Monthly Archives: August 2009

This Week at the Library (19/7)

Posted on August 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Dolphins, Jacques Yves-Cousteau The Force Unleashed, Sean Williams A History of the Arab Peoples, Albert Hourani The Venus Throw, Steven Saylor The Essential Koran, translated and edited by Thomas Clearly. I began this week with Jacques Yves-Cousteau’s … Continue reading →

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The Essential Koran

Posted on August 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Essential Koran — the Heart of Islam: An Introductory Selection of Readings from the Koran © 1994 trans. and edited by Thomas Cleary 202 pages I was somewhat reluctant to include this as a TWATL post given its nature … Continue reading →

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The Venus Throw

Posted on August 18, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Venus Throw © 1995 Steven Saylor 308 pages Back during the spring I began enjoying Steven Saylor’s Roma sub Rosa series, depicting life during Rome as it passes from republic to empire through the adventures of Gordianus the Finder, … Continue reading →

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A History of the Arab Peoples

Posted on August 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

A History of the Arab Peoples © 1991 Albert Hourani 565 pages, including appendices, maps, notes, and index. I picked this up (with both hands) to add historical context for my reading of The Essential Koran and to fill in … Continue reading →

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Star Wars: the Force Unleashed

Posted on August 15, 2009 by smellincoffee

Star Wars: the Force Unleashed © 2008 LucasFilm & Sean Williams 319 pages Jar Jar Binks: Where wesa goin? Qui-Gon Jinn: Don’t worry. The Force will guide us. Jar Jar Binks: Ohh, maxi big ‘da Force’. Well, dat smells stinkowiff. … Continue reading →

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Dolphins

Posted on August 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

Dolphins © 1975 Jacques-Yves Cousteau 304 pages In every color, there is the light. In every stone sleeps a crystal. Remember the shaman, when he used to say — “Man is the dream of the dolphin.” – “The Dream of … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (12/8)

Posted on August 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Gold, Isaac Asimov Aristotle’s Children, Richard Rubenstein Footprints of God, Greg Iles Anthropology for Dummies, Cameron Smith Securing Democracy, ed. Gary Gregg III Brave New World, Aldous Huxley This was a well-rounded week, I think: history, politics, … Continue reading →

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Brave New World

Posted on August 11, 2009 by smellincoffee

Brave New World © 1932 Aldous Huxley 270 pages In Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman introduced the book with his suspicion that Brave New World’s predictions were coming to fruition — namely, that human happiness will be pursued by … Continue reading →

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Securing Democracy

Posted on August 10, 2009 by smellincoffee

Securing Democracy: Why We Have an Electoral College © 2001 ed. Gary Gregg II 171 pages “The Framers of the Constitution would have been appalled at the notion that over time the presidency would become an objection pf partisan ambition, … Continue reading →

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Anthropology for Dummies

Posted on August 9, 2009 by smellincoffee

Anthropology for Dummies: From Archaeology to Linguistics — Your Plain-English Guide to the Study of Humankind © 2008 Cameron Smith with Evan T. Davies 360 pages “The human species has found many ways to be human.” – p. 259 I … Continue reading →

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