Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

Book-coveting

Posted on January 13, 2019 by smellincoffee

I do a lot of window shopping for books, taking photos of new ones that have my interest so I can check on reviews, prices, etc. later on when I don’t have a hot coffee in hand.   I noticed just … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 8 Comments

Invisible Man and Everybody Lies

Posted on January 13, 2019 by smellincoffee

This week I’ve finished two books of interest, the first being a classics club entry (Invisible Man), and the other a book on big data and statistics.  Everybody Lies  played true to its title, opening with ways that analysis of … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

LikeWar

Posted on January 9, 2019 by smellincoffee

LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media© 2018 P.W. Singer & Emerson T. Brooking412 pages The digital world is not simply one in which people can tweet restaurant reviews from the very table at which they’re ignoring their dinner date.  It … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

She Has Her Mother’s Laugh

Posted on January 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity© 2018 Carl Zimmer672 pages Overhearing discussion of heredity a few hundred years ago would have meant only one thing:  being in the presence of noblemen, who stood to … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

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 →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Reckoning

Posted on December 26, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Reckoning© 2018 John Grisham432 pages On an otherwise unremarkable autumn morning in rural Mississippi,  an idolized war hero traveled from his farm into town, visited the preacher, and shot him. The sheriffs found the shooter patiently waiting for them … Continue reading →

Posted in historical fiction, Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Short rounds: of southern accents and cancerous snapping turtles

Posted on December 24, 2018 by smellincoffee

I’ve a free moment between family gatherings and outings, so here’s a short rounds post on Talk Southern to Me, as well as David Sedaris’ new book Calypso. First up, Talk Southern To Me.   As mentioned a few days ago,  … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Seeing Further

Posted on December 23, 2018 by smellincoffee

Seeing Further: The Story of Science, Discovery, and the Genius of the Royal Society© 2010 Bill Bryson512 pages Although Bill Bryson is  chiefly known for his humorous travelogues, he has been known to venture into other nonfiction at times, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments