Tag Archives: essays

Bicycle Diaries

Posted on December 19, 2011 by smellincoffee

Bicycle Diaries© 2009 David Byrne297 pages Though I’ve never heard of the musician and visual artist David Bryne before, his recollections of time spent in some of the world’s greatest cities had my attention from the start — for he … Continue reading →

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The Planet that Wasn’t

Posted on October 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Planet that Wasn’t© 1976 Isaac Asimov237 pages Isaac Asimov routinely penned science essays in various magazines, and given his eagerness to publish books, often produced collections of said science essays. The Planet that Wasn’t is one such collection, covering … Continue reading →

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All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Posted on June 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things© 1989 Robert Fulghum196 pages It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, a beautiful day for a neighbor — would you be mine, could you be mine? … Continue reading →

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The Tragedy of the Moon

Posted on May 4, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Tragedy of the Moon© Isaac Asimov 1978224 pages The Tragedy of the Moon collects seventeen sundry Asimovian essays  which will prove a delight to most Asimov fans.  The essays were originally published in Fantasy and Science Fiction, but have been … Continue reading →

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The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Posted on October 12, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson©  Edited 1987, Alfred Ferguson378 pages Two summers ago I began to read Thoreau, and as I continue to find him philosophically compelling I wanted to read the works of Thoreau’s contemporary and like-minded friend, … Continue reading →

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The 100 Most Influential Books Ever Written

Posted on August 7, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Most Influential Books Ever Written: the History of Thought from Ancient Times to Today© 1998 Martin Seymour-Smith498 pages In retrospect, the introduction should have served as a warning to me.  Author Martin Seymour-Smith opened his The 100 Most Influential … Continue reading →

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Weapons of Satire

Posted on June 16, 2010 by smellincoffee

Weapons of Satire: Anti-Imperialist Writings on the American-Phillipine War© 1992 Mark Twain; edited by Jim Zwick.256 pages Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword; He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger’s wealth is … Continue reading →

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The Roving Mind

Posted on June 12, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Roving Mind© Isaac Asimov 1983350 pages In the first place, I type quickly — 90 words a minute, when I am happy, carefree, and in a good mood. And that’s my typing rate when I am composing, too, because I don’t … Continue reading →

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It’s Raining Frogs and Fishes!

Posted on March 11, 2010 by smellincoffee

It’s Raining Frogs and Fishes: Four Seasons of Natural Phenomena and Oddities of the Sky© 1992 Jerry Dennis; illustrations by Glenn Wolff323 pages It’s Raining Frogs and Fishes is a collection of nearly forty essays on the many mysteious of … Continue reading →

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Stories Behind Words

Posted on February 23, 2010 by smellincoffee

Stories Behind Words: The Origins and Histories of 285 English Words© 1986 Peter Limburg288 pages I have long held an interest in etymology and the history of language, thus this book’s interest to me.  Author Peter Limburg expounds upon the … Continue reading →

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