Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

The Long Emergency

Posted on June 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century© 2005 James Howard Kunstler336 pages Well, we’re in for it. Such is the lesson of The Long Emergency, which predicts that the … Continue reading →

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Never Done

Posted on June 1, 2013 by smellincoffee

Never Done: A History of American Housework © 1982 Susan Strasser 365 pages Every time I turn around there’s something else to do Cook a meal or mend a sock or sweep a floor or two… (“Gonna Be an Engineer”, … Continue reading →

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The Invisible Heart

Posted on May 25, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance© 2001 Russ Roberts282 pages The Invisible Heart is an oddly sweet argument introduction to the thinking behind classically liberal economics, taking the form of a dialogue between one Sam Gordon, an economics professor, and Laura … Continue reading →

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A Chain of Thunder

Posted on May 25, 2013 by smellincoffee

A Chain of Thunder© 2013 Jeff Shaara ‘Twas at the Seige of Vicksburg,Of Vicksburg, of Vicksburg,‘Twas at the Seige of Vicksburg,When the Parrott shells were whistlin’ through the air… July 4th, 1863 was an unfortunate day for the Confederate States … Continue reading →

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1984

Posted on May 18, 2013 by smellincoffee

1984© 1949 George Orwell326 pages 1984 needs no introduction. Written in 1949, it envisioned a world of constant surveillance, perpetual war, and a state with  complete control over people’s minds. Concepts from it – “Big Brother”, “thought police”,  and “doublethink” … Continue reading →

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The Botany of Desire

Posted on May 17, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World© 2001 Michael Pollan256 pages      Meander through your garden and ponder the meaning of life; such is the advice of Michael Pollan, who in The Botany of Desire … Continue reading →

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Garbage Land

Posted on May 16, 2013 by smellincoffee

Garbage Land: on the Secret Trail of Trash© 2006 Elizabeth Royte335 pages Where does the garbage go? In an impressive attempt to answer that most pressing question of modern life, Elizabeth Royte spends a year following her trash to landfills, … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: the cosmos, Jane Austen, zombies, and the Middle Way

Posted on May 9, 2013 by smellincoffee

— Minireviews —  Some zombies like to lurch about groaning for brains. Some zombies like to ride the escalators, listen to Frank Sinatra, and daydream about their past life. That’s R,  a zombie who has forgotten most of his life, … Continue reading →

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eaarth

Posted on May 4, 2013 by smellincoffee

earth: making a life on a tough new planet© 2010 Bill McKibben253 pages Oh, we’re in trouble.  For two decades, forward-thinking politicians have made noise about climate change. “We’ve gotta do something to save the world for our grandchildren,” they say. But … Continue reading →

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Chimpanzee Politics

Posted on May 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes©  1983 Frans de Waal256 pages Back in the 1970s, primatologist Frans de Waal conducted one of the first extensive studies into the social structures of chimpanzees.  Chimpanzee Politics is the result,  establishing facts … Continue reading →

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