Category Archives: Reviews

Book reviews, as well as Reads to Reels

A Brief History of Time

Posted on June 3, 2009 by smellincoffee

A Brief History of Time from the Big Bang to Black Holes© 1988 Stephen Hawking198 Our minds can play tricks on us: my experience with this book is a case in point. I remember vividly being at a big chain … Continue reading →

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The Road Less Traveled

Posted on June 2, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values, and Spiritual Growth© 1978 M. Scott Peck315 pages In February, I read A World Waiting to be Born: Civility Rediscovered by M. Scott Peck, a psychologist who applied the … Continue reading →

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The Great Transformation

Posted on May 30, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Great Transformation: the Beginning of our Religious Traditions© 2006 Karen Armstrong469 pages I looked forward to reading this book, and my expectations were met. Karen Armstrong’s The Great Transformation is a historical narrative detailing the creation of four of … Continue reading →

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The Hobbit

Posted on May 26, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Hobbit; or, There and Back Again© 1937 J. R. Tolkien. Collector’s edition published 1966.317 pages In the middle of the Earth, in the land of ShireLives a brave little hobbit whom we all admireWith his long wooden pipe,And fuzzy-wuzzy … Continue reading →

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Sarek

Posted on May 25, 2009 by smellincoffee

Sarek© 1994 A.C. Crisipin437 pages Memorial Day weekend postponed my usual trip to the library, and so over the weekend my attention turned to books I own but have not yet read — which is more that one might imagine. … Continue reading →

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This Week at the Library (25/5)

Posted on May 25, 2009 by smellincoffee

Books this Update: Wisdom of the Ages, Wayne Dyer American Mania: When More Isn’t Enough; Peter Whybrow The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers Magic, Isaac Asimov Selected Essays, Michel de Montaigne Wisdom of the Ages, like Dyers’ … Continue reading →

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Selected Essays

Posted on May 24, 2009 by smellincoffee

Selected Essays© Michel de Montaigne, edited 1943 by Donald Frame364 pages A month or so ago — or perhaps slightly more than that — I began watching videos on YouTube posted by “PhilosophicalMedia“. The host presents a thirty-minute program on … Continue reading →

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Magic

Posted on May 23, 2009 by smellincoffee

Magic: the Final Fantasy Collection© 1996 Isaac Asimov275 pages It amuses me to no end that Isaac Asimov, who made being prolific the point of his professional existence, manages to have books published under his name and added to his … Continue reading →

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The Power of Myth

Posted on May 22, 2009 by smellincoffee

The Power of Myth with Bill Moyers© 1988 Joseph Campbell293 pages I first encountered the name Joseph Campbell in Wikipedia’s article on Star Wars, and since having returned to university studies I’ve heard his name numerous more times — most … Continue reading →

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American Mania

Posted on May 20, 2009 by smellincoffee

American Mania: When More Isn’t Enough© 2005 Peter Whybrow338 pages The title “American Mania” caught my eye as I wandered through library bookcases trying to familiarize myself with the library’s recent reshuffling of the shelves after a discarding period: everything … Continue reading →

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