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.

The Lost Classics

Posted on February 18, 2021 by smellincoffee

The Lost Classics© ed. Jim Casada1950s-60s pieces by Robert Ruark from Field & Stream and other magazines260 pages A hunt for southern literature outside the Faulkner/O’Connor domain brought me to the happy surprise that was The Old Man and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Double play: Mobile & Latin America

Posted on February 15, 2021 by smellincoffee

This past week has seen a little progress on the ol’ TBR front, as I knocked out three books from the list, including The Network and those below. First up was E.O. Wilson’s Why We Are Here: Mobile and the … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews, World Affairs | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

“Love”

Posted on February 14, 2021 by smellincoffee

“Love is the only bow on Life’s dark cloud. It is the morning and the evening star. It shines upon the babe, and sheds its radiance on the quiet tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer of poet, patriot … Continue reading →

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Yesterday’s News: Carnegie & Brexit circa 1902

Posted on February 12, 2021 by smellincoffee

Inspired by The Network, I’ve been perusing my local paper’s older archives and looking for mentions of Signor Marconi. I thought it might be interesting to see how his invention was received at the time. I was amused to find … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged | 6 Comments

The Network

Posted on February 11, 2021 by smellincoffee

The Network: The Battle for the Airwaves and the Birth of the Communications Age© 2015 Scottt Woolley280 pages Few things fascinate me as much as cities in the United States and Europe, circa 1880 – 1930: they were being remade … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Bird Way

Posted on February 9, 2021 by smellincoffee

The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think© 2020 Jennifer Ackerman368 pages When reading an introduction to a book on anthropology, one can’t help but be impressed by the variety of human cultures: … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Top Ten PC Games I Love

Posted on February 9, 2021 by smellincoffee

Today’s top ten is a “love” freebie, so I’m going to leave the reservation entirely and do…favorite PC games.  PC gaming  is my most timesinky hobby beyond reading,  its chief competitor and hindrance. Sim-me in his ‘apartment’.   20 years later … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 9 Comments

The Miracle of New Orleans

Posted on February 5, 2021 by smellincoffee

Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans 2017 Brian Kilmeade256 pages I know precious little about the war of 1812, saved that it involved the United States invading Canada, D.C. being burned, and….something about New Orleans? That ….something is … Continue reading →

Posted in history | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Selections from Beyond Tenebrae

Posted on February 4, 2021 by smellincoffee

For Marx, man is at heart economic. For Darwin, man is biological. For Freud, man is psychological. Each of these things is true. But man—a complexity and mystery even to himself—is all of these things and so much more. True … Continue reading →

Posted in General, quotations, Religion and Philosophy | 2 Comments

2021: January Review

Posted on February 3, 2021 by smellincoffee

Last year I began posting monthly ‘face the verdict’-type posts to keep track of my TBR. I’m going to try making that a more general month-in-review post that also takes care of un-reviewed works, and keeps track of my challenge … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , , | 10 Comments