A History Of The World In Six Glasses

Tom Standage's new book is an excellent whirlwind of world history, seen from a whole new light: through the glass of a drink. Standage's writing style is simultaneously authoritative and approachable, making the book a pleasure to read for both the historian and casual reader alike. Rather than attempt to cram an exhaustive review of history into a 300 page book, Standage chose instead to focuses on the lone topic of drinks. At first glance, this may seem like a obtuse and shallow vessel to carry us down this journey of time, however, A History Of The World In Six Glasses quickly makes clear just how important beverages have been to the course of mankind.

A History Of The World In Six Glasses is divided into six sections, one for each drink. At the same time, each section of the book tells a unique story from our past. Whether it be ancient hunter-gatherers in Mesopotamia discovering the nutritional values of beer, the Greek empire spreading their culture and discovery in their quest to import wine, or American soldiers traveling alongside Coca-Cola in the second world war, this book provides ample examples of how mankind was forever altered by the drinks he desired. As Standage says "They survive in our homes today as living reminders of bygone eras, fluid testaments to the forces that shaped the modern world. Uncover their origins, and you may never look at your favorite drink in quite the same way again."

From beer to Coca-Cola, the six drinks that have helped shape human history. Throughout human history. certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.

For Tom Standage, each drink is a kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite drink the same way again.