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.

Wisdom Wednesday: A Psalm of Life

Posted on July 29, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today’s wisdom is more inspiration, as this poem came to mind often while reading 12 Rules for Life.  I first heard the poem on YouTube, read by Paul Scofield (he had magnificent force for narration),  and have grown to appreciate … Continue reading →

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Ten Books that I haven’t bought (yet)

Posted on July 27, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is a freebie, so I’m looking at books I’ve previewed (that is, had Amazon send me a kindle freebie of) but haven’t bought. Coyote America: A Natural and Supernatural History, Dan Flores. This was more of a  “I … Continue reading →

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The Splendid and the Vile

Posted on July 27, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Splendid and the Vile: A Sage of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz © 2020 Erik Larson 464 pages “Nothing could have been more beautiful and the searchlights interlaced at certain points on the horizon, the star-like flashes … Continue reading →

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Harvard and the Unabomber

Posted on July 23, 2020 by smellincoffee

Harvard and the Unabomber: The Education of an American Terrorist Original title: A Mind for Murder © 2003 Alston Chase 352 pages Ted Kaczynski was hunted fruitlessly by the FBI for eighteen years, until finally being done in by his … Continue reading →

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Wisdom Wednesday: Rise and Shine

Posted on July 22, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today’s reading comes from Marcus Aurelius,  who has shamed me out of slumber many a winter’s morn. Aurelius was the last of Rome’s “five good emperors”, and produced a work called The Meditations which has been lauded through the centuries; … Continue reading →

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The Obesity Code

Posted on July 17, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Obesity Code © 2016 Jason Fung 326 pages Jason Fung begins with a question: why are there fat doctors?   If the conventional analysis  of fat and its prescription are accurate, why do many people struggle to make long-term headway … Continue reading →

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Classic Meme 2.0

Posted on July 15, 2020 by smellincoffee

The Classics Club is bringing back their monthly question, beginning with: Which classic author have you read more than one, but not all, of their books and which of their other books would you want to read in the future? … Continue reading →

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Wisdom Wednesday: Enough

Posted on July 15, 2020 by smellincoffee

Hearing wisdom and knowing wisdom are two different things. The usual human experience is to hear a thing, remark on its  insight, and then shove it away in some dark closet of our minds, where it is forgotten and fruitless.  … Continue reading →

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Top Ten Books That Make Ya Smile

Posted on July 14, 2020 by smellincoffee

Today’s TTT is….books that make us smile! 10. David Liss.  A writer of political & business thrillers, often set in the age of discovery,  Liss’ sense of humor snared me “You have my word as a gentleman.” “You are no … Continue reading →

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Related Videos: Losing an Enemy

Posted on July 12, 2020 by smellincoffee

A few months ago I read Losing an Enemy, written by Trita Parsi on the Joint Plan of Action, also known as “The Iran Deal”.     I just discovered a ten-minute clip from Parsi in a TED talk reviewing the history … Continue reading →

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