Coffee: The Epic of a Commodity

A tail of an epic commodity. What a tail it is. From its early beginnings in Yemen, the author takes us on the coffee trail from Arabia to Europe. The details of the growth of the coffee trade are meticulously detailed here. Interestingly, the development of coffee culture in Europe and the development of a polite cafe society provide another look into the social implications of coffee culture in Europe.Today coffee trade has developed all around the world in areas never considered at the time of its development in Yemen. Demand for coffee has grown and it remains a valuable commodity. Coffee is one of the most dangerous commodities to purchase in certain areas of the world due to logistics and political instability. Coffee: Valuable, dangerous to grow and a pleasure to consume, that is the continuing saga of coffee.

Wasn't sure if I'd like this book - is there enough history about coffee to fill a whole book written in the 1930s? Surprise! There is. Fascinating, too. Who would have thought that goats discovered coffee and the Ottoman Empire failed in Europe because of coffee. And it turned out to be a quick read. A little jumbled. Sometimes confusing. Seemed to be written by a committee rather than a person. Regardless, if you love coffee, you'll find this book fascinating. Oh, if you don't understand economics, there's a portion of this book that uses coffee to explain the world's economy. Really!

I quite enjoyed most of the first two thirds of this work. The history is fascinating. It is only in the last third, when the voice of the author really emerges, that I am reminded of how old this book is and when it was written. The racial references and stereotypes penned remind me of other travel writers of the era but that does not make them any more palatable. Even if one makes allowances for when the book was written, the terminology and blatant insertion of author into the history will be distracting to those looking for a more straightforward history.

This is a well written history of coffee which holds up surprisingly well since it was written eighty-eight years ago. The weakest parts are the final few chapters which center on Brazil and the economics of coffee. You could skim these chapters and not be the worst for it.

There is good material in the book, but it has been made unreadable by describing an inordinate amount of history, which to me appeared unnecessary or else could be described much simpler and direct way.No I did not like the book

This concise history of coffee is a must read that has been ignored for too long. The author is clearly erudite, funny and talented. Read this book and you will marvel at the things revealed, especially if you drink coffee, be it daily or occasionally. Enjoy!

I quit reading after 100 pages or so...writer rambles on and on about irrelevant details...more like a thesis than a book. Compared to the book "Cod" (also a single subject book) this is abominable.

Interesting facts but book does not flow well.