In July and August, 2026, while staying in Riverside, California, I visited a different coffee house each day; well, most days, 16 in all. The project gave some structure to my visit and I got to drink some delicious coffee. Here is what I found. My star rating is highly personal. I like coffee houses […]
Reviews by Danny Nelson Schweers. Click on any image or headline to read the full review.
Book List – Arden Men’s Book Group
(a.k.a. The Fur Trappers Gild) We meet on the 2nd Monday of most months to discuss slow books, fast women, faster cars, the meaning of life, and the value of authenticity. Selections are often fierce white-knuckle fiction, chosen by those who have actually read the books they pick. Food and drink are often inspired by […]
Review: India After Gandhi by Ramachandra Guha
This is an excellent, well-written introduction to the history of India after it became an independent country on August 15, 1947. In particular, this book effectively communicates the author’s understanding that it is something of a miracle that India continues to be one country under a parliamentary democracy rather than a host of small countries […]
“Semicolon” by Cecilia Watson
Not rules but style, not precise descriptions but dreamy enticements! Cecilia Watson‘s little book, Semicolon, surprised me. I expected humorous examples of bad punctuation illustrating why proper usage matters. Instead the meat of the book is a criticism of rules and a celebration of living language. Watson argues that good writers imagine how their words […]