I don’t know for sure where this book, Social Knots Untied by T. De Witt Talmage, D. D., came from. I suspect my Grandpa Green’s side of the family, but as far as I know they were not religious. Thanks to Wikipedia, however, I think I may have figured it out. My grandfather’s ancestors were members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church and even helped build the Washington Reformed Presbyterian Church in Elgin. The author was a pastor in the Reformed Church in America and Presbyterian Church. My grandfather must have gotten it from his grandmother, Nettie Tyler who was a McCornack.

The title page of this book describes it as

A series of

Practical and Popular Sermons

Delivered by

T. De Witt Talmage, D. D.

Handsomely Illustrated

Edited by Richard S. Rhodes.

It was published in 1905 (original publication date was 1899).

There is what looks like a hand-signed note on the page opposite the copyright page that reads:

“The only way to overcome bad books is by sending [something] plenty of good books”

Yours truly,
T. De Witt Talmage

But because another copy of the book also has the exact signature, I think it was printed in the book.