Portland, Oregon journalist Taylor Clark has done a magnificent job with his first book. Starbucked is a very educational book about (as the subtitle accurately states) coffee, commerce and culture and hence it can appeal to a wide variety of people. As a bonus, it is also a very fun read. Clark gives you a nice history of coffee and Starbucks in a funny and entertaining way.

I was also very impressed with his fairness and analysis of the good and the bad of Starbucks. By the end of the book the reader will feel a lot more educated. Clark's mission was not to sway the reader to the anti or pro Starbucks crowd. I wish there were more even-handed authors like him. He is a very bright and I hope he continues writing books like this one.

Taylor Clark provides us with a very pleasant tale about how Starbucks came to be what it is today: a marketing phenomena, a culture changer and a concept creator. The most amazing thing is to realize that all of that was based on a very ordinary product: a cup of coffee.

This book covers Starbucks path to success through examples of aggressive entrepreneurship, real estate tactics and heavy psychological influence over people that no other business on Earth has managed to do so convincingly. Answers to our sometimes unreasonable habits and addictions in relation to this brand are presented here, and it should be said that they all make sense if we think once or twice about it. We've been ripped off for a while, most of us always knew about it, but we keep giving them our money, just because it's cool being and drinking there. If you never thought of it, then read the book and draw your own conclusions.

This is a very thought-provoking, informative, and enjoyable book: full of information, witty, packed with ideas and beautifully written. It touches on a lot of very important topics in a not-too-heavy way. Well worth reading, and I look forward to more books by this young author!

Easy and fun, this book asks all the questions, then arrives at the answers with research, not hyperbole. Neither love nor hate shows through, and the author uses humor in perfect amounts to illustrate points and clear up the clouds surrounding the coffee Goliath. A must-read for every reason.

New York salesman Howard Schultz turned an anti-capitalist enterprise into the ever-expanding corporate behemoth that it is today. Where is there not a Starbucks today? The challenge to find out where you can get the farthest from the nearest Starbucks was the impetus for this book by author Taylor Clark.

In Starbucked, Clark explores the history of coffee and its culture. Before specialty coffee came along, American coffee consumption had been declining. This caused the Big Four coffee conglomerates to cut costs by buying the cheapest beans possible. Bad beans being bitter, the Big Four sucked that nastiness right out of them and injected the beans with synthetic flavorings. Supermarket brands like MJB, Hills Brothers, and Folgers used a large amount of low-quality "filler" beans called robusta (as opposed to arabica), rendering themselves completely indistinguishable from each other. It was coffee-flavored water. They continued to increase the robusta to arabica ratio because it's cheaper and consumers never seemed to protest - until they had a really good cup of coffee at their local gourmet coffeehouse. Add to that a time when the disposable income of America was on the rise, along with a general addiction to caffeine, and you've got demand for higher quality coffee.

Howard Schultz's hunger to create the utopian Coffee Experience led to an unparalleled growth of a company whose annual stockholders' meetings are Standing Room Only, resembling a rock concert more than a droll PowerPoint presentation of facts and figures.

The coffee company with the mermaid siren logo has a real estate department who are experts at pinpointing the best locations, when they aren't opening up next door to competitors, or to each other. They analyze cities and neighborhoods, going as far as studying oil spots in parking lots to determine where people shop and how often. Their aggressive growth tactics concern their opponents who question the company's ethical behavior and accuse them of squeezing out mom-and-pop stores, not realizing that, in fact, the mom-and-pop stores have thrived and ridden the wave of the gourmet bean's popularity precisely because of Starbucks.

Clark's thorough investigative research and witty but objective prose not only questions the validity of critics and accusers, but armed with statistics, he debunks many myths surrounding the mega coffee chain. Like Oprah, perhaps some people, or companies, can only be praised up to a certain level of success, at which point they are deemed too successful and must therefore be lambasted at every opportunity.

After Clark investigates the ethics of Starbucks compared with those of the big coffee conglomerates, it becomes apparent that we may be blaming the wrong corporation for the plight of coffee growers in Latin America (and the rise of the drug trade in Colombia). This book raises questions like: Does Fair Trade mean higher quality coffee?

It's hard to imagine that 271 pages about coffee, commerce and culture could be engaging, but Clark's Starbucked is entertaining, compelling, and educational. He delivers a wealth of information without overwhelming the reader. While it's a little confusing to understand whether Peet's or Starbucks came first, and who bought whom, and how they switched names, and which one is the original, that's probably not the point. Clark set out to discover the relevancy of what good coffee means to Americans and how much we're willing to pay for the forced utopian Coffee Experience. And what will the rest of the world think of it? And with many thousands of coffeehouses around the globe, when will Starbucks open one in Italy, the country where Howard Schultz had his first euphoric latte, spawning a revolution?

This book is best read with a Grande No-Whip Caramel Frappucino.


Reviewed by Margaret Andrews for Curled Up With A Good Book

I recently became friends with an independent coffee shop owner, ([...]) The Bean Cup, and the owner worked at Starbucks for many of the early years out in California. I noticed immediately that the expresso was much richer and smoother and was amazed at the difference in flavor and even the smell of the brew.

Chris started teaching me how to pour shots properly and the science behind the beans, the grind, the packing of the shot, the temperature of the water (and the steamed milk) - and how long the shots took to pour. I was amazed that I could see and taste such a difference. Truth be told, I still like 'Charbucks' and love the hustle and bustle of the stores as well as the blast of caffeine in a morning mocha that I can get. I simply enjoy The Bean Cup's brew rather much more.

With all of that, this book was an amazing read from front to back and Taylor Clark is a great writer (I especially appreciated many of the insights and off remarks he put as footnotes throughout the book). At times I thought he took it easy on Starbucks. They have enough pull that they COULD change the industry, the pay of coffee farmers, etc. They simply choose not to because it's convenient to the bottom line.

This is a great story any way you slice it, though. Howard sounds like someone I'd love to meet. No doubt that his passion and enthusiasm have driven Starbucks to where they are today. I am anxious to see where they go from here - with such an expensive product, it seems like the McCafe will be a shoe-in to dethrone a lot of Starbuck's sales.

Great book. I consumed it a lot faster than my most recent reads!

An illuminating and well-researched piece that not only chronicles the rise of a corporate behemoth but also discusses how we became obsessed with all things coffee. Fun and light read.

Starbucked was a great quick read that provided interesting insights into the company's rise to fame. Clark fluidly inserts many humorous stories and incidental facts about various individuals that had obscure parts in the company's rapid progression. This study also provides a thoroughly objective perspective on the many ethical questions surrounding the company. Only facts are presented; for every accusation that can be leveled at this company, there is plenty of truth in the bad that Starbucks may be causing, but at the same time the company isn't 100% bad. Nothing is black and white, especially in corporate America. This book is a well-written thought provoking read about a frivolous commodity that has skyrocketed in the past decade in American consumer popularity: read it.

Fun details - my daughter is a young Barista so I wanted a peek behind the scenes with this book. I must say I am impressed with the company and it's background- recommend this as a quick fun read for any Starbucks fan, it seems to offer a balanced view of the Starbucks phenomenom.

Starbucked is an inquisitive, well-written, and entertaining book that examines the emergence of the Starbucks phenomenon and asks some tough questions about the company's impact on culture and commerce.

Above all else I found Taylor Clark's book engaging and fun. Clark's writing is crisp, entertaining, and, not unlike the caffeinated nature of its subject matter, quite addictive. I read the book in a few sittings.

However, I must admit that although I love coffee, I've never been much of a fan of Starbucks. But as a student of business and marketing, I have always been fascinated by what this company has been able to accomplish by selling a simple and ordinary product -- one that has been around since the age of the Pharaohs!

Mr. Clark does a marvelous job of answering all my questions, and of showing us that coffee, and the coffee experience, isn't such a simple thing after all. Reading this book you'll learn about coffee itself, the rise and explosion of the Starbucks brand, the implications on coffee farmers and the impact this company has in your own neighborhood. All the major aspects of this incredible story are well-covered and Mr. Clark does an excellent job of striking the right tone: one of an impartial examiner seeking to understand, not to glorify or demonize.

The book is at its very best in the way it describes the company's ardent focus on building a memorable brand and linking that brand to the emotional connection to a "third place" in American life. It also does a great job of explaining something I've always been curious about: just how does Starbucks get away with putting their stores literally across the street from each other? Read this book and you'll find out.

In the end, Mr. Clark's book is a thorough but light-hearted introduction to the Starbucks story and phenomenon. It is not a detailed expose meant to pass judgment, nor is it intended to serve as an exhaustive business case study.

Yet, if you're looking for a lively, and well-spun story; a behind-the-scenes look at one of America's great and unique companies, or if you're a student of business and would like to gain some insights into the power of creating a mesmerizing brand and rabid customer following, you'll want to read this highly-entertaining and enlightening book.

If you are a passionate coffee lover such as myself, then this is the book for you. I would recommend this book to anyone who is curious about the inner workings of the Starbucks Corporation.

The book talks a lot about the history of coffee in a nutshell. Taylor Clark, the author, offers a lot of interesting information to the uninformed coffee aficionado; he gives some knowledge of where Starbuck's heavenly coffee originates. From the foundation of the company to the present, "Starbucked" gives readers the history of where the name Starbucks comes from, how the logo was chosen, the look of Starbucks, the consumers, the locations, and the history of the beverages with a particular emphasis on Frappuccino drinks. The book even explains the logic behind why the sizes are called "tall," "grande," and "venti."

People who buy from Starbucks will have a better understanding of what they are partaking in after they give this book a read, and it goes into great detail about just what is the "Starbucks Experience." The book illustrates that for the price of a cup of coffee consumers get more than just that; they have a chance to enjoy a nice environment, and most customers say that Starbucks is more than just a cup of coffee - it's a part of their lives.

Overall, this book is a good read, but don't cite this as your primary source of information on Starbucks. The founders of Starbucks have written books about the company's history (these are mentioned by Taylor), but "Starbucked" is a good read if you want to have a general knowledge. If you just don't understand the seemingly magnetic draw people have to Starbucks, Taylor Clark goes into enough detail to give you an idea and he might even make you laugh.

This book is a great read for someone who is interested in the history of coffee and the business and cultural implications of the Starbucks phenomenon. Taylor Clark writes with great detail, which, at times, would be a bit much if not tempered by his wit. To be honest, I don't even drink coffee and I cannot understand the draw to a Starbucks, but this book gave me a better understanding of why other are. It also gave a detailed, yet balance look into the company itself. All in all, it was a interesting read.

I worked at Starbucks for a few months and it gave me a whole new outlook on the whole Coffee Culture theme. I couldn't pass this book up.

Im enjoying this book for what it is. I'm pretty indifferent to the way Starbucks does business. I'm sure any other company would be doing/trying the same things. Most of the criticism I hear is always the same. It's a Monopoly, Starbucks is doping America..BLAH BLAH BLAH!!

The only issue I'd be concerned with is the idea of "Free Trade" for those in the business of growing the beans. But it doesn't seem to stop me from buying a pound of coffee and drinking it while i ponder the likes and dislikes of the company I'm patronizing. I'm sure i'm not the only one...>AHEM!!

Whether you are from the West Coast or Seattle, or you like Caribou Coffee, Its a good read and you'll come with more knowledge on the subject, and maybe even get a laugh out of it. Besides, if you are reading this book, you are a part of the coffee culture and you wouldn't have any other way. Just make sure that coffe is DARK roasted! HA

I gave the book as a gift to my son-in-law who can't get by one day in his life without visiting a starbucks.

Innumerable books purport to tell the secrets of success associated with various firms. Unfortunately, with rare exceptions, the subject enterprise soon encounters change or new competition, and the gild is off. This phenomenon has gone on for decades - at least since Peters and Watterman's 1982 "In Search of Excellence."

So it is with "Starbucked," the story of how the Seattle-based company skyrocketed to thousands of stores. Unfortunately, McDonald's, Dunkin Donuts, and others have decided to begin marketing high quality coffees and espressos, Starbucks' is realizing that it has little in the way of a sustainable competitive advantage, and worried investors have halved the stock's price. Since its locations have neither room nor ambiance for serving hot meals, its future is downhill.

The "good news" about "Starbucked" is that it provides an interesting early history of coffee, and we learn that the company was named after the first mate in "Moby Dick." Somewhat like McDonald's, it was formed by three entrepreneurs emulating the success of "Peet's Coffee and Tea" in Berkeley. Schultz (current CEO) became interested in the firm after noting that its orders for coffee-making equipment from his current company exceeded those of Macy's. Eventually he talked the owners into hiring him, expanded into offering espressos (after seeing the product in Milan), bought out the original owners, and launched an expansion.

As for the secret of Starbucks initial success - rapid expansion before competitors could emulate their initial success, early innovation (adding an iced drink for hot afternoons in L.A.), and maintaining the quality of their beans.

"Starbucked" is a tremendous piece of journalism. It strikes just the right balance - serious but with a sharp sense of humor (it had me laughing outright in many places because Taylor Clark is wickedly funny), and neither pro- nor anti-Starbucks. Given Clark's street cred with alt-weekly Willamette Week, some might expect something bordering on a screed. But, as other writers point out here, it is a balanced, nuanced and simply finely researched piece of work. Most notably, Clark scores an interview with Howard Schultz. I think even Schultz (though he occasionally suffers, as co-workers note, from believing his own PR) would, however begrudgingly, admit that his company gets more than a fair shake from the author.

For example, Clark puts to rest the fallacy that - like Wal-Mart - Starbucks puts Mom and Pop stores out of business. [Actually, sales in those stores rise when Starbucks drops anchor near-by.] He also notes of Schultz's genuineness on the issues of health insurance and stock options, noting that Schultz offered these to even part-time workers "as a matter of principle...[He] has always taken his employers' welfare seriously." Nothing in Clark's research refutes that statement. It's stated and accepted here as a fact. He also clarifies that Starbucks bears little responsibility for the drop in coffee bean prices, noting that the "Big Four" (Nestle, P&G, Philip Morris, Massimo Zanetti - owner of the Hills Bros. and MJB brands) "provide 60% of America's coffee supply" and roil the market by cutting their product with the low-quality, highly available robusta plant (incrementally substituting it for the Arabica that Starbucks and others use).

Taylor Clark's excellent book reminds me Charles Fishman's equally compelling and balanced look at Wal-Mart (The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World's Most Powerful Company Really Works--and How It's Transforming the American Economy). These are two works I can highly recommend without reservation.

Chances are, sitting there reading this review, many of you have a cup of coffee in hand. And, more likely than not, many of those cups of coffee are from Starbucks. While it's easy to make fun of Starbucks (think of those iconic scenes in Austin Powers 2 and Best in Show) or disparage the company ("Charbucks" or "Staryucks"), no one can deny that they are a contemporary business powerhouse and have changed the way Americans drink coffee. In STARBUCKED, Taylor Clark explores the influence of the Starbucks Corporation on business and its ubiquity on the American cultural landscape. It is at once funny, informative and a bit scary.

Clark tackles many topics directly related to Starbucks. He starts by examining the history of coffee drinking itself. His account is brief but full of interesting tidbits. For example, before coffee came to Europe, the breakfast drink of choice was beer. Soon Clark is on to the contemporary world of specialty coffee. He discusses popular and influential roasters and cafes and even the work of a couple of coffee scientists. And, of course, he discusses the early days of Starbucks, originally conceived and founded by three young men in Seattle. From a commercial point of view, things get quite interesting when Howard Schultz, the man who leads Starbucks today, enters the picture. It's hard to believe that the Starbucks craze was just getting underway in the early 1990s; for better or worse, it seems like they have always been here.

Under Schultz, Starbucks has grown into an international phenomenon. But, Clark and others question, at what price? Is the coffee good? Are the employees well-treated? Why does a cup of Starbucks coffee cost so much? Are the coffee growers growing as rich as the company's upper management? Does Starbucks negatively affect local, independent coffee houses? The author addresses all these questions and more with humor, brevity and thoughtfulness.

Clark manages interviews with both Starbucks heavy hitters like Howard Behar and Schultz himself, as well as former and current baristas, interior designers, real estate agents, roasters, coffee growers and marketers. The result is a well-rounded book, even if a tad predictable in its tone and criticisms. Sure, people love to hate Starbucks, but they can get away with opening a cafe on every corner because each location is successful (although not so much the Tiananmen Square one, as Clark notes).

For foodies, history buffs and coffee lovers, this book is highly recommended. But there is enough to entertain and enlighten readers interested in economics, business and cultural studies. STARBUCKED is a heady brew indeed.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman

When I moved up to the Seattle area in 1997, I was struck by the frenzied coffee culture. I was appalled to see one professional colleague chugging back several triple-shot espresso drinks a day. I wrote it off as a regional thing, but when I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area two years later, I saw the same thing happening here. After encountering four Starbucks cafes within spitting distance of each other in downtown San Francisco, I began warning friends that Starbucks was an insidious cancer heading toward global domination. Friends were not equally alarmed. They just laughed politely.

I found a kindred spirit in Taylor Clark, who also became worried when he noticed that three Starbucks stores had cropped up overnight in his small hometown of Ashland, Oregon. Unlike me, Clark turned his trepidation into investigation. The resultant tome is a well-researched, humorous, and educational account of Starbucks' history, economics, and culture.

Starbucks is ubiquitous. They've managed to quietly turn a non-essential product into the second-most-traded physical commodity in the world. This is the story of the brilliant psychological techniques the company uses to endless expand, creating myriad new customers everywhere it goes while squeezing the maximum cash from each through outrageous price markups. As Clark explains, Starbucks' success is due in part to its sophisticated real estate machine, which ruthlessly grabs prime spots in all desirable (upscale) locales. The company's aim is to be inescapable, an unavoidable obstacle in your path.

Starbucks is, of course, a huge dope pusher, addicting people to hyper-caffeinated products. Indeed, the world would come to a screeching halt if all of the Starbucks stores were suddenly closed one day; the millions of Starbucks customers would have massive headaches and be unable to think straight. Starbucks doesn't want to talk about the physically addictive aspect of its product. They'd rather talk about the community they create. And, complimentary to its real estate machine, the other key to Starbucks' success is the way that it has tapped into modern emotional earnings. As Clark discusses, Starbucks offers the disconnected a place to belong while remaining alone, in "a constantly exhausted, hyperprosperous society in search of emotional soothing."

I guarantee that after reading this book, you'll notice more when you walk into a Starbucks, or simply drive down any street in almost any country. That includes Seoul, Korea, which houses the biggest Starbucks, or London, which has more Starbucks cafes than does New York, or even Saudi Arabia, which has an interesting relationship with the company. You'll have a greater appreciation of coffee dispensing as both theater and religion.

This book presents a concise and informative history of the development of the modern coffee industry, from the importation of African slaves to grueling Brazilian coffee plantations (where their average life expectancy was seven years!) to the deliberate degradation of coffee quality through the introduction of cheaper, horrible-tasting Robusta beans by the "Big Four" (Procter & Gamble, etc.), leading to a consumer revolt and the gourmet coffee revolution.

I was surprised to hear that Starbucks is considered by many to be more of a milk pusher than anything else. Indeed, it spends more money on milk than on coffee. And some of its high-sugar drinks have more calories and fat than a Big Mac and a medium soda combined!

As a teaser, if you read this book you will learn why Starbucks should rightfully be known as Il Giornale, while Peet's (a fixture here in the San Francisco Bay Area) is the real Starbucks. (I won't spoil the surprise by saying more.)

Despite Clark's initial stance toward Starbucks, the book is remarkably balanced, presenting some of the corporation's positives aspects and arguing with the cookie cutter portrayal of Starbucks as the arch villain of corporate expansionism and cultural homogeneity. You'll also be treated to the lowdown on the Fair Trade movement. I recommend this humorous and fast-paced book to anyone who drinks caffeine in any form, or whose path regularly crosses a Starbucks. I don't think I've left you out.

When I moved up to the Seattle area in 1997, I was struck by the frenzied coffee culture. I was appalled to see one professional colleague chugging back several triple-shot espresso drinks a day. I wrote it off as a regional thing, but when I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area two years later, I saw the same thing happening here. After encountering four Starbucks cafes within spitting distance of each other in downtown San Francisco, I began warning friends that Starbucks was an insidious cancer heading toward global domination. Friends were not equally alarmed. They just laughed politely.

I found a kindred spirit in Taylor Clark, who also became worried when he noticed that three Starbucks stores had cropped up overnight in his small hometown of Ashland, Oregon. Unlike me, Clark turned his trepidation into investigation. The resultant tome is a well-researched, humorous, and educational account of Starbucks' history, economics, and culture.

Starbucks is ubiquitous. They've managed to quietly turn a non-essential product into the second-most-traded physical commodity in the world. This is the story of the brilliant psychological techniques the company uses to endless expand, creating myriad new customers everywhere it goes while squeezing the maximum cash from each through outrageous price markups. As Clark explains, Starbucks' success is due in part to its sophisticated real estate machine, which ruthlessly grabs prime spots in all desirable (upscale) locales. The company's aim is to be inescapable, an unavoidable obstacle in your path.

Starbucks is, of course, a huge dope pusher, addicting people to hyper-caffeinated products. Indeed, the world would come to a screeching halt if all of the Starbucks stores were suddenly closed one day; the millions of Starbucks customers would have massive headaches and be unable to think straight. Starbucks doesn't want to talk about the physically addictive aspect of its product. They'd rather talk about the community they create. And, complimentary to its real estate machine, the other key to Starbucks' success is the way that it has tapped into modern emotional earnings. As Clark discusses, Starbucks offers the disconnected a place to belong while remaining alone, in "a constantly exhausted, hyperprosperous society in search of emotional soothing."

I guarantee that after reading this book, you'll notice more when you walk into a Starbucks, or simply drive down any street in almost any country. That includes Seoul, Korea, which houses the biggest Starbucks, or London, which has more Starbucks cafes than does New York, or even Saudi Arabia, which has an interesting relationship with the company. You'll have a greater appreciation of coffee dispensing as both theater and religion.

This book presents a concise and informative history of the development of the modern coffee industry, from the importation of African slaves to grueling Brazilian coffee plantations (where their average life expectancy was seven years!) to the deliberate degradation of coffee quality through the introduction of cheaper, horrible-tasting Robusta beans by the "Big Four" (Procter & Gamble, etc.), leading to a consumer revolt and the gourmet coffee revolution.

I was surprised to hear that Starbucks is considered by many to be more of a milk pusher than anything else. Indeed, it spends more money on milk than on coffee. And some of its high-sugar drinks have more calories and fat than a Big Mac and a medium soda combined!

As a teaser, if you read this book you will learn why Starbucks should rightfully be known as Il Giornale, while Peet's (a fixture here in the San Francisco Bay Area) is the real Starbucks. (I won't spoil the surprising by saying more.)

Despite Clark's initial stance toward Starbucks, the book is remarkably balanced, presenting some of the corporation's positives aspects and arguing with the cookie cutter portrayal of the Starbucks as the arch villain of corporate expansionism and cultural homogeneity. I recommend this humorous and fast-paced book to anyone who drinks caffeine in any form, or whose path regularly crosses a Starbucks. I don't think I've left you out.

When I moved up to the Seattle area in 1997, I was immediately struck by the frenzied coffee culture there. I was appalled to see one professional colleague chugging back several triple-shot espresso drinks a day. I wrote it off as a regional thing, but when I moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area just two years later, I saw the same thing happening here. After encountering four Starbucks cafes within spitting distance of each other in downtown San Francisco, I began warning friends that Starbucks was an insidious cancer heading toward global domination. Friends were not equally alarmed. They just laughed politely.

I found a kindred spirit in Taylor Clark, who also became worried when three Starbucks stores cropped up in his small hometown of Ashland, Oregon. Unlike me, Clark turned his trepidation into investigation. The resultant tome is a well-researched, humorous, and educational account of Starbucks' history, economics, and culture.

Starbucks is ubiquitous. They've managed to quietly turn a non-essential product into the second-most-traded physical commodity in the world. This is the story of the brilliant psychological techniques the company uses to endless expand, creating myriad new customers everywhere it goes while squeezing the maximum cash from each through outrageous price markups. As Clark explains, Starbucks' success is due in part to its sophisticated real estate machine, which ruthlessly grabs prime spots in all desirable (upscale) locales. The company's aim is to be inescapable, an unavoidable obstacle in your path.

Starbucks is, of course, a huge dope pusher, addicting people to hyper-caffeinated products. Indeed, the world would come to a screeching halt if all of the Starbucks stores were suddenly closed one day; the millions of Starbucks customers would have massive headaches and be unable to think straight. Starbucks doesn't want to talk about the physically addictive aspect of its product. They'd rather talk about the community they create. And, complimentary to its real estate machine, the other key to Starbucks' success is the way that it has tapped into modern emotional earnings. As Clark discusses, Starbucks offers the disconnected a place to belong while remaining alone, in "a constantly exhausted, hyperprosperous society in search of emotional soothing."

I guarantee that after reading this book, you'll notice more when you walk into a Starbucks, or simply drive down any street in almost any country. That includes Seoul, Korea, which houses the biggest Starbucks, or London, which has more Starbucks cafes than does New York, or even Saudi Arabia, which has an interesting relationship with the company. You'll have a greater appreciation of coffee dispensing as both theater and religion.

This book presents a concise, readable, and entertaining history of the development of the modern coffee industry, from the importation of African slaves to grueling Brazilian coffee plantations (where their average life expectancy was seven years!) to the deliberate degradation of coffee quality through the introduction of cheaper, horrible-tasting Robusta beans by the "Big Four" (Procter & Gamble, etc.) that spurred the consumer revolt that made gourmet coffee possible.

I was surprised to hear that Starbucks is considered by many to be more of a milk pusher than anything else. Indeed, it spends more money on milk than on coffee. And some of its high-sugar drinks have more calories and fat than a Big Mac and a medium soda combined!

As a teaser, if you read this book you will learn why Starbucks should rightfully be known as Il Giornale, while Peet's (a fixture here in the San Francisco Bay Area) is the real Starbucks. (I won't spoil the surprising by saying more.)

Despite Clark's initial stance toward Starbucks, the book is remarkably balanced, presenting some of the positives of the corporation's success, and arguing with those who regard it as the world's greatest evil. The book is also humorous and quite easy to read. I highly recommend it to anyone whose path regularly crosses a Starbucks. I don't think I've left anyone out

Clark's research, reporting, and writing are superb. You'll learn a number of things about Starbucks, coffees from around the world, and coffee drinks of all ilks that you never knew before. If you're looking for a book bashing Starbucks this is NOT it. It is, however, one of the most fair and balanced books I've read on any subject on which there is at least some disagreement. Clark will have you thinking critically about both sides of many issues, including the company's treatment of employees, coffee and your health, even cultural imperialism. This is a VERY interesting read.

Reviewed by Muhammed Hassanali

Starbucked is divided into two parts. The first part describes the rise of Starbucks. Clark briefly summarizes coffee drinking practices outside the United States and moves to Prescott's work on coffee at MIT in the 1920s. From there Clark outlines the changes in American coffee consumption. The main focus of the first part is rightly on Starbucks - especially after Howard Schultz took over the company, making it into the coffee juggernaut it has become.

The second part focuses on the criticisms that are levied against Starbucks. Clark divides these into five main categories, which he lists as [pg. 145]:

* Killing the character of neighborhoods and employing predatory tactics to take out locally owned coffeehouses.

* Causing the suffering of millions of Third World coffee farmers by paying unfair prices for beans.

* Peddling a product that is harmful to our health (and our delicate palates).

* Exploiting its employees and crushing their attempts to unionize.

* Homogenizing the planet and destroying cultural diversity by saturating the world with its stores.

It is in this section that one would find the most contentious parts of the book. While Clark does address all of the categories above, and draws upon all the major criticisms leveled against Starbucks, to some readers he may come across as being pro-Starbucks. Other readers would contend that Clark is merely mapping the fault lines of the debate. Whatever the reader's stand, most would agree that Clark has outlined both sides of the debate. It was instructive for me to read the epilogue, titled "The Last Drop." It recounts Clark's personal encounter with Starbucks as it entered his home town and probably influenced his ambivalence towards the company.

Starbucked does not purport to be a management book or a book on how to create a culture (as some books on Starbucks are). This book outlines its rise from a historical perspective and reports both sides of the ethical transgressions that Starbucks has been accused of. The journalistic writing style is crisp and flows well. Overall, it is well researched and well written.

Armchair Interviews says: Highly recommended for those who are passionate about Starbucks.

I don't drink coffee, seriously, and it would take quite a miracle for me to pay $4.50+ for a cup if I ever decided to have some. But, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in knowing more about the Starbucks phenomena and how the owner created such a stronghold in the beverage market. The book is actually very good - its revealing, to say the least, and was obviously well-researched. The author was able to interview (in-person) the key players within the company, including its founder, Howard Schultz. Schultz is an egotistical tycoon, but he has a singular vision that definitely comes across through his own words and the words of others who have worked for and against him. The book is separated into two parts - the first part mainly covers the history of coffee, the development of the Starbucks company, some of the key changes and executives it went through, and how the company was able to develop so quickly. There was a large section devoted to the planning/esthetics of each store (and Massay, the main architect/designer) which I found particularly interesting. In fact, it seems that Massay is one of the few people that Schultz deferred to. I felt that pictures would have helped in this book (there are none), especially pictures of the first store, and some of the unique 'models' the author mentions. It would have been helpful, especially for those of us who never go into a Starbucks and don't know what makes them so unique inside. The second part of the book covers the impact that the company is having on Americans, in general, and the effect it has on other coffeehouses. Overall, I was surprised by the readability of this book, and ended up really liking the author's style and in-depth research. I also ended up not liking Starbucks very much, especially the principles of its owner, Schultz. He is pretty cut-throat, particularly when it comes to real estate and development. Some might call it good business, but I see it as devious, underhanded, and overly competitive. It made me glad to not support his company, Anyway, the book is definitely worth recommending, especially for people with an interest in biographies, entrepreneurship, or company profiles.

People that have a 'passion' for starbucks or the for coffeehouses in general and want to learn more about coffee's history will enjoy this heady brew of coffee lore. The format of the book works for me. The first half explores the rise of the mermaid and how starbucks capitalized on this undervalued and much abused bean and the consuming public. The second half explores the ethical issues and the criticism that success often engenders. I enjoyed learning about starbuck's retail design that enabled it to grow and expand so quickly. Also, it's cut throat competition in it's real estate department is clearly one of the secrets to it's success. The book also addresses the critics. The chapter on Fair Trade coffee was enlightening and somewhat disappointing from a consumers point of view that want to 'do good' for the farmers. The impact of more starbucks in your town and how that may be negatively impacting the local mom & pop coffee shops was also an education. My town also looked to ban any new coffeeshops after a 2nd store opened in the same downtown street. I signed a petition in my local coffeeshop, so as not to lose my favorite table and personal service. I'm happy to report the coffeehouses are alive and well including both starbucks.

Starbucks has a multitude of critics and much of what people hate about the chain is richly deserved, but this book does a great job in fairly examining the good and the bad about the coffee titan.