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.

The Art of Travel

Posted on July 8, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Art of Travel © 2002 Alain de Botton 255 pages I recently discovered that a short six-episode series on philosophy and its relationship to happiness hosted on YouTube were based on host Alain de Botton’s Consolations of Philosophy, a … Continue reading →

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You Don’t Have to be Wrong for Me to Be Right

Posted on July 7, 2009 by smellincoffee

You Don’t Have to Be Wrong for Me to be Right: Finding Faith Without Fanaticism © 2007 Brad Hirschfield 271 pages You Don’t Have to be Wrong For Me to Be Right is a very readable book by Brad Hirschfield … Continue reading →

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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Posted on July 5, 2009 by smellincoffee

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values © 1974 Robert M. Pirsig 417 pages I prefer reading anonymous books — that is, books that don’t really have a reputation. This is not one of those: I’ve … Continue reading →

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The Prince and the Pauper

Posted on July 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Prince and the Pauper: A Tale for Young People of All Ages © 1882 Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) 212 pages In my youth I read many “classic” works of literature, but I did so through a series of children’s … Continue reading →

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The Gospel According to the Son

Posted on July 1, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Gospel According to the Son © 1997 Norman Mailer 242 pages I spotted this on on Amazon while looking at Chopra’s Jesus. I often look up books I’ve read on Amazon to find similar books. You might remember that … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (1/7)

Posted on July 1, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: The Age of American Unreason , Susan Jacoby Socrates Café, Christopher Phillips Why Evolution is True, Jerry A. Coyne A People’s History of the American Revolution, Ray Raphael This week began with Susan Jacoby’s excellent The Age … Continue reading →

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A People’s History of the American Revolution

Posted on June 30, 2009 by smellincoffee

A People’s History of the American Revolution: How Common People Shaped the Fight for Independence © 2001 Ray Ralphael 386 pages I look for some books, and some books happen to find me. This is one of the latter, as … Continue reading →

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Why Evolution is True

Posted on June 28, 2009 by smellincoffee

Why Evolution is True © 2009 Jerry A. Coyne 282 pages Evolution is actually one of my favorite science topics to read about. Back in high school, I was a young-earth creationist who wore Kent Hovind tapes out while shaking … Continue reading →

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Socrates Café

Posted on June 28, 2009 by smellincoffee

Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy © Christopher Phillips, 2001 241 pages Although I have never taken a single philosophy class, I consider myself a student of philosophy. I discovered it in the autumn of 2006 after a friend … Continue reading →

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The Age of American Unreason

Posted on June 25, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Age of American Unreason © 2008 Susan Jacoby 356 pages Oddly enough, I first heard of this book about a year ago when author Susan Jacoby was invited on Point of Inquiry to talk about it. I remember being … Continue reading →

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