Average Jones

by Samuel Hopkins Adams

Overview

"Average Jones," is a collection of short stories by Samuel Hopkins Adams, first published in 1911, more then 100 years ago, but they are as fresh - and as much fun - as if they had just been written last year. Samuel Hopkins Adams was a muckraking investigative journalist, and his newspaper and magazine articles about the evils of advertising in general and medical advertising in particular are generally credited with forcing Congress to create the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783956766213
Publisher:	Otbebookpublishing
Publication date:	12/27/2015
Series:	Classics To Go , #764
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	188
File size:	304 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Samuel Hopkins Adams (1871-1958) was an American writer and muckraker whose work left an indelible mark on both literature and social reform. Born in Dunkirk, New York, Adams graduated from Hamilton College in 1891 and began his career in journalism, quickly gaining a reputation for his investigative prowess. His early work for "McClure's Magazine" placed him at the forefront of the muckraking movement, where he exposed public health scandals and corruption, most notably in the patent medicine industry. His series "The Great American Fraud" (1905) was instrumental in the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act, showcasing his commitment to public welfare.Adams's versatility as a writer extended beyond journalism; he authored numerous novels, biographies, and short stories. His narrative style, characterized by meticulous research and compelling storytelling, influenced contemporary writers and set a standard for investigative journalism. Notably, his friendship with Theodore Roosevelt and other prominent figures of the era provided him with unique insights into the political and social dynamics of early 20th-century America.Adams was not without controversy. His fearless critiques often put him at odds with powerful industrialists and politicians, yet he remained steadfast in his pursuit of truth. His legacy endures in the realms of both literature and social justice, reflecting a life dedicated to exposing the underbelly of American society and advocating for reform. For modern readers, Adams's work offers a riveting glimpse into the power of the written word to effect change and challenge the status quo.
Samuel Hopkins Adams (January 26, 1871 – November 16, 1958) was an American writer, best known for his investigative journalism and muckraking. (Wikipedia)

Editorial Reviews

"[Average Jones] at its clever, resourceful best, sows the seeds of mystery’s golden age." — Kirkus

From the Publisher

2022-03-16
Ten detective stories about a self-described “Ad-Visor” that the versatile and once popular but now largely forgotten Adams (1871-1958) originally collected in 1911.

The greatest stroke of originality here is to give facetious New York socialite Adrian Van Reypen Egerton Jones a thirst for a hobby that turns out to be advertising, a medium in which he soon becomes an expert, and to present cryptic, enigmatic, or otherwise tantalizing ads that lead him to criminal investigation. Although some of the resulting stories are routine—Jones searches for a doctor’s missing son in “Open Trail” and a jeweled necklace in “Blue Fires,” pursues a veiled threat to the governor’s life in “The One Best Bet,” and answers an ad seeking a man without a family for dangerous but well-paying work in the two-part “The Mercy Sign”—others revolve around ads and crimes that are equally original. “The B-Flat Trombone” invites Jones to connect a stolid German instrumentalist with the fiery bombing of a building outside which he’s been hired to play. The trail to a deep-laid conspiracy runs through a series of canine poisonings in “Red Dot.” Jones alertly decodes the hidden threats in a series of ads in “Pin Pricks,” asks why someone would run a very public ad demanding a $50,000 ransom for a missing boy in “Big Print,” and masquerades as mute in order to expose an ingenious fraud in “The Man Who Spoke Latin.” “The Million-Dollar Dog,” whose heroine’s recent inheritance depends on her care for her late grandmother’s dog, is the most conventional of all the stories, but it ends on such a high note that no one will complain.

Uneven work that at its clever, resourceful best sows the seeds of mystery’s golden age.

Kirkus Reviews