Books Set in a Global Environment

A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standage (2005)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses is a mildly interesting book, not a great read. The author attempts to provide a sketch of the world through the “history” of six beverages: Beer, Wine, Spirits, Coffee, Tea, and Coca-Cola. In the book, each drink merits two chapters. With the exception of Coca-Cola, which has a well defined origin, the history of the beverages enumerated in the book is rather dull. Probably because the actual origins are unknown.

The first three drinks are alcoholic; the final three are not.

Evidence of beer can be found in archeological findings in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Wine probably began in the ancient Greek culture. One could easily believe that America became the nation it is because of the spirits, including rum and whiskey, distilled in the early settlements.

The author discusses as becoming a global drink originating with the Arabs, whose trading with Europe brought it to a wider audience. The author claims that the advent of coffee in Europe aided in the Enlightenment, since the beverage gave one a “clear mind” and gave one alertness.

The section on Tea was the weakest part of the book. As with the preceding beverages, the origins of the tea is not clear. Still, the author attempts to explain the popularity of the drink throughout Asia and how it became the “national” beverage of England.

The final segment of the book focused on Coca-Cola, which was the book’s strength. Coca-Cola has very definite origins. In addition to discussing how the mixture of Coke came into being, the author also goes into detail of how the company manipulated advertising to encourage Americans to need the refreshment that Coke could bring. This ultimately lead to global advertising. In addition, the book discusses the Coke/Pepsi rivalry. After reading this section of the book, one will never look at Coke the same way again.

The History of the World in 6 Glasses is light reading and would make a great beach read. It is light non-fiction, but the reader won’t come away with a feeling that he really learned a lot about either the beverages discussed or world history.

Read: February 17, 2010