Category Archives: Politics and Civic Interest

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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

Fool’s Errand

Posted on February 8, 2018 by smellincoffee

Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan © 2017 Scott Horton 318 pages Incredible as it sounds, it is nearly possible for a child conceived in the first week of the US invasion of Afghanistan to have come … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Reviews, World Affairs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Poetry Night at the Ballpark

Posted on February 3, 2018 by smellincoffee

Poetry Night at the Ballpark and Other Scenes from an Alternative America © 2015 Bill Kauffman 442 pages  “Lift up your hearts, friends – America ain’t dead yet.”  For thirty years, Bill Kauffman has been blowing raspberries at or haranguing … Continue reading →

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