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Wednesday 3 August 2011

Coffee Craving

I woke up from a daydream one day and thought, "I think I'll read some books about coffee."

Though a favourite beverage, my love for coffee never went beyond theory or the basic stuff I'd whip up in my kitchen which would reduce real coffee lovers to tears.


Somewhat random selection of coffee-related reads


But I figured one needs to start somewhere.

  • The Devil's Cup
    A History of the World According to Coffee

    Stewart Lee Allen
    Ballantine Books (2003)
    240 pages
    Non-fiction
    ISBN: 9780345441492

    Stewart Lee Allen travels about 75 per cent the world on a caffeinated quest to find out whether the advent of coffee birthed an enlightened western civilisation, and if coffee is the substance that drives history. Yes, it did and yes, it is, says the author.

  • The Coffee Book
    Anatomy of an Industry from Crop to the Last Drop

    Gregory Dicum, Nina Luttinger
    New Press (2006)
    232 pages
    Non-fiction
    ISBN: 9781595580603

    Completely revised and updated for 2006, this book explores production, the history of cafĂ© society, dramatic tales of high-stakes international trade, health aspects, the industry’s major players, and the specialty coffee revolution - including the very latest developments in sustainable coffee. Full of facts, figures, cartoons, photos, and commentary. Personally, I prefer the 1999 cover.

  • Uncommon Grounds
    The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

    Mark Pendergrast
    Basic Books (2010)
    424 pages
    Non-fiction
    ISBN: 9780465018369

    Caffeinated beverage enthusiast Pendergrast approaches this history of the green bean with the zeal of an addict. His wide-ranging narrative takes readers from the legends about coffee's discovery, to the corporatisation of the specialty cafe. His broad vision, meticulous research and colloquial delivery combine aromatically, and he even throws in advice on how to brew the perfect cup.

Of course, I could order all three from Amazon if I wanted to, but after registering with the site to write reviews and learning that I'd have to buy the books first, I abandoned the site. Now I can't remember the user name and password I used, and I no longer care.

...Just a few more books to look out for when I'm out browsing.

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