I had to read this book over the summer for my world history AP class. Usually any summer book I have to read for school I usually dislike. So when I got this book, I was kinda unsure about whether I would enjoy it, considering it was going to be about history. However, to my surprise it wasn't bad at all and it was interesting and way better than reading history out of a text book. The only downfall is that after I read it, I had to write an essay about for it for school.

6 drinks that shaped the course of humankind; a much easier idea to embrace and enjoy than the strong wills or fierce egos of the historical figures traditionally taught in schools.
Lots of entertainment and facts in a little book. Makes a great gift too as its premise surprises and delights its adult recipients.

First I must acknowledge the manifest superiority of Wendy Smith's witty praise from the Los Angeles Times. It makes what follows only a tribute to her accuracy and wit. The book's wealth of details of the science of beverages, of historical facts and of appropriate quotes culled from every culture and all periods of history makes it a literate person's delight - like "a cool glass of beer on a hot day," like a bottle of wine shared with friends. It supports a saying I once found on a tee shirt: "God must have intended people to be happy, that's why He(She) gave them books." If memory serves me correctly it was Ms. Manners who informed her readers that it was neither necessary nor even proper to bring wine to a dinner party, but since the practice is so much a part of the culture of the Midwest I have come to my own compromise - I bring as a house gift a copy of "A History of the World in 6 Glasses" to be enjoyed at their leisure with the beverage of
their choice.

The book was written in a style that was easy to read without being condescending or stooping to the lowest common denominator. It provided sound bits of history loosely connected to six kinds of beverages. Did these beverages definitively effect the events discussed here, no! Was there some connection; sure along with a number of other variables. Still all in all it was an interesting read and I learned something which is always a positive experience.

My 15 year old son had to read this book for a class at school, and I decided to take a look at it. I was happily surprised at how the author teaches a history lesson in such an interesting manner. I like it so much I even suggested it to my book club to read. We all enjoyed it!

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage provides a new method of viewing the history of the world by associating each era with a different beverage. Mr. Standage gives very insightful accounts of world events, and brings up many new points through pairing different "glasses" with each time period. From this, the reader is able to take away a new perspective of world history and why certain events took place in the way they did. Changes and continuities are easily perceived within the book as society moves from one drink to another. As more technological advances are achieved, the drinks and their production become much more sophisticated. In the earliest periods, Standage identifies beer as the beverage of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, while wine is of ancient Greece and Rome. Both beer and wine seem to have been discovered almost by accident, and neither was necessarily created. Simple fermentation methods were used to cultivate each, and simple distillation equipment dates back to the colonial period when spirits were popular. As the Age of Reason opened, coffee became the popular drink for its lack of alcohol, and Chinese made tea was widely imported within the British Empire. Both preparation methods became more complicated, as few were able to reproduce China's methods of preparing tealeaves. Finally, the production of Coca-Cola involved a complex series of ingredients that were mixed together and served from the newly designed soda fountain. The different drinks that society favored over time certainly showed technological advancements and changes that came along, but they also show many continuities. When each drink was first introduced, only the wealthy were able to drink it. The cost of importing many of the beverages was too much for the peasants of distant lands. But as time continued, the price on each beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola was greatly lowered so that anyone was able to afford them. Furthermore, many of the drinks were forced to go up against the church. Some religions felt that it was inappropriate to consume alcohol, and they banned these types of beverages from churchgoers. Drinks containing caffeine were considered a drug in some places. Although each drink became successful in the end, each struggled to find its place within society.
I would recommend A History of the World in 6 Glasses to anyone seeking a new perspective on the events of history. It brings up many new points, as demonstrated above, as well as consistently shows changes and continuities throughout time. The book opened up a new perspective on events of the world, many of which can be explained by the existence of certain beverages. For example, many great intellectual contributions came from the time when coffee was vastly renowned. This can be attributed to the stimulating effects of coffee, especially in comparison to the intoxicating alcohols which were previously popular, as well as the new discussions that were able to take place amongst the intellects who visited the numerous coffeehouses. Certain beverages can also explain a decline in disease, as they were less easily afflicted than water. Additionally, many beverages were required to be boiled, which would kill certain life forms that may be thriving within the supply. All in all, I was very impressed that such a simple thing as a beverage could impact society in such an enormous way, and thought Standage did an exceptional job at conveying his points. I would highly recommend this book because of its ability to institute new ideas amongst readers, no matter what amount of world history knowledge they may possess.

This is a good read and informative. The role of psychoactive substances in history is a new field, with much more in it to discuss. I wrote a similar book, Molds, Epidemics, and History, published in 1989, and it is still in print. I am writing a book about the role o psychoactive substances in the early history of religion in the Middle East. The author could probably write a second book that includes opium, hashish, and mushrooms.

The book's title is tongue in cheek. It is not a history of the world. It is an extremely well written crisp and gifted book that shows how drink has both represented and helped shape its time. Half the book is about alcohol, and it is no surprise that man discovered it affects thousands of years ago. The chapter on beer made me crave a German lager, while the wine section called out for a good Merlot.

The author uses an enjoyable and personal writing style that makes for an enjoyable read. It is full of facts and analysis, but does not get weighed down by overstating information or trying to be too high-minded. The book proves that history can be both intellectual and enjoyable at the same time.

In this book, Tom Standage offers an account of the historical significance of six beverages - beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. Through them he provides a brisk sketch of world history, from the establishment of settled civilization in ancient Mesopotamia to the globalized world in which we live today. The perspective provided by his approach is interesting, and generally he manages to avoid the kind of overstated claims that are a common trap of works like this.

Yet as I read the book, I found myself wanting more. Standage's overviews are rather cursory - perhaps excessively so - and he glosses over some information that does not fit into the structure he lays out for the reader (gin is conspicuously absent, for example, despite its importance in the 18th century). The result is to make the book an intellectual appetizer (albeit a tasty one) rather than a meal, and after having their appetites whetted some readers will find themselves resorting to the bibliography he provides at the end of the text to learn more. As an introduction, though, Standage's book is a good starting point as an enjoyable read full of interesting details.

Author Standage needs to take a bow. He has succintly and in quite entertaining fashion woven a tapestry that links popular beverages with society, culture, politics and economics. I cringe whenever I see history titles that say "Changed" this or that, but this book makes a convincing argument that humans have danced to the distiller's/brewers/vintner's tune and in this repect, alcohol and caffeine have indeed "changed" the globe. Today, while the precursors to the carbonated colas are still very much around and doing a brisk business, thank you very much (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea), the looming "next" most popular beverage threatens to have long term and potentially catastrophic consequences - good ol' H two O. Of course, Standage points out that to a large measure the popularity of the earliest fermented brews owed a lot to unsanitary water, but now that population and urbantization pressures are combining with climatic and political changes, the availability of fresh water will be a major factor in geopolitics. Fascinatingly, he mentions how Syria's efforts to control the headwaters of the Jordan in 1964 had more than a little to do with Israel's 1967 preemptive strike against its hostile neighbors.
The author's eye for the telling anecdote and his mastery of the syncretic effects of popular culture and imperialism reveal how to a large extent it is the small everyday things that can snowball into much greater things, such as England's obsession with Chinese tea imports, its corresponding revenue imbalance with the opium-plagued Chinese, and the resulting conspiracy to foist smuggled opium onto a helpless nation. The effects of that evil (which the Brits have never really owned up to) are still being felt today, especially by New World Brits (aka Americans) who are seduced by cheap Chinese goods. Talk about what comes around goes around.
This is a quick, edifying read that will intrigue and fascinate on every page. Mr. Standage must diversify his talents onto other fields posthaste.

This is a well written, easy to read book about the history of drinks and what difference they made to the world. Mr. Standage takes on beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, and... Coca Cola! I thorougly enjoyed it.

I hate that amazon only has five rating choices. This was 4.5 stars. Highly recommended if you read many books, and are looking for a quick, easy read in between more substantive ones.

This is a great read. Informative & fun...how often do you find that combination?

A really interesting take on world history thru the development and use of six drinks, with a generous sprinkling of unknown facts. A thorough pleasure.

A fascinating review of history through the development of beverages. Very entertaining! Highly recommend.

Tom Standage takes a unique approach in surveying the history of the development of world civilizations by chronicling the parallel growth of beverages starting with beer and culminating with Coca-Cola. While the historical parallels are clearly the focus in this book, for me, the portions chronicling the origins behind each of the six beverages are the most engrossing of all. Strangely enough, the most interesting portion of the book is the epilogue where Standage brings light to a 7th beverage that will shape the course of future civilization to come - Water.

Since I purchased this book for a birthday gift- I did not read it. I do know it was received with much enthusiasm and had been highly recommended to me. Susan

Since I purchased this book for a birthday gift- I did not read it. I do know it was received with much enthusiasm and had been highly recommended to me. Susan

A definitive read for any food enthuasist. This book should form the core of the would-be reformed history classes for our children that will not teach what the victors made their writers write, but how humanity evolved REALLY with beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and soda.

This is a very comprehensive book about the history of some of the world's most popular drinks like beer, wine, coffee, tea, rum and coca cola. Tom Standage did a lot of research for this book. He went to San Francisco to gather information about beer. He went as far as France to get information about wine.

I was surprised to learn that the workers who built the pyramids in Egypt were paid in beer for their labor. I also learned that beer was invented as a result of farming in ancient times. I also learned that coffee was first invented in the Arab country of Yemen. I enjoyed reading coffee became popular throughout the world and how it was enjoyed by scientists Issac Newton and Edmund Halley. Coffee is enjoyed by people in all different professions, and it was fascinating to read how coffee's popularity spread so quickly. I learned that coca cola was first sold to treat ailments like head and stomach aches. I also discovered that early versions of coca cola had traces of cocaine in it. I enjoyed reading about how tea became so popular in England. There is an additional chapter in the book about the importance and popularity of water in the world today. A History of The World in 6 Glasses is an informative and entertaining book about the drinks people quench their thirst with.

Tom Standage's stellar writing skills and effortless scholarship are both shining in his latest book, "A History of the World in Six Glasses." I first encountered Standage was when he was interviewed on NPR one weekend, and my initial reaction was, "He can't be serious about this lightweight topic!" But I was taken with his erudite, expressive language and his half-humorous, half-serious demeanor.

When I opened the book, pages flew by as I was quickly caught up in his account of beer---early nutrition, "liquid bread"; wine, "a gift of the gods," according to ancients; spirits, which fueled the age of exploration, providing sailors with a safe beverage (unlike the often undrinkable water); rum, and later cereal spirits, favored by colonial Americans; coffee, a beverage ideal for Enlightenment times; tea, an economic and political tool of the British Empire, which is still the favored beverage all over the far-flung lands the British once ruled; and Coca-cola, which has become the symbol of American culture and capitalism.

I picked up some fascinating tidbits: Our word, alcohol, comes from the Arabic al-koh'l, the black powder of purified antimony which was used as early eye makeup. Alchemists used the term generally for highly purified substances, including liquids: Distilled wine came to be known as "alcohol of wine."
Our word whiskey comes from the Gaelic word for distilled beer--
uisge beatha. The word brandy comes from the German branntwein, burnt wine.

Worth quoting, since it is still relevant, from an ancient play by Greek writer Euboulos, is a kind of chart for wine
consumption:
"For sensible men I prepare only three kraters: one for health, which they drink first, the second for love and pleasure, and the third for sleep. After the third one is drained, wise men go home. The fourth krater is not mine anymore---it belongs to bad behavior; the fifth is for shouting; the sixth is for rudeness and insults; the seventh is for fights; the eighth is for breaking the furniture; the ninth is for depression; the tenth is for madness and unconsciousness."

This entertaining, authoritative book will keep your interest from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Clever treatment -- compelling reading--even the most casual student of history will devour this book!! Buy it, you'll love it!