Author Archives: smellincoffee

Unknown's avatar

About smellincoffee

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

Yokohama Print from Cultural History of Japan

Posted on July 17, 2017 by smellincoffee

In my “On the Horizon” post, I mentioned a print reproduced in  an art history of Japan which depicted a woman in traditional dress riding a bicycle. The book mentions it only as a Yokohama print, with Fuji in the … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Job

Posted on July 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Job: True Tales from a New York City Cop © 2015 Steve Osborn 272 pages Steve Osborn grew up by his father’s side in a bar, standing on boxes to play pinball and idolizing the men his father hung … Continue reading →

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

American Independence Wrapup & On the Horizon

Posted on July 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

Well, gentle readers,  July’s halfway marks the conclusion of my American Independence series, at least for another year. What ground did I cover this year? Revolutionary Summer, Joseph Ellis;  a history of the summer of 1776,  in which the States … Continue reading →

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

Cell

Posted on July 14, 2017 by smellincoffee

Cell© 2014 Robin Cook416 pages The future of medicine is here, in the form of a smartphone that can function as a medical diagnostic tool, complete with a machine-learning program called “iDoc” which monitors patients’ diets and vitals,  chatting with … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , | 5 Comments

A New History of India

Posted on July 13, 2017 by smellincoffee

A New History of India© 2000, sixth edition Stanley Wolpert471 pages India isn’t an easy place to keep running. Stanley Wolpert’s A New History of India gives a chiefly-political, mostly-modern history of one of the world’s most ancient civilizations, a land … Continue reading →

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

Passionate Sage

Posted on July 11, 2017 by smellincoffee

Passionate Sage: The Character and Legacy of John Adams© 1993 Joseph Ellis288 pages G.K. Chesteron once wrote that the Catholic Church is the only thing that saves a man from the degrading slavery of being a child of his age. … Continue reading →

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

Contra Mundum

Posted on July 6, 2017 by smellincoffee

“And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected. And … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations, Reviews | Tagged | 1 Comment

East of Eden

Posted on July 6, 2017 by smellincoffee

East of Eden© 1952 John Steinbeck580 pages Why did Cain kill Abel?  East of Eden explores that question via a family saga, one that stretches across North America, spanning the continent as well as the generations;  a story that begins at … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Medical tricorders, dirty old men, and controlling the internet

Posted on July 3, 2017 by smellincoffee

Before we head further into July, here are a few ‘missed’ reviews.. First up, The Patient Will See You Now. This book was part of the “Rebuilding Towards the Future” series, in which I read books about ways that ideas … Continue reading →

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

A Place in Time

Posted on July 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

A Place in Time© 2013 Wendell Berry256 pages Come again to Port William (and vicinity), a community — a membership — on the banks of the river.  A Place in Time collects twenty stories of the community, all  of varying lengths, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments