Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

The Twilight of the Presidency

Posted on January 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Twlight of the Presidency: An Examination of Power and Isolation in the White House© 1970, 1987200 pages In Twilight of the Presidency, George Reedy uses his personal experience as a Johnson aide, along with the study of other administrations … Continue reading →

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

The Forever War

Posted on January 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Forever War© 1974 Joe Haldeman236 pages “I called to the waiter, ‘Bring me one of those Antares things’ Sitting here in a bar with an asexual cyborg who is probably the only other normal person on the whole damn … Continue reading →

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

Laughter is Better than Communism

Posted on January 26, 2017 by smellincoffee

Laughter is Better than Communism: Politics, Wit, and Cartoons180 pages© 2014 Andrew Heaton  A couple of years ago I stumbled upon Andrew Heaton’s “EconPop”, a series of videos in which he used popular films to illustrate economic concepts in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On Bikes

Posted on January 26, 2017 by smellincoffee

On Bicycles: 50 Ways the New Bike Culture Can Change Your Life© 2011 ed. Amy Walker384 pages On Bicycles collects fifty cycling pieces, collecting in categories on why biking is awesome, how gear can make it better, how biking can … Continue reading →

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

The Digital Divide

Posted on January 25, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Digital Divideed. © 2011 Mark Bauerlein 368 pages For those who often think about the way the internet has transformed every aspect of our society — our daily social interactions, the ways we shop and work, etc — The Digital … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

The Big Necessity

Posted on January 21, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Big Necessity: the Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why it Matters © 2008, 2014 Rose George 238 pages In its initial publication, The Big Necessity may have been an eye-opening look into how many human beings still suffer … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

A reading on the Presidency: The Ship of State Turns Not Easily

Posted on January 19, 2017 by smellincoffee

Another reading from The Twilight of the Presidency: Newton’s first law holds that a body at rest will remain at rest and a body in motion will continue in motion along the same line until acted upon by an outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, quotations | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A reading on the Presidency: A Man Divided?

Posted on January 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

The president really has two jobs. The first that has received is that of his managerial role, his responsibility for handling the nation’s affairs. Coupled with that is his role of personifying the nation and becoming thereby the unifying factor … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, quotations | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

In the Land of the Tiger

Posted on January 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

In the Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent© 1997 Valmik Thapar285 pages Imagine a Planet Earth episode focused entirely on India, and then presented in book form. The result is In the Land of the … Continue reading →

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

Mean Streets

Posted on January 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

Mean Streets: Confessions of a Nightime Taxi Driver© 2002 Peter McSherry256 pages Mean Streets takes readers into the dark side of Canada, or at least the dark side of Toronto. Ever since the 1970s, Peter McSherry has been driving the night … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment