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Book Review: A History of the World in 6 Glasses

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



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