Tag Archives: science

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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This Week at the Library (9 Feb – 15 Feb)

Posted on February 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

February has been dominated by fiction so far, helped in part by my recent back of Trek acquisitions which I’ve not yet exhausted. I’ve also been in a weird funk as of late, unable to find science and even history … 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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Sex on Six Legs

Posted on January 20, 2011 by smellincoffee

Sex on Six Legs: Lessons on Life,  Love, and Language from the Insect World© 2011 Marlene Zuk246 pages, not including index. Disclaimer:   I read from an advanced review copy of the book, available through NetGalleys. No compensation for a … Continue reading →

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The Mind’s Eye

Posted on December 15, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Mind’s Eye© 2010 Oliver Sacks263 pages Few things are more pertinent to the study of the human experience than the exploration of our minds, our brains — just what are they capable of, and how thoroughly do they create … Continue reading →

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The Grand Design

Posted on December 10, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Grand Design© 2010 Stephen Hawking & Leonard Mlodinow198 pages Though modern physics is considerably harder to understand than say, anthropology, I continue to be fascinated by it — for physics, it seems to me, is the most fundamental science. … Continue reading →

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Mapping Human History

Posted on November 30, 2010 by smellincoffee

Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past through Our Genes© 2002 Steve Olson292 pages Mapping Human History caught my attention a couple of weeks ago given my interests in evolution and anthropology. Author Steve Olson offers a quick history of human … Continue reading →

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The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head

Posted on November 26, 2010 by smellincoffee

The Naked Lady Who Stood on Her Head: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of His Most Bizarre Cases© 2010 Gary Small & Gigi Vorgan267 pages In the summer of 2006 I read a fascinating book by V.S. Ramachandran called Phantoms of the … Continue reading →

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These Weeks at the Library (28 Sept – 13 October)

Posted on October 13, 2010 by smellincoffee

Two weeks ago at the library, I… …started with Spook, Mary Roach’s investigations into tales of the afterlife. Stephen Fry in America, the titular British humorist’s account of his state-by-state tour of the United States, followed that.  Christine by Stephen King proved … Continue reading →

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Packing for Mars

Posted on October 9, 2010 by smellincoffee

Packing for Mars: the Curious Science of Life in the Void© 2010 Mary Roach334 pages It’s a long way to Tipperary.  Humans are not extremophiles. We have very specific environmental requirements for not dying in all manner of unpleasant ways, … Continue reading →

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