Category Archives: Reviews

Conquest of the Skies

Posted on November 7, 2017 by smellincoffee

Conquest of the Skies: A History of Commercial Aviation in America© 1979 Carl Solberg441 pages If ever you wanted a history of commercial aviation in the United States, Conquest of the Skies is it. Beginning with the origins of flight … Continue reading →

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Tex

Posted on November 5, 2017 by smellincoffee

Tex© 1979 S.E. Hinton224 pages Most of S.E. Hinton’s novels share a central drama: the main character is groping to find himself, usually in circumstances that don’t make it easy.  That Was Then, This is Now was built around the … Continue reading →

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Purim Ball: Admit no Livestock!

Posted on November 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

You know it’s gonna be a wild party when  they insist on “no livestock” up front: The Harmony Club building was built at the turn of the 20th century by members of Selma’s then-burgeoning Jewish community. The lower floor housed … Continue reading →

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Grunt

Posted on November 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

Grunt: The Curious Science of Humans at War© 2016 Mary Roach285 pages I’ve never given much thought to the idea of military science. What might it involve? The chemistry of better weapons, the psychology behind successful strategy gambits? The science encountered … Continue reading →

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The Dragon Seekers

Posted on October 31, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Dragon Seekers: How An Extraordinary Cicle Of Fossilists Discovered The Dinosaurs And Paved The Way For Darwin© 2009 Christopher McGowan272 pages Ancient bones and magnets were both known to antiquity, but not until the 19th century did their importance … Continue reading →

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I Contain Multitudes

Posted on October 27, 2017 by smellincoffee

I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes WIthin Us and a Grander View of Life © 2016 Ed Yong 268 pages For much of the 20th century, microbes were equivalent with germs – invisible threats that needed to eradicated.  As we move … Continue reading →

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The Disappearing Spoon

Posted on October 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Disappearing Spoon© 2010 Sam Kean400 pages A massive poster of the periodic table is as elemental to the image of a science classroom as the rows of graduated cylinders and microscopes,   but there is considerably more to that table … Continue reading →

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She Can’t Say No to a Soldier

Posted on October 23, 2017 by smellincoffee

A few months back I posted a collection of oddities from my hometown newspaper throughout the 20th century,  mostly to illustrate how local papers have radically changed in their offerings. From time to time I see little curiosities I like … Continue reading →

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Energy Myths and Realities

Posted on October 20, 2017 by smellincoffee

Energy Myths and Realities: Bringing Science to the Energy Debate© 2010 Vaclav Smil232 pages Nothing lasts forever, including coal and oil. Regardless of their environmental impact (as noxious fumes or released greenhouse gases), ultimately humanity will have to transition away … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Lockout

Posted on October 19, 2017 by smellincoffee

Lockout© 2016 John J. Nance412 pages Something very strange is happening at 35,000 feet. A lost and unresponsive Airbus is feeding false data to its pilots, assuring them that they’re halfway over the Atlantic and nearing New York, but any … Continue reading →

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