Tag Archives: 1970s

Gaming on the ZX Speccy, oceans, and harrumphing at the White House

Posted on March 30, 2023 by smellincoffee

I think I’ve managed to avoid doing any ‘short rounds’ posts this year, but three months in the streak ends. It’s not my fault, I swear. It’s the books. First up is The Nostalgia Nerd’s Retro Tech, a mostly-graphic look … Continue reading →

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The Boys from Biloxi

Posted on March 20, 2023 by smellincoffee

The Boys from Biloxi© 2022 John Grisham453 pages Keith Rudy and Hugh Malco were among the best of friends,   who grew up playing ball and exploring the Gulf Coast together.  Third-generation immigrants,    they both admired their fathers intensely  … Continue reading →

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Of astronomy and nuclear arms

Posted on January 22, 2022 by smellincoffee

This week has seen the fall of two TBR titles that double as my first science reads for 2022. StarTalk Radio is a podcast hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and features interviews with prominent scientists, policy makers, etc, along with … Continue reading →

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Into the Black

Posted on July 29, 2021 by smellincoffee

Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia © 2016 Rowland White480 pages As the Apollo missions neared the completion of their goal, NASA looked ahead and charted a bold new course … Continue reading →

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Return of the Primitive

Posted on June 30, 2021 by smellincoffee

Return of the Primitive© 1971 Ayn Rand, The New Left© 1999 Ayn Rand and Peter Schwartz290 pages   The Return of the Primitive  collects Ayn Rand’s  written responses to the eruption of the student movement in the late sixties,  particularly … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics and Civic Interest, Religion and Philosophy, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Death and madness in China

Posted on February 22, 2021 by smellincoffee

The Cultural Revolution: A People’s History© 2016 Frank Dikotter433 pages In twenty-five years of reading history, I know of no man who has instigated more human suffering and death at a broader scale than Mao Tse-tung, the rebel turned architect … Continue reading →

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The Twilight of the Presidency

Posted on January 29, 2017 by smellincoffee

The Twlight of the Presidency: An Examination of Power and Isolation in the White House© 1970, 1987200 pages In Twilight of the Presidency, George Reedy uses his personal experience as a Johnson aide, along with the study of other administrations … Continue reading →

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Mean Streets

Posted on January 15, 2017 by smellincoffee

Mean Streets: Confessions of a Nightime Taxi Driver© 2002 Peter McSherry256 pages Mean Streets takes readers into the dark side of Canada, or at least the dark side of Toronto. Ever since the 1970s, Peter McSherry has been driving the night … Continue reading →

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Laughing Without an Accent

Posted on January 9, 2017 by smellincoffee

Laughing without an Accent: Adventures of a Global Citizen© 2008 Firoozeh Dumas256 pages In 2003, Firoozeh Dumas charmed readers with stories about her transoceanic childhood, unfolding in both in Iran and the United States in the 1970s. This sequel to … Continue reading →

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Iran and the United States

Posted on May 13, 2016 by smellincoffee

Iran and the United States: An Insider’s View on the Failed Past and the Road to Peace© 2014 Seyed Hossein Mousavian368 pages The United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran have not been on speaking terms since the hostage … Continue reading →

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