Tag Archives: science

Global Weirdness

Posted on June 10, 2014 by smellincoffee

Global Weirdness: Severe Storms, Deadly Heat Waves, Relentless Drought, Rising Seas, and the Weather of the Future© 2013 Climate Central224 pages           Global Weirdness is a climate briefing for the civic body; short, well-organized, and to the … Continue reading →

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On Desire

Posted on March 13, 2014 by smellincoffee

On Desire: Why We Want What We Want© 2007 William Irvine337 pages Why do we want what we want? William Irvine’s On Desire examines the nature of desire, exploring first how profoundly it affects our lives, then surveying psychological inquiries … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: Chimpanzees, El Niño, and simple living

Posted on March 13, 2014 by smellincoffee

This week at the library I’ve been working through a lull, having finished my last Stack o’ Books and having not yet gotten another one. My plans to fetch said stack were modified after I did a twelve-mile hike through … Continue reading →

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When Elephants Weep

Posted on February 4, 2014 by smellincoffee

When Elephants Weep: the Emotional Lives of Animals© 1995 Jeffrey Masson and Susan McCarthy291 pages Humans pride themselves on not being  animals,  going so far as to describe any behavior we’re shamed of as ‘animal’.  Beasts have rude instincts; we … Continue reading →

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The Bonobo and the Atheist

Posted on January 22, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Bonobo and the Atheist: in Search of Humanism Among the Primates © 2013 Frans de Waal313 pages  Frans de Waal has written extensively on moral instincts within the great apes, in books like Good natured and Primates and Philosophers. In The … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: Punic war on the high seas, elephants,

Posted on January 20, 2014 by smellincoffee

Those intrigued by The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion may be interested in today’s episode of EconTalk, featuring an interview with the author on the book. The host referred to it as the most extraordinary … Continue reading →

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The Red Queen

Posted on January 12, 2014 by smellincoffee

The Red Queen: Sex and the Evolution of Human Nature© 1993 Matthew Ridley404 pages The Red Queen begins with a question: why do creatures have sex? Why did it evolve? The answer, Matt Ridley believes, lies in the principle of the … Continue reading →

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This week: Christmas reads, science in the city, and social telegraphy

Posted on December 24, 2013 by smellincoffee

Dear readers:             A blessed Yuletide and a merry Christmas to those of you in the northern hemisphere, as we celebrate the rebirth of the Sun – or the birth of the Son, if you prefer. The library is closing … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: NaNoWriMo, rebels against the rebellion, death on Everest, and maaaaybe Richard Sharpe

Posted on November 12, 2013 by smellincoffee

Dear readers: For the first time in the five or so years I’ve been aware of NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, I am attempting to participate. For those who have not heard of this, it’s a challenge in which … Continue reading →

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The Sky is Not the Limit

Posted on September 21, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Sky is not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist © 2004 Neil deGrasse Tyson203 pages           How does a young black kid from the Bronx become a world-famous astrophysicist, Director of the Hayden Planetarium and the … Continue reading →

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