Tag Archives: science

Sky Walking

Posted on September 15, 2013 by smellincoffee

Sky Walking: An Astronaut’s Memoir© 2007 Tom Jones384 pages Although the exploration of space has a scientific edge, the first astronauts were not scientists: they were military pilots. Thomas Jones is no exception, establishing the foundation for his career in … Continue reading →

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Two Sides of the Moon

Posted on September 5, 2013 by smellincoffee

Two Sides of the Moon© 2006 Alexei Leonov and David Scott448 pages Remember the fifties, those fat complacent days when the Future seemed a century away? Then up went Sputnik, gave the world a butt-kick, and made it clear tomorrow … Continue reading →

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The Making of the Fittest

Posted on August 22, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Making of the Fittest: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution304 pages© 2006 Sean B. Carroll Sean B. Carroll’s The Making of the Fittest examines the genetics of evolution, relating to readers not only how changes come about … Continue reading →

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Gulp

Posted on July 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal© 2013 Mary Roach352 pages Mary Roach is no stranger to delving into topics which others find icky — like corpses. Even her more conventional works flirt with taboo, and in Gulp she embraces disgust whole-heartedly, by … Continue reading →

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Brilliant Harry Potter fanfiction

Posted on June 5, 2013 by smellincoffee

Last while I heard a fanfiction series, “Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality“, mentioned on a podcast. In it, Harry is raised not by the abusive and smallminded Dursleys, but by a scientist, and thought to think critically. For … Continue reading →

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The Botany of Desire

Posted on May 17, 2013 by smellincoffee

The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World© 2001 Michael Pollan256 pages      Meander through your garden and ponder the meaning of life; such is the advice of Michael Pollan, who in The Botany of Desire … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: the cosmos, Jane Austen, zombies, and the Middle Way

Posted on May 9, 2013 by smellincoffee

— Minireviews —  Some zombies like to lurch about groaning for brains. Some zombies like to ride the escalators, listen to Frank Sinatra, and daydream about their past life. That’s R,  a zombie who has forgotten most of his life, … Continue reading →

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eaarth

Posted on May 4, 2013 by smellincoffee

earth: making a life on a tough new planet© 2010 Bill McKibben253 pages Oh, we’re in trouble.  For two decades, forward-thinking politicians have made noise about climate change. “We’ve gotta do something to save the world for our grandchildren,” they say. But … Continue reading →

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Chimpanzee Politics

Posted on May 2, 2013 by smellincoffee

Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes©  1983 Frans de Waal256 pages Back in the 1970s, primatologist Frans de Waal conducted one of the first extensive studies into the social structures of chimpanzees.  Chimpanzee Politics is the result,  establishing facts … Continue reading →

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This week at the library: Little Ice Age, and Bernard Cornwell

Posted on January 23, 2013 by smellincoffee

Last night I finished Battleflag, third in the Nathaniel Starbuck series. Seeing as I just finished and commented on Copperhead, posting extensive thoughts on Battleflag seemed redundant. Nate is still the son of a Boston abolitionist preacher fighting for the south … Continue reading →

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