Tag Archives: history of science

The Voyage of the Beagle

Posted on April 29, 2016 by smellincoffee

The Voyage of the Beagle© 1839 Charles Darwin448 pages* As a young man, Charles Darwin lacked sharp direction. His father wanted him to become a doctor, but he hated the sight of blood.  His passion was natural philosophy, the observation … Continue reading →

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Genome

Posted on February 12, 2016 by smellincoffee

 Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters© 1999 Matt Ridley317 pages   The human genome is a recipe book, divided into 23 chapters, but considerably larger than Matt Ridley’s Genome. Were it to scale, he writes, a genuine … Continue reading →

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The Age of Voltaire

Posted on September 30, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Age of Voltaire: A History of Civilization in Western Europe from 1715 to 1756898 pages© 1965 Will and Ariel Durant             The ninth work in Will Durant’s sweeping Story of Civilization, The Age of Voltaire picks up … Continue reading →

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1493

Posted on December 13, 2012 by smellincoffee

1493: Uncovering the New World that Columbus Created© 2011 Charles C. Mann690 pages Although Christopher Columbus’s reputation as an intrepid explorer doesn’t withstand historical scrutiny,  Charles C. Mann believes Columbus has a legacy still worth honoring. No, he didn’t prove … Continue reading →

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The Sun’s Heartbeat

Posted on September 16, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Sun’s Heartbeat: and Other Stories from the Life of the Star that Powers Our Planet2011 pages290 pages Consider the sun. For thousands of generations, it has loomed over our kind, radiating heat and light down from above, illuminating our … Continue reading →

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The Age of Louis XIV

Posted on February 23, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Age of Louis XIV© 1963 Will and Ariel Durant816 pages To read Will Durant is to feast from the smorgasbord of human history. Before the reader lies the full scope of human concern, frailty, and accomplishment, like so many … Continue reading →

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The Ingredients

Posted on February 11, 2012 by smellincoffee

The Ingredients: A Guided Tour of the Elements© Phillip Ball 2002216 pages There’s antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, And hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium […] (Tom Lehrer, “The Elements”). Chemistry is not an arcane subject solely practiced in a … Continue reading →

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The Age of Reason Begins

Posted on October 26, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Age of Reason Begins© 1961 Will and Aerial Durant729 pages “We are all citizens of one world, we are all of one blood. To hate a man because he was born in another county, because he speaks a different … 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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Electric Universe

Posted on January 31, 2011 by smellincoffee

Electric Universe: The Shocking True Story of Electricity© 2005 David Bodanis308 pages When you’re in the dark, and you want to see, you need Electricity, E-LEC-TRICITY! (School House Rock, “Electricity“) Every now and again, I misjudge a book and find … Continue reading →

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