, does not fufill any of these purposes very well.

"Lunatic Wind" is essentially a first-person account of the passage of Hurricane Hugo through South Carolina and how it affected a man, his two teen-aged sons and their grandmother. The account is very parochial and not very insightful.

Perhaps the most memorable passages are the descriptions of the two young men, doggedly ignoring and resourcefully dodging all attempts to keep them from surfing in a hurricane off a barrier island. If anything proves the late development of judgement skills in the adolescent this is it!

One hungers for comprehensive journalistic accounts of important disaster events like Hurricanes Hugo and Andrew: "How did the storms develop?" "Were they predicted accurately?" "How did people (and institutions) survive?" "What was the long-term impact?" But they are apparently rarely attempted. Which makes books like "Lunatic Wind" valuable.

"Lunatic Wind," should be seen as a primary source, a building block, to an eagerly anticipated comprehensive treatment of Hurricane Hugo.

Hello....what book is this? Is it about hurricane Hugo? I need lots of info about hurricane Hugo! Now!

This incredible book is the novelization on actual incidents that occurred during Hurricane Hugo. You will be unable to put this book down, in fact, you may very well fall off the edge of your seat!

This is basically a stretching-out of two of his earlier short stories, "Dear
Diary" and "Dear Diary: Wanda" which were published as part of "Southern Fried Plus Six" in the late Sixties. If you've read those, you've seen pretty much everything in "Wild Blue Yonder." A high school dropout enlists in the Air Corps and various things happen pretty much the same way they did in the earlier stories - training, a bar fight in Texas, the girls he and his buddies meet in town and their night out, he's just adding to old stuff that he's said before. A couple of examples:

From "Dear Diary":
"Had lunch. Good food. Had two helpings of everything. Nice cut of ham with raisin sauce. Potatoes, beans, ice cream and coffee."

From "Wild Blue Yonder":
"Same day 1830 hours. Great food for supper. Nice cut of ham with raisen sauce. Raisen e or i? ...Had two helpings of everything. Except ice cream."

Now, I have been a Fox fan for quite awhile, long enough to have had a copy of "Southern Fried" since the Seventies and to remember big chunks of it, but I have to say I was thoroughly
disappointed with "Wild Blue." I bought it at the Southern Festival of Books, a big literary gathering that happens in Nashville every fall, and meant to go hear Fox speak at one of the authors' forums and maybe even get him to sign this, but I managed to miss his appearance and it's probably just as well. It's actually quite a good story if you haven't read those two from "Southern Fried," but if you have you can see everything coming before Fox says it and the book's not nearly as interesting.

Wild Blue Yonder is a superbly written, semi-autobiographical novel by William Price Fox which is set in 1943 South Carolina, and is about Earl Edge, a 16-year-old truant and small town trouble maker who sees no way out of his problems than to lie about his age and join the air force. Wild Blue Yonder is highly recommended as a coming of age saga told largely in the form of the protagonist's journal entries of change, hardship, the loss of friends, and surviving the perils of World War II.