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