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.

I to Myself

Posted on March 13, 2009 by smellincoffee

I to Myself: An Annotated Selection from the Journal of Henry D. Thoreau© 2007 editor Jeffrey Cramer429 pages I’ve known the name Henry David Thoreau since high school, when I gazed up at Walden. I did not read from him, … Continue reading →

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Enigma

Posted on March 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

Enigma© 1995 Robert Harris320 pages Publishers are fond of affixing swastikas to book covers when they involve Nazi Germany in any way. Enigma is one such book, as it is a historical action-mystery story set in the grim days of … Continue reading →

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The Art of Happiness

Posted on March 12, 2009 by smellincoffee

While poking my nose in the religious philosophy section of my university library, I spotted a book with an interesting title. Seeing that it was by the (fourteenth) Dalai Lama, I decided to see what it was about beyond the … Continue reading →

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The Sun Shines Bright

Posted on March 11, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Sun Shines Bright© 1981 Isaac Asimov250 pages It’s been a while since I’ve treated myself to a little Asimov. I’ve purposely held back on my Asimov reading given how much of it is science fiction and I don’t want … Continue reading →

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Frank Sinatra: An American Legend

Posted on March 9, 2009 by smellincoffee

Frank Sinatra: An American Legend © Nancy Sinatra 1995 368 pages Those who know me well know my fondness for Frank Sinatra — not only his music, but his life. He was to me an inspiration when I was very … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (9/3)

Posted on March 9, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Lost on Planet China, J. Maarten Troost The Compleat Gentleman, Brad Miner Desire of the Everlasting Hills, Thomas Cahill Evolution for Everyone, David Sloan Wilson Pompeii, Robert Harris I began this week with a travelogue by J. … Continue reading →

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Pompeii

Posted on March 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

Pompeii: A Novel© 2003 , Robert Harris274 pages In May 2007 I read Fatherland, an mystery book set in an alternate history setting in which Nazi Germany prevailed in World War 2 and the S.S. Holocaust is largely unknown. Last … Continue reading →

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Evolution for Everyone

Posted on March 6, 2009 by smellincoffee

Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives© 2007 David Sloan Wilson390 pages It’s more difficult to look for science books on an online catalouge than any other, partially because I can’t access … Continue reading →

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Desire of the Everlasting Hills

Posted on March 4, 2009 by smellincoffee

Desire of the Everlasting Hills: The World Before and After Jesus© 1999 Thomas Cahill I’ve never expected to read the words “his silly circumcised penis swelling for all to see” in connected with Jesus Christ, but I have now, after … Continue reading →

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The Compleat Gentleman

Posted on March 3, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Compleat* Gentleman: The Modern Man’s Guide to Chivalry© 2004 Brad Miner256 pages I have a friend in love with the idea of chivalry, and he often asks me to comment on the rise of chivalry given my tendency to … Continue reading →

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