Category Archives: Reviews

Of Romans, manly saints, and the beginning of the end

Posted on September 4, 2019 by smellincoffee

I spent much of August crawling through the first volume of Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  I was very careful, in making my list, that I specified “Volume I”: I  had little interest in trying … Continue reading →

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Stoic advice on overcoming anger

Posted on August 31, 2019 by smellincoffee

In the last couple of weeks I’ve  read a few books on nonviolence communication and  conflict management (How To Be Your Own Bodyguard; Verbal Judo (re-read); and How to Survive Aggressive People).    Tonight, in a similar vein,  I encountered a … Continue reading →

Posted in history, quotations | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Shutting Out the Sun

Posted on August 29, 2019 by smellincoffee

Shutting Out the Sun: How Japan Created Its Own Lost Generation © 2006 Michael Zielenziger 352 pages Shutting Out the Sun introduces itself with what readers will assume is its subject: the plight of an increasing number of young people who, … Continue reading →

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The Education of Henry Adams

Posted on August 23, 2019 by smellincoffee

The Education of Henry Adams © 1918 Henry Adams 324 pages   Who is Henry Adams, and why would anyone read about his education?    Personally, I discovered this book through a personal interest in his family; Henry’s great-grandfather was John … Continue reading →

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How to Survive Aggressive People

Posted on August 22, 2019 by smellincoffee

Surviving Aggressive People: Practical Violence Prevention Skills for the Workplace and the Street © 2014 Shawn Smith 268 pages Most of us have encountered aggressive people in our lives, and if we work with the public we probably do so … Continue reading →

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The Sky’s the Limit

Posted on August 16, 2019 by smellincoffee

Star Trek TNG:  The Sky’s the Limit © 2007 various 400 pages The original Star Trek struggled in ratings, especially after being shifted to a late-evening slot of doom in its third season, and was canceled prematurely in 1969.    It … Continue reading →

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What We Left Behind

Posted on August 15, 2019 by smellincoffee

A few months back I caught wind of the fan-funded What We Left Behind: A Look Back at Deep Space Nine, and naturally  I preordered.  I watched (and loved) it tonight, and though it has nothing to do with books,  … Continue reading →

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ST: Constellations

Posted on August 12, 2019 by smellincoffee

Star Trek: Constellations © 2006 400 pages Forty years after its creation, Star Trek was something of a beast — running two tv shows simultaneously through the nineties and into the early 2000s,  and tempting Paramount with dreams of a … Continue reading →

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Queen’s Shadow

Posted on August 10, 2019 by smellincoffee

Star Wars: Queen’s Shadow ©  2019  E.K. Johnson 400 pages “I suppose we can’t just burn down the whole Senate and start over again with a system that makes sense?” Dormé asked. “I’m fairly certain that would be treason,” Padmé … Continue reading →

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How To Be Your Own Bodyguard

Posted on August 8, 2019 by smellincoffee

How To Be Your Own Bodyguard: Self defense for men and women from a lifetime of protecting clients in hostile environment © 2011 Nick Hughes 326 pages What can you do to protect yourself in the event of a natural … Continue reading →

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