Category Archives: Politics and Civic Interest

Fear, bikes, and NaNoWriMo

Posted on November 5, 2018 by smellincoffee

Happy Monday! (Or Monday evening, depending on where you are…) My NaNoWriMo is off to a promising start, as I’ve been logging just over 4,000 words per day, well over the 1667 minimum average requirement.   That is completely  unprecedented … Continue reading →

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

The Prince

Posted on October 30, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Prince© 1532 Niccolo Machiavelli100 pages Italy, circa 1500, was a rough neighborhood. Divided between powerful city-centered states and frequently threatened by outside empires,  few rulers could rest on their laurels and enjoy a prolonged peace. Even if someone outside … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette

Posted on October 25, 2018 by smellincoffee

Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette: A Mostly Affectionate Account of a Small Town’s Fight to Survive© 2003 Bill Kauffman206 pages Bill Kauffman, as a kid, went places. Starting from a little town in upstate New York, he journeyed as far … Continue reading →

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

Within Arm’s Reach

Posted on October 1, 2018 by smellincoffee

Within Arm’s Length: The Extraordinary Life and Career of a Special Agent in the United States Secret Service © 2014, 2018 Dan Emmett 320 pages Dan Emmett was a kid when he witnessed President Kennedy’s assassination on television, but instead … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The Water Will Come

Posted on September 20, 2018 by smellincoffee

The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World© 2017 Jeff Goodell332 pages Complex problems of enormous scale rarely have a patent solution. There are, however, rational responses. In The Water Will Come, Jeff … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Fire and Fury

Posted on September 16, 2018 by smellincoffee

Fire and Fury © 2018 Michael Wolff 336 pages “You look at the operation of this White House, and you have to say…’Let’s hope to God we don’t have a crisis.” – Bob Woodward, CBS Sunday Morning interview Even its … Continue reading →

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

Real Dissent

Posted on August 23, 2018 by smellincoffee

Real Dissent: A Libertarian Sets Fire to the Index Card of Allowable Opinion© 2014 Tom Woods356 pages Note: I read this in August 2016, but the review of it languished as a draft. In most presidential elections, 2016 being an … Continue reading →

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

Pirate Cinema

Posted on August 16, 2018 by smellincoffee

Pirate Cinema© 2012 Cory Doctorow384 pages All Cecil B. DeVille wanted to do was make movies. He didn’t mean to ruin his family’s lives or start a revolution. In the not-too-distant future,  consumer electronics have concealed chips which monitor and … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Little Brother

Posted on June 9, 2018 by smellincoffee

Little Brother© 2008 Corey Doctorow380 pages Following the destruction of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, a nightmare begins for a high school student who is scooped up by police in the aftermath. Not only has one of his friends … Continue reading →

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

9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America

Posted on February 19, 2018 by smellincoffee

9 Presidents Who Screwed Up America and 4 Who Tried to Save Her©  2016 Brion McClanahan354 pages It is my dearest hope that by the time Donald Trump leaves the West Wing, the office of the presidency will have been … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments