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.

Energy Myths and Realities

Posted on October 20, 2017 by smellincoffee

Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Debate© 2010 Vaclav Smil232 pages Nothing lasts forever, including coal and oil. Regardless of their environmental impact (as noxious fumes or released greenhouse gases), ultimately humanity will have to transition away … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Lockout

Posted on October 19, 2017 by smellincoffee

Lockout© 2016 John J. Nance412 pages Something very strange is happening at 35,000 feet. A lost and unresponsive Airbus is feeding false data to its pilots, assuring them that they’re halfway over the Atlantic and nearing New York, but any … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

The Transhumanist Wager

Posted on October 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Transhumanist Wager© 2013 Zoltan Istvan300 pages Imagine a protagonist who made Howard Roark seem like a warm and cuddly pushover. That’s Jethro Knights, a red-bearded, icy-blue eyed Ubermensch who is determined to live forever — and if anyone gets … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Rossum’s Universal Robots

Posted on October 17, 2017 by smellincoffee

R.U.R© 1920 Karel Capek120 pages ALQUIST: . Has Nana got a prayer book?HELENA Yes, a big thick one.ALQUIST And has it got prayers for various occasions? Against thunderstorms? Against illness?HELENA Against temptations, against floods!––ALQUIST But not against progress?HELENA I don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Reads to Reels: The Circle

Posted on October 16, 2017 by smellincoffee

Trailer: Knowing is good. Knowing everything is better. Imagine that the movie version of 1984 had ended with Winston Smith being promised by the Party that the reign of Big Brother was through, that they would immediately hold elections to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged | 3 Comments

Korea Reborn

Posted on October 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

Korea Reborn: A Grateful Nation Honors Veterans for 60 Years of Growth© 2015 Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Patriots161 pages Like most Americans, I have very little knowledge of the Korean War, outside of knowing Douglas MacArthur’s role there.  When … Continue reading →

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

German Resistance to Hitler

Posted on October 14, 2017 by smellincoffee

German Resistance to Hitler© 1988 Peter Hoffman188 pages Peter Hoffman’s research into the German resistance culminated in a 900-page History of the German Resistance 1933-1945, but this work – simply titled German Resistance to Hitler —  is a much smaller … Continue reading →

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

Ein Feste Burg

Posted on October 12, 2017 by smellincoffee

A Mighty Fortress:  A New History of the German People© 2004 Steven Ozment314 pages Like many Americans, I first knew the Germans only as the villains of our world wars. It wasn’t until college, when over-full Spanish classes thrust me … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Gulag Archipelago: Volume II

Posted on October 9, 2017 by smellincoffee

Archipeleg GULag / The Gulag Archipelago, 1918-1956: An Experiment in Literary Investigation Volume II (of III) © 1973, 1974 Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn 679 pages In the first volume of The Gulag Archipelago, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn used his own experience being arrested, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

This again

Posted on October 8, 2017 by smellincoffee

In about eight hours the business end of  Hurricane Nate should roll through my county.  Seemingly all of downtown will be closed tomorrow, as we’re expecting much more impact from this than from Irma — in part because it’s headed … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 10 Comments