| World History is a long and complex
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| | hibernation, Western civilization was
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| topic. Though many accomplished authors
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| | awakened by the rediscovery of ancient
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| such as Bill Bryson and H. G. Wells have
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| | knowledge, long safeguarded in the Arab
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| attempted to condense history into a
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| | world. However, in an attempt to
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| single book, very few have succeeded.
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| | circumvent this Arab monopoly, European
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| There is just too much of it. Attempts to
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| | monarchs launched massive fleets into the
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| boil down the last 10,000 years have
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| | sea. This age of exploration was greatly
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| resulted in either superficial books with
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| | enhanced by the Arab knowledge of
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| very little depth, or great textbook like
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| | distillation, which made a whole new
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| tombs too inaccessible for the casual
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| | range of drinks possible. A History of
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| reader.Happily, A History of the World in
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| | the World in 6 Glasses describes how
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| 6 Glasses by Tom Standage succeeds where
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| | these condensed forms of alcohol (namely
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| others have failed. Standage's book does
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| | Brandy, Whiskey and Rum) were so popular,
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| this by sacrificing the breadth of every
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| | especially in the new American colonies,
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| possible topic for an impressive depth
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| | that "they played a key role in the
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| and focus. Instead of trying to sum up
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| | establishment of the United States."The
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| the complete history of man, this book
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| | fourth beverage presented in this book is
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| spotlights a single topic, in this case
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| | coffee. Because of its sharpening effect
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| beverages, and then takes the reader on a
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| | on the mind, coffee quickly became the
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| journey through time to see how his topic
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| | drink of intellect and industry.
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| interweaves the past. Standage is a
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| | Replacing taverns as the sophisticated
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| delightful writer, mixing his light
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| | meeting place, the coffeehouse "led to
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| hearted style with exceptional historical
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| | the establishment of scientific societies
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| savvy not just on the topic of drinks,
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| | and financial institutions, the founding
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| but throughout.Despite my now positive
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| | of newspapers, and provided fertile
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| opinion of this book, I have to confess
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| | ground for revolutionary thought,
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| that when I first picked up A History of
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| | particularly in France." A History of the
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| the World in 6 Glasses, I did not expect
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| | World in 6 Glasses goes on to recount the
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| to enjoy it. Not only am I skeptical of
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| | intricate effect coffeehouses had on
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| any book claiming to sum up the antiquity
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| | Victorian culture, going so far as to
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| of man in 300 pages or less, but I myself
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| | dedicate an entire chapter to what the
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| do not drink any of the 6 beverages this
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| | book calls "The Coffeehouse
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| book discusses. As such, learning the
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| | Internet".Even though the inception of
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| history of these drinks did not sound
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| | tea date back many thousands of years, it
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| immediately appealing. However, what I
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| | didn't take hold upon western culture
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| quickly learned is that this book is not
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| | until the mid-seventeenth century. Once
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| a history of 6 drinks, but rather just as
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| | established as England's national drink,
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| the title states, a history of the world,
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| | the importing of tea from first China and
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| told through the story of 6 drinks. As
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| | then India led to trade and
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| the book points out in the introduction,
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| | industrialization on an unprecedented
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| second only to air, liquid is the most
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| | scale. A History of the World in 6
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| vital substance to man's survival. The
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| | Glasses describes the immense power of
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| availability of water and other drinking
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| | the British East India Company, which
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| sources have "constrained and guided
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| | "generated more revenue than the British
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| humankind's progress" and "have continued
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| | government and ruled over far more
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| to shape human history". Throughout time,
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| | people", wielding more power than any
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| beverages have done more than quenched
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| | other corporation in history. This
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| our thirst; they have been used as
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| | imbalance of power had an enormous,
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| currencies, medicines, and in religious
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| | far-reaching effect on British foreign
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| rites. They have served as symbols of
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| | policy, and ultimately contributed to the
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| wealth and power, as well as tools to
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| | independence of the United States.Like
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| appease the poor and downtrodden.A
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| | most of the drinks discussed in A History
|
| History of the World in 6 Glasses is
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| | of the World in 6 Glasses, Coca-Cola was
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| broken down into six sections, one for
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| | originally devised as a medical drink.
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| each drink, the first of which is beer.
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| | More than any other product, Coca-Cola
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| Man's first civilizations where founded
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| | has stood as the symbol of America's
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| on surplus cereal production, much of
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| | "vibrant consumer capitalism". Rather
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| which was brewed. Ancient day beers were
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| | than shrink at the challenge, Coca-Cola
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| high in vitamin B, a vitamin previously
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| | took full advantage of the challenging
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| only obtained through meat. This allowed
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| | times it found itself in, gaining ground
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| the population to focus their nutrition
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| | through the depression, and then
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| efforts more and more on cereals,
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| | traveling alongside our soldiers into
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| effectively ushering in the transition
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| | WWII, becoming a global phenomenon.
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| from hunter-gatherers to farmers.
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| | According to the book, Coca-Cola still
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| Additionally, because early beers were
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| | accounts for "around 30 percent of all
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| boiled (to convert more starch into
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| | liquid consumption" today.A History of
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| sugars), the beer was significantly safer
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| | the World in 6 Glasses makes it clear
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| to drink than water. This significant
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| | that the history of mankind is a history
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| improvement in lifestyle "freed a small
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| | of our consumption. Whether we are
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| fraction of the population from the need
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| | drinking "liquid bread" in Mesopotamia,
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| to work in the fields, and made possible
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| | pondering revolution in a Coffeehouse in
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| the emergence of specialist priest,
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| | Paris, or throwing tea leafs into the
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| administrators, scribes, and craftsmen."
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| | ocean in Boston, these drinks have had a
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| Not only did beer nourish man's first
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| | profound impact on who we are. As
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| civilizations, but in many ways, made
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| | Standage says in the introduction to his
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| them entirely possible.Wine, the next
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| | book "They survive in our homes today as
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| beverage in the book, played a major role
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| | living reminders of bygone eras, fluid
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| in the flourishing Greek and Roman
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| | testaments to the forces that shaped the
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| cultures. As wine did not originate from
| |
| | modern world. Uncover their origins, and
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| the Mediterranean, the Greek's desire for
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| | you may never look at your favorite drink
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| this drink opened up vast seaborne trade,
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| | in quite the same way again." I highly
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| which spread their philosophy, politics,
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| | recommend this book to anyone thirsty for
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| science and literature far and wide, and
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| | knowledge about the world around them...
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| still underpins modern Western thought. A
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| | or even if they're just thirsty for a
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| History of the World in 6 Glasses points
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| | good drink.Jeff Beck is an entrepreneur
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| out how these advancements originated and
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| | and founder of several notable companies,
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| grew at formal Greek drinking parties,
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| | including the Book Price Comparison
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| called symposia. The Romans, who absorbed
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| | website As a student of the world
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| much of Greek culture, continued the
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| | around him, Jeff seeks understanding
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| strong use of wine. As the book notes, if
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| | through history and reasoning.Visit to
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| you trace the wine drinking areas of the
| |
| | read reviews, find similar titles, and
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| world on a map, you will find you have
| |
| | search for the lowest possible price for
|
| traced the Roman empire at its
| |
| | A History of the World in 6 Glasses and
|
| height.After a thousand years of
| |
| | other great books.
|
