Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

The Ascent of Money

Posted on March 14, 2012 by smellincoffee

432 pages; © 2008 Niall Ferguson Money makes the world go ’round. In today’s globalized economy, this is a statement that’s never been more true. Considering the importance of trade in human history, writing a financial history of the world … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (7 March)

Posted on March 7, 2012 by smellincoffee

I recently finished Superfreakonomics and A Brief History of Thought, neither of which generated enough mental chatter to merit a full review. Suffice it to say, Superfreakonomics is simply an addition in the same vein as Freakonomics: the authors use … Continue reading →

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Anatomy of a Murder

Posted on March 3, 2012 by smellincoffee

Anatomy of a Murder© 1958 Robert Traver448 pages A woman is raped at the gates of her neighborhood, but her cries for help register too late. By the time her husband, one Lieutenant Frederic Manion of the US Army, realizes … Continue reading →

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The Plot Against America

Posted on March 2, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Plot Against America© 2004 Philip Roth400 pages Mister Charlie Lindbergh, he flew to old Berlin,Got ‘im a big Iron Cross, and he flew right back againTo Washington, Washington. Misses Charlie Lindbergh, she come dressed in red,Said: “I’d like to sleep … Continue reading →

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Sharpe’s Regiment

Posted on February 25, 2012 by smellincoffee

Sharpe’s Regiment©  1986 Bernard Cornwell416 pages The year is 1813, and the Allied army stands upon the Pyrenees awaiting the invasion of France and victory. Napoleon’s empire is shrinking: he once stood as master of Europe, but Wellington’s army and … Continue reading →

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The Age of Louis XIV

Posted on February 23, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Age of Louis XIV© 1963 Will and Ariel Durant816 pages To read Will Durant is to feast from the smorgasbord of human history. Before the reader lies the full scope of human concern, frailty, and accomplishment, like so many … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (22 February)

Posted on February 22, 2012 by smellincoffee

Pending Reviews: The Age of Louis XIV, Will Durant; Sharpe’s Regiment, Bernard Cornwell; If Walls Could Talk, Lucy Worsley. The latter is badly overdue, but I’ve been waiting until the publishment date drew closer. I also didn’t want to post … Continue reading →

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Lucifer’s Hammer

Posted on February 15, 2012 by smellincoffee

Lucifer’s Hammer© 1977 Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle629 pages The chances that Lucifer’s Hammer would hit Earth head-on were one in a million. Then one in a thousand. Then one in a hundred. And then… The eeriest part of the … Continue reading →

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Asphalt Nation

Posted on February 14, 2012 by smellincoffee

Asphalt Nation: How the Automobile Took Over America and How We Can Take It Back© 1997 Jane Holtz Kay418 pages Lord, Mister Ford, I just wish you could see what your simple horseless carriage has become! It seems your contribution … Continue reading →

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The Ingredients

Posted on February 11, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Ingredients: A Guided Tour of the Elements© Phillip Ball 2002216 pages There’s antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium […] (Tom Lehrer, “The Elements”). Chemistry is not an arcane subject solely practiced in a … Continue reading →

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