A History Of The World In 6 Glasses Summary

Introduction

In “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” by Tom Standage, the author makes the argument that certain beverages (e.g. beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola) have shaped and affected human history. He states that by examining the processes and lengths at which the drinks were made will allow for an in depth look of certain eras in time. Many factors play a part in the course of history and beverages are an intricate part of that development. The argument that Tom Standage makes in the introduction of the book is a compelling one that although is a unique take on history it is not one that is outlandish. Though it seems unlikely beverages had a part in the development of history, I agree with the stance Standage takes in the

This section of the book, by far, had to be the most interesting to me, as I am an avid enthusiast of the ancient cultures in the Mediterranean. Although this section, like “Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt” was mostly a refresher course in what I already know, I found it interesting each time Standage made a reference to a person in ancient times I knew. Not only that, but when Standage starts to discuss the socioeconomic hierarchy both Greece and Rome had, I liked how he compared it to that of wine. Wine, like other beverages discussed in the novel, were used as symbols to show different statuses of wealth- where the finer the drink, the wealthier you were. The way Standage creates a link between the socioeconomic hierarchy Greece and Rome had to that of wine, was a very interesting concept and kept me intrigued while I read. Overall, this section of the book, was my favorite part as the references to Greek and Roman culture were exciting to read about. For example, when he discussed things like mixing water and wine or even talking about the symposiums, this became a great interest to me, leaving me wanting to know more about these ancient

I enjoyed the position Standage took when discussing world history. I found his execution with comparing history to drinks, to be done fairly well. Although I found the book to be very intriguing, at times I felt as if Standage’s claims had little substance within them, particularly in the first half of the novel. I felt as if I was being cheated on with the claim Standage made in his thesis- that all the drinks somehow deeply impacted human history but personally, the alcoholic beverages section did not deliver on that claim and left me disappointed. It wasn’t until the caffeinated drinks did I feel as if Standage really deliver on his