Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

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 →

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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

Science Report Card 2018

Posted on December 17, 2018 by smellincoffee

The last couple of years I’ve imposed a little order on my science reading, forcing myself to read across fields more deliberately; so far I’ve enjoyed it and will continue the structure in the future. I just finished the last … Continue reading →

Posted in General, science | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Minimalism

Posted on December 15, 2018 by smellincoffee

Minimalism: The Path to an Organized, Stress-free and Decluttered Lifepub. Gwyneth Snow, 2017207 pages Although I associate minimalism with the mindset of people on YouTube who own less than a hundred things, or live out of a 2-liter backpack, the … 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 →

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

Jobs

Posted on December 11, 2018 by smellincoffee

Steve Jobs © 2011 Walter Isaacson 656 pages The past twenty years have been an amazing ride for Apple Computers, in which the ailing and speeding towards bankruptcy company suddenly metamorphosed into the most valuable company in the world, responsible … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments