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.

Fast Food Nation

Posted on April 30, 2012 by smellincoffee

Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal© 2001 Eric Schlosser362 pages I underestimated Fast Food Nation. I’d expected a heated attack on the subject from a nutritional standpoint, but Eric Schlosser’s history and overview of fast food’s … Continue reading →

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Fablehaven

Posted on April 26, 2012 by smellincoffee

Fablehaven© 2006 Brandon Mull368 pages Grandma’s dead, but she left money for the family to go on a cruise with. Correction: she left money for mom and dad to go on a cruise with. The kids, Seth and Kendra, get … Continue reading →

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It’s a Sprawl World After All

Posted on April 25, 2012 by smellincoffee

It’s a Sprawl World After All: the Human Cost of Unplanned Growth — and Visions of a Better Future©  2005 Douglas E. Morris245 pages Shortly after the Second World War, the United States completely changed its approach to urbanism.  Abandoning … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (24 April)

Posted on April 24, 2012 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book-related event in which we share tidbits from our current reads. Or..a bit more. Play along at Should Be Reading. “These are the tales of the land we call Lloegyr, which means the Lost Lands, … Continue reading →

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Salt

Posted on April 24, 2012 by smellincoffee

Salt: A World History© 2003 Mark Kurlansky498 pages Last Autumn, my doctor advised me to start watching the amount of salt in my diet, and so I did. That this was a concern surprised me: I was never one to … Continue reading →

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Bait and Switch

Posted on April 23, 2012 by smellincoffee

Bait and Switch: the (Futile) Search of the American Dream© 2006 Barbara Ehrenreich272 pages The road to success is hard work and an education, or so is the prevailing belief in the United States. In Nickle and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich … Continue reading →

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A Conspiracy of Paper

Posted on April 22, 2012 by smellincoffee

A Conspiracy of Paper© 2000 David Liss442 pages Benjamin Weaver is a man with a curious trade. Having left the family business years ago, in his early days he earned acclaim for his skills as a boxer, introducing a ‘scientific’ … Continue reading →

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Nickle and Dimed

Posted on April 18, 2012 by smellincoffee

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America© 2001 Barbara Ehrenreich221 pages In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich asked her editor at Harpers Weekly a question for which neither had an answer: how do people get by on the meager wages … Continue reading →

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At the Library

Posted on April 17, 2012 by smellincoffee

Great news to report! Back in January I began volunteering at my hometown library while I looked for work, for four hours a week helping in the reference department’ computer lab. In one wing of our library is an area … Continue reading →

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Blood, Iron, and Gold

Posted on April 7, 2012 by smellincoffee

Blood, Iron, and Gold: How the Railways Transformed the World© 2009 Christian Wolmar376 pages Outside of the wheel, the railways may be the single most influential form of transportation ever invented by human beings. This is a bold claim, but … Continue reading →

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