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.

Selected Essays

Posted on May 24, 2009 by smellincoffee

Selected Essays© Michel de Montaigne, edited 1943 by Donald Frame364 pages A month or so ago — or perhaps slightly more than that — I began watching videos on YouTube posted by “PhilosophicalMedia“. The host presents a thirty-minute program on … Continue reading →

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Magic

Posted on May 23, 2009 by smellincoffee

Magic: the Final Fantasy Collection© 1996 Isaac Asimov275 pages It amuses me to no end that Isaac Asimov, who made being prolific the point of his professional existence, manages to have books published under his name and added to his … Continue reading →

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The Power of Myth

Posted on May 22, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers© 1988 Joseph Campbell293 pages I first encountered the name Joseph Campbell in Wikipedia’s article on Star Wars, and since having returned to university studies I’ve heard his name numerous more times — most … Continue reading →

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American Mania

Posted on May 20, 2009 by smellincoffee

American Mania: When More Isn’t Enough© 2005 Peter Whybrow338 pages The title “American Mania” caught my eye as I wandered through library bookcases trying to familiarize myself with the library’s recent reshuffling of the shelves after a discarding period: everything … Continue reading →

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Wisdom of the Ages

Posted on May 19, 2009 by smellincoffee

Wisdom of the Ages: A Modern Master Brings Eternal Truths into Everyday Life(Strangely, the subtitle on Amazon is “60 Days to Enlightenment.” It seems to be a different edition with 20 more pages.)© 1998 Wayne Dyer268 pages My local public … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (18/5)

Posted on May 18, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: The Robots of Dawn, Isaac Asimov The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman Familiar Poems, Annotated; Isaac Asimov Islam: A Short History, Karen Armstrong The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown I will begin by saying that I still intend … Continue reading →

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The DaVinci Code

Posted on May 17, 2009 by smellincoffee

The DaVinci Code© 2003 Dan Brown454 pages I don’t know that there is any point in introducing this book: given the controversy of its plot developments, I think it is safe to say that the whole of the English-speaking western … Continue reading →

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Islam

Posted on May 16, 2009 by smellincoffee

Islam: A Short History© 2000 Karen Armstrong222 This is the third or fourth book I’ve read in the “Modern Library Chronicle” series, which consists (I now realize) of brief but fairly informative treatments of given topics. I have not purposely … Continue reading →

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Familar Poems, Annotated

Posted on May 15, 2009 by smellincoffee

Familar Poems, Annotated© 1977 Isaac Asimov272 pages In reading I, Asimov, the good doctor made mention of his commentary work — including his Guide to the Bible, Guide to Shakespeare, and now Familiar Poems, Annotated. The book’s approach is quite … Continue reading →

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The Guns of August

Posted on May 14, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Guns of August© 1962 Barbara Tuchman511 pages The Guns of August, like Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, is work I’ve heard much of in my years as a history student. Used in my freshman … Continue reading →

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