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.

North Korea: Another Country

Posted on May 22, 2010 by smellincoffee

North Korea: Another Country© 2004 Bruce Cumings241 pages “It helps in understanding North Korea if you have lived in a fundamentalist Christian community…just like the North Koreans, we believed in the absolute purity of our doctrines. We focused inward and … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (19/5)

Posted on May 19, 2010 by smellincoffee

This week at the library…. Plato’s Podcasts is an informal and slightly humorous take on Greek philosophy, operating from the idea that the dozen or so philosophers summarized within addressed the same essential problems that face people today. I enjoyed … Continue reading →

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The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World

Posted on May 19, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World© 2009 Howard Cutler, Tenzin Gyatso368 pages Perhaps over a year ago I stumbled upon the predecessor to this work, The Art of Happiness. The Art of Happiness, produced by psychiatrist Howard Cutler’s … Continue reading →

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Reading Judas

Posted on May 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

Reading Judas: the Gospel of Judas and the Shaping of  Christianity© 2007 Elaine Pagels and Karen King198 pages, including the author’s own work, the text itself, and commentary on the translation. Jesus Christ was a man who traveled through the land … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (18-5)

Posted on May 18, 2010 by smellincoffee

And lo! The Tuesday time for teasing is upon us again, from Should be Reading. According to The Gospel of Judas, then, the fundamental problem is that “the twelve” — here, stand-ins for church leaders — do not know who Jesus is and do … Continue reading →

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The Lady Elizabeth

Posted on May 15, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Lady Elizabeth© 2008 Alison Weir480 pages “Can you do what you like when you are king? [Elizabeth] asked, a whole new vista of freedom opening up in her mind. “Of course I can,” her father replied. “People have to … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday (11-5)

Posted on May 11, 2010 by smellincoffee

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days Teaser Tuesdays, happy days. (from Should be Reading.) “And in the day that we sweep to victory at the ballot-box, and you refuse to turn over to us the government we have constitutionally and peacefully captured, … Continue reading →

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The Iron Heel

Posted on May 11, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Iron Heel© 1907 Jack London354 pages (Mysteriously, my public library’s 1907 copy of this book has survived a century of use, although its tattered pages testify that the years have been harsh on it. If it ever had a … Continue reading →

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Plato’s Podcasts

Posted on May 9, 2010 by smellincoffee

Plato’s Podcasts: the Ancients’ Guide to Modern Living© 2009 Mark Vernon215 pages I encountered this book a  few weeks ago while enjoying a virtual photo-tour of ancient Athens hosted by an Greek philosophy enthusiast. The title immediately drew my attention, … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (6/5)

Posted on May 5, 2010 by smellincoffee

Once more, I have kept my head above the water and am finished with term papers and finals for this semester. I had the good luck to do research on topics I enjoyed (history of science, the Great War, and … Continue reading →

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