THE LONG AND THE SHORT OF IT begins with the novella, Dell's Plan, recounting the misadventures of a hapless misfit, Billy Joe Jackson, following his trail of ill-conceived and poorly executed schemes from Florida to Long Island, New York, and back to Florida. "The short of it" is represented by two sketches: a brief but heart-rending story, The Broken People and The Man with the Briefcase, musings about an unknown man, in an unknown place, at an unknown time. The other tales in this collection include: The Secret Life of Harry Farnsworth, paying homage to James Thurber's fictional character, Walter Mitty. Five tales set in foreign lands: Corrida de Tores (The Bullfight), Pieces of Eight, Ahmed's Secret, The Resurrection Men, and The Bird Boy of Jaipur. Mulligan's Revenge, a fantasy reminiscent of "The Twilight Zone"; Journey's End, a retiree's offhand remarks result in unintended consequences, The Job, What happens when you retire but your mind remains on the job? And Murder in the Lord's Dominion, a cold case murder mystery.