Category Archives: history

The Limits of Partnership

Posted on January 18, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Limits of Partnership: U.S.-Russian Relations in the 21st Century © 2014 Angela Stent 384 pages The Limits of Partnership examines the Russo-American relationship through four presidential administrations,  reviewing what progress was made  or conflicts each American executive had with his … Continue reading →

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How the Internet Happened

Posted on January 16, 2019 by smellincoffee

How the Internet Happened: From Netscape to the iPhone© 2018 Brian McCullough400 pages Who’s ready for a little nostalgia? Brian McCullough, host of the Internet History podcast,  here turns his research and many interviews in a compact history of how … Continue reading →

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In the Plex

Posted on January 6, 2019 by smellincoffee

In the Plex: How Google Thinks, Works, and Shapes Our Lives pub. 2011 Steven Levy 437 pages Full disclosure: I was a passionate Googler ten years ago, an early adopter of anything that the Mountain Brook, CA firm produced — … Continue reading →

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Flying high in rockets and opiods

Posted on December 31, 2018 by smellincoffee

Well, folks, Christmas is over, and so is 2018 — almost.  Below are the final comments or reviews for 2018: Dreamland and Rocket Girls,   two very different histories. One is inspiring, the other….so very not. First up, Rocket Girls!  Call to … Continue reading →

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Insanely Great

Posted on December 20, 2018 by smellincoffee

Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, The Computer That Changed Everything © 1994, 2000 Steven Levy 304 pages Apple Computers had already made its mark before 1984, by pioneering personal computers long before IBM entered the consumer market.  … Continue reading →

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The One Device

Posted on December 13, 2018 by smellincoffee

The One Device: A Secret History of the iPhone pub. 2017 Brian Merchant 416 pages Love them or hate them, smartphones have revolutionized society like few other inventions. Entire sectors of the economy now exist which wouldn’t be there had … Continue reading →

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The Perfect Thing

Posted on December 12, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness pub. 2006 Steven Levy 304 pages I’ve never had an iPod, but given that Audible was doing a sale this week and that I seemed to be doing an … Continue reading →

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Great Rulers of the African Past

Posted on November 9, 2018 by smellincoffee

Great Rulers of the African Past120 pages© 1965 Lavinia Dobler and William Brown Most of African history is a complete unknown for me; what few kings I can name outside of Egypt and Carthage are familiar to me only through … Continue reading →

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An Iron Wind

Posted on October 11, 2018 by smellincoffee

An Iron Wind: Europe Under Hitler©  2016 Peter Fritzsche376 pages That crowds that cheered Neville Chamberlain’s return to England with a promise of peace in his hand are easy to condemn in hindsight. But no one in the 21st century … Continue reading →

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The Iran Wars

Posted on October 3, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Iran Wars: Spy Games, Bank Battles, and the Secret Deals that Reshaped the Middle East © 2016 Jay Solomon 352 pages When the young people of Iran hit the streets in protest about suspicious election returns in 2009, the … Continue reading →

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