Author Archives: smellincoffee

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About smellincoffee

Citizen, librarian, reader with a boundless wonder for the world and a curiosity about all the beings inside it.

Selections from “Becoming Wild”

Posted on September 16, 2020 by smellincoffee

“Until now, culture has remained a largely hidden, unappreciated layer of wild lives. Yet for many species, culture is both crucial and fragile. Long before a population declines to numbers low enough to seem threatened with extinction, their special cultural … Continue reading →

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Wisdom Wednesday: Through adversity, excellence

Posted on September 16, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today’s reminder is from Seneca’s essay, “On Providence”, included in the volume Dialogues and Essays. Seneca was a practicing Stoic in the Roman court, a one-time tutor to Emperor Nero (not a very good student, Nero), one whose counsel and … Continue reading →

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

Posted on September 16, 2020 by smellincoffee

A Thousand Splendid Suns© 2007 Khaled Hosseini372 pages “There is only one, only one skill a woman like you and me needs in life, and they don’t teach it in school . . . Only one skill. And it’s this: … Continue reading →

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Quick note

Posted on September 15, 2020 by smellincoffee

The gulf’s hurricanes have been ignoring Alabama for a couple of years now, hitting states on either side of us. I can’t say that we mind, but the windy hiatus is over. One is expected to roll in tomorrow right … Continue reading →

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The Vanishing American Adult

Posted on September 15, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Vanishing American Adult: Our Coming of Age Crisis , and How to Rebuild a Culture of Self-Reliance© 2017 Ben Sasse320 pages Why are teenagers and young adults floundering into maturity? Ben Sasse believes that much of the problem is … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Society and Culture | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Of WW2 and alternate schools

Posted on September 14, 2020 by smellincoffee

Early last week I accidentally bought a ‘book’ called One Man Air Force, by Don S. Gentle. I say “book” because it’s only 50 pages, and I would have returned it (I was browsing WW2 books and hit the ‘buy … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Resist Much, Obey Little

Posted on September 14, 2020 by smellincoffee

Resist Much, Obey Little: Remembering Ed Abbey© 1996 James Hepworth & Gregory McNamee254 pages To the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little,Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved,Once fully enslaved, no … Continue reading →

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Selections from The Vanishing American Adult

Posted on September 11, 2020 by smellincoffee

But across most of history, you didn’t require a grasp of the finer points of a Puritan worldview to understand the simple secular reality that if you didn’t work hard, you were going to die, soon. God is love; winter … Continue reading →

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Lives in Ruins

Posted on September 10, 2020 by smellincoffee

Lives in Ruins: Archaeologists and the Seductive Lure of Human Rubble© 2014 Marilyn Johnson272 pages Archaeology’s blend of history and science, topped off with a bit of danger, is a winsome combination. For those curious about it, Marilyn Johnson’s account … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Classics Club Run I: Final List

Posted on September 9, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Epic of Gilgamesh, trans. Danny Jackson (12/4/2016) The Aeneid, Virgil (2/20/2019) The Histories, Herodotus (10/3/2019) The Conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar (2/05/2019) The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. I, Edward Gibbon (09/02/2019) One Thousand and One … Continue reading →

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