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A History Of The World In Six Glasses Chapter Summaries

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The History of the World in Six Glasses: Book Review In the book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, by Tom Standage, it explains world history through the six most popular and influential drinks dating back from approximately 3400 BCE to present day. Throughout human history, these six drinks have done more than just quench thirst; they have influenced the course of history from humankind’s adoption of agriculture to the advent of globalization.
Beer:
Beer was not particularly an invention, Standage says, it was more so a discovery, when it came about in the Mesopotamia society around 3400 BCE. Water was the only beverage the Mesopotamians ever knew, until they came upon a new drink derived from barley, wheat, and cereal grains. Beer had become the staple beverage of the earliest civilizations. Both rich and poor people consumed beer. It had become the center of religious, social, and economical life for the Mesopotamians. Standage claims that “[Beer] came into existence during… the switch from a nomadic to a settled lifestyle” (Standage p. 10). In this text provided, Standage infers that beer was a factor that helped the Mesopotamian society become a civilization rather than continuing on with the nomadic lifestyle, this shift led to a sudden increase in social complexity and the emergence of cities. …show more content…

The beverage brought people together and also, it changed the Mesopotamia culture radically by helping them become stationary and giving them new traditions. The author makes great points and explains how beer came to be in this section, but he cannot prove that beer was the reason why the Mesopotamians settled down. They settled down because the soil was fertile, they had two major rivers and it was located on the Fertile Crescent, making this the perfect place to start a

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A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage, discusses the influence of various drinks on certain events and throughout the course of history. The drinks we read about in this book are beer, wine, spirits, tea and (from the epilogue) water. The overall purpose of this book is to explain and prove that each of these drinks had a profound effect on the world. Tom Standage is a digital editor and an author who wrote a plethora of books on an array of events and times throughout history. That being said, Standage’s work can be trusted and recommended as he is a qualified writer.

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However, when beer was discovered it became moderately prevalent and a necessity to some degree. It was used in religious formalities as it was thought to be a gift from the Gods. It was used for social collaborations as well. In order to keep up with its high request, hunter-gatherers had to deliberately farm. One of the key reasons for its popularity was its ability to be stored which was Unlike anything they’ve ever seen before as the ability of previous food sources were not up to that level of technologies for the storage of the grain.

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According to the Michael Kolkind in the essay History 489 at Berkeley the conflict over people’s park took place. According to the author it was a small space took by the local activist from the university of Berkley which failed to improve it after “demolish some houses”(5). According to the author they created a space that would bring more people to join their causes. The author describes this action the “beginning of the end of the student movement”. For the extremist activists it was a military battle against the citizen that they were supposed to defend.

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In John Standage’s book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, the history of the world is told through the history of six beverages; beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca Cola. The effect that each has had on the world is profound and immeasurable, however, of the six beverages, I have found that coffee has played the largest and most significant role in world history. One way that coffee affected world history is that establishments that served coffee created a social venue for members of the community to bond over various topics. Standage wrote that coffeehouses were hotspots for “gossip, rumor, political debate, and satirical discussion.”, similar to what they are in the present day. These topics led to Kha’ir Beg, ruler of Egypt, as well as his superiors worrying about coffeehouses being a popular meeting place for those wishing to overthrow the government.

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This book reveals to us how beer and wine were used for cultural, social, political, and even medical purposes. Finally, Standage shows us how civilizations grew by the spreading of beer and wine, and how the spreading of these drinks spread culture around the world. To Standage beer and wine is a technology that played huge role in the developing and advancing civilization. In the introduction, Standage states that throughout history various drinks have/had such high significance

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Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt was introduced as a social drink and remains a social drink today. However, beer does not only serve as a social function; beer had a key role for agriculture and specialization in work. Beer contributed to food surpluses resulting in the first permanent settlements approximately 10,000 BCE. For instance, barley cultivation

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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.

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In A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, the similarities and differences in the economic and political role of drinks such as spirits and coffee between the Colonial Period and the Age of Reason are presented. Economic similarities between these periods include that spirits and coffee were agriculturally produced and traded between areas for items and that both of these drinks slowly promoted the growth of capitalism. An economic difference is a trade of spirits being used as slave currency and encouraging slavery while coffee promoted equality between different economic classes. Political similarities include spirits and coffee shifting political power and the drinks’ role in challenging the government. A political difference

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A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage is not the typical history read that one might expect. To some who find reading history books quite tedious and overwhelming, this book is for you. Standage divides his book into 6 main sections via beverages: Beer, Wine, Spirits, Coffee, Tea and Coca-Cola. These drinks, which all started as a form of medicine, not only have great affects on today’s social culture but have also affected the historical spread of technology, religion, exploration, trade, slavery, and noteworthy worldwide events that changed society. As Standage describes it, Beer was a representation of both liquid wealth and health during the early civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia.

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Population in ancient Babylon was growing, moving more people to cities to create a society. The rise of population created the advancement in agricultural technology. Agriculture depends on soil conditions, temperature and availability of water. Because water was easiest to manipulate, people were using the rivers and plains to create irrigation systems. As these agricultural technologies were advancing, communities were able to produce enough surplus to provide large populations.

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Standage also stated that beer was not considered invented like drinks today, beer was discovered and was a form of money and beer was even considered a religious offering. Standage then discussed wine that was a part of the Roman and Greek tradition. Wine was known as a drink that involved sophistication and power,

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Although we do not know the origins of beer, historians know the discovery was accidental. After the discovery, people would have wanted to make sure that they had a more stable supply of grain, than unreliable wild grains. Therefore, beer most likely led to the first farming settlements.

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In addition, beer could be found and made easily in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt compared to wine that was very exocit and scrace and how expensive it was to transport it. 2)How was Wine a delicacy reserved for the prestige in ancient Greece and Rome? Wine was a delicacy reserved for the prestige in ancient Greece and Rome in many ways. In both ancient Greece and Rome, only the richest and most powerful people could obtain the beverage due to the rareness of the main ingredients, grapes and vines. Because only a few could afford this beverage, those people were viewed as more superior and elite from other lower social and economic classes.

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Beer was an amazing discovery that changed the course of history forever. It was used for religious ceremonies, as a source of currency, and it had many other uses through the course of ancient and modern history. When exactly beer was first discovered is not

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Article Response: Java Man Malcolm Gladwell presents a description of the progression of caffeine, particularly in the Western culture in order to show the impact of caffeine in the world. Through initiating and presenting a description of the operation of Coca-Cola, Gladwell proceeds to capture the attention of the reader since most readers are familiar with the product. Moreover, Gladwell proceeds to dismiss the commercial artist referred to as Haddon Sundblom, including the scheme that was employed to enhance the popularity of Coke through the creation of caffeine for children. It is imperative to note that this initiative enhanced the popularity of Coke and made it a household beverage.

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