Vol.XVII No.II Pg.2
April 1980

Plain Talk Bound Volumes

Robert F. Turner

Several years back, while I was in Australia, bro. Shipley asked readers to express interest or disinterest in bound volumes of Plain Talk. He explained our efforts to supply back issues to the many who requested them, the obvious limitations of such a procedure, and indicated he would like to make bound volumes available to the public. He received what he considered an affirmative reply.

Oaks-West church cannot reprint, bind, and supply such books for your libraries. Nor would the church enter into a commercial venture. In fact we are trying to be super-cautious about the extent to which we use P.T. to let you know about the sale of any product. But information about preservation and supply of this church publication seems a reasonable course.

With hesitation on my part (thinking it a poor business venture) bro. Shipley and I have formed a partnership, put up the money, and are reprinting volumes one through four of Plain Talk. These will be indexed by scriptures and subjects, and bound in a hard cover, with a nice dust jacket. The printer, a book publisher, tells us we must dispose of 600 books at $11.95 each (includes tax and mailing) to have sufficient return of our capital to justify entering the next stage of our project, viz., reprinting and binding volumes five through eight. We would like to continue this process through volume 16, making a set of four matching books. Each book will have nearly 400 pages, including 48 question and answer pages, church history, current "issues," exegesis of scriptures, and practical sermons.

To inform you of this project via personal mail would be very expensive ($1,440. for one mailing); but we cannot turn Plain Talk into an advertising media, no matter how worthy the project. Therefore, if you approve of our objective and want the first indexed book containing volumes one through four of Plain Talk, we hope this announcement will be enough to prompt your reply. Send order to: SHIPLEY-TURNER 1608 Sherrard Street Burnet, Texas 78611 Mailing date set for May 15. We would appreciate your telling us if you want future volumes reserved for you. The paper PLAIN TALK will continue to be published by Oaks-West church of Christ, mailed free of charge each month to those who request it. We are trying to make this a useful teaching medium, with special emphasis upon the development of proper attitudes, toward God and our fellowmen. Your comments and questions are appreciated and your prayers solicited.