Summary Of A History Of The World In 6 Glasses

Noah Berl

A History of the World in 6 Glasses: Book Review

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage is a non-fiction book about how civilizations have been changed by different drinks over the years. Standage uses the development of six different beverages to show how civilization has developed. These include beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and soda.

The first section, which focuses on beer, begins with civilizations roaming around hunting and gathering to stay alive. These civilizations would follow rivers and streams wherever they went to make sure they had ample supplies of water. As time went by, the people of these small civilizations found new ways to maintain steady food sources. The discovery of farming lead to civilizations

The author first introduces wine through a discussion of both early Greek and Roman society. Wine was associated with the social classes as exotic and scarce, which made it expensive. Most people drank beer, while wine conveyed power and royalty, which meant only the upper class, could afford it. Wine later embodied Greek culture and became more available. As wine grew more popular so did the different number of uses. Wine would later be used elsewhere other than the Symposium a Greek drinking party. It was also used as a new way to heal wounds and like beer, was safer to drink than water. Rome put forth Greeece’s agricultural efforts; they started growing grapes instead of grains, which they imported from North Africa. Wine became a symbol of social differences. The fall of the Roman Empire didn’t lead to the fall of wine. Wine continued to be associated with Christianity and the Mediterranean. Although wine seemed to be traveling and becoming popular, wine was not always easy to make. Like many things, wine had to be in a certain location in a certain season to be

He presents coffees origins in the Arab world to Europe, saying that the beverage was discovered in both locations. Coffee was a new and safe alternative to water and alcoholic drinks, some believed that it lead to a better thought process and had medical qualities. Coffeehouses were places were men came to talk about current news, which left social differences at the door. While coffeehouses were all similar, there were different establishments that specialized in certain topics. Governments tried to get rid of coffeehouses because coffeehouses promoted freedom of speech and open discussions, which made some governments feel threatened. Coffeehouses might seem like quiet places to study or socialize, but whole empires where built on coffee. Many different countries controlled certain aspects needed to make coffee, which lead to these countries building. Coffee lead to the Scientific Revolution, imperial expansions, Enlightenment, and