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aliciaclarereads 's review for:
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
by Tom Standage
read for PopSugar 2018 Advanced Reading Challenge: a microhistory
Even though 2018 has ended, I'm trying to finish up the last 3 challenges for the PopSugar Advanced Reading Challenge, because I love to be a completist!
My dad has been talking about this book for so long, and after finishing it, I can see why. Standage gives a very simplified view of human history through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. He guides the reader through the development of each beverage and what they meant as they became popular. So much of the associations with each beverage from the ancient worlds still persist to this day. For example, beer is a drink of the people that all have access to whereas wine is associated with a more elitist and sophisticated atmosphere. The writing is really accessible, and the book is super easy to get through. I've found myself discussing this book with people I'd just met because I was so interested. Food ad beverage is not apolitical and has a far broader implication on society than just simply what was available to put on the table. So this book really hit a sweet spot for me in terms of history and social commentary.
The history is really Western focused, as it moves from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations to the Greeks to the Romans to the rise of Europe to America. The little insight we get into Eastern cultures is really through the lens of European colonization, which while fascinating, doesn't actually give a great view on how these beverages shaped those cultures. This was the only thing I didn't love about the book. However, while exploring these beverages impact on the modern world, it ultimately delves into the trans Atlantic slave trade and the other effects of colonization, such as the opium drug trade Britain started in China. Standage isn't dismissive of these aspects of history, and does openly discuss them as violent and evil aspects of humanity, while giving a broader understanding to how these societies let this happen. That I really appreciated, as often times I find that people try skip over slavery as "a thing in the past that happened" which isn't the case as the remnants of slavery are still around.
This is a definitely a great book to read if you're looking to pick up some nonfiction.
Even though 2018 has ended, I'm trying to finish up the last 3 challenges for the PopSugar Advanced Reading Challenge, because I love to be a completist!
My dad has been talking about this book for so long, and after finishing it, I can see why. Standage gives a very simplified view of human history through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. He guides the reader through the development of each beverage and what they meant as they became popular. So much of the associations with each beverage from the ancient worlds still persist to this day. For example, beer is a drink of the people that all have access to whereas wine is associated with a more elitist and sophisticated atmosphere. The writing is really accessible, and the book is super easy to get through. I've found myself discussing this book with people I'd just met because I was so interested. Food ad beverage is not apolitical and has a far broader implication on society than just simply what was available to put on the table. So this book really hit a sweet spot for me in terms of history and social commentary.
The history is really Western focused, as it moves from ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations to the Greeks to the Romans to the rise of Europe to America. The little insight we get into Eastern cultures is really through the lens of European colonization, which while fascinating, doesn't actually give a great view on how these beverages shaped those cultures. This was the only thing I didn't love about the book. However, while exploring these beverages impact on the modern world, it ultimately delves into the trans Atlantic slave trade and the other effects of colonization, such as the opium drug trade Britain started in China. Standage isn't dismissive of these aspects of history, and does openly discuss them as violent and evil aspects of humanity, while giving a broader understanding to how these societies let this happen. That I really appreciated, as often times I find that people try skip over slavery as "a thing in the past that happened" which isn't the case as the remnants of slavery are still around.
This is a definitely a great book to read if you're looking to pick up some nonfiction.