Casual Readers discussion

I'm wondering if there are any folks out there who would be interested in reading this as an August alternative. This focuses on the influence of 6 beverages on world history: Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and cola. Since this is an August alternative, we're looking to begin discussion on August 1st and end on August 31st. I plan on rotating between coffee and spirits while I read this (extracurricular homework), hopefully other people are interested.

I've already read it with my "real" book club. I enjoyed it, and would be happy to discuss!

I plan to join this read. It sounds interesting.

I think it looks fun. I read a book called And a Bottle of Rum... a few years back, and this looks very similar.

Have to see if the town library has this, since the copy I bought from The Book Depository has arrived yet.

Cool, I'm running a bit behind anyway. I WILL read it this month.

I just got my copy of History of the World in 6 Glasses from The Book Depository. Yay...starting this weekend!!

Awesome Rick. I will finish Showdown tonight and plan to finish the other books I'm reading this weekend. Next, I plan to start on this one, House of Leaves, and Swan Song. Having a blast this weekend so far.

I've read HoL and Swan Song, so I'm finishing World War Z and starting this and Conspiracy of Paper!

OK, I'm still planning on A History of the World in 6 Glasses and A Conspiracy of Paper. Plan on starting both of those by Monday at the latest. Have them both with me at the hotel. Might even get to them tomorrow.

I'm not very far into this book, but I'm finding some interesting facts. Didn't necessarily think I would find the first part of the book entertaining because I don't drink alcohol and the beginning of the book is about beer. However, it was very cool to learn that some of the early methods used for making beer and cooking are still used in some parts of the world today. I also liked how it talked about beer being used as a form of payment to workers. Could you imagine if we did that today? Especially in the United States.

I don't think a lot of work would get done with beer as part of payment:) I just finished the section on beer, and I'm starting the section on wine. I guess it makes sense that food and drink were currency in times past. There wasn't a lot out there to purchase if currency was in existence, outside of food and drink! I have to admit, After reading the introduction and the beginning of the first section, I really thought Standage was overstating the part that beer played in the advance of agriculture or culture in general. But after reading the rest of the chapter and noting some of the references he made to early writing, I can see it. Not only as a beverage to get you intoxicated, but as a health benefit. I can't believe people in Egypt and Mesopotamia could have realized those health benefits at the time though.

Yes Rick, it is somewhat of a stretch on the health benefits of beer, but I imagine they were aware of illnesses from contaminated water supplies. It wouldn't take a lot of scientific research to notice that people were getting ill from the water. I will be starting on the wine section after I get home later, or possibly in the morning. I'm pretty tired and only got four hours sleep last night.

I liked Standage's recommendation, in the introduction, to drink the beverages as you read along. It won't work well for you for the first two or three parts, but I may give it a shot. I don't drink beer, but I do enjoy wine, spirits and coffee! The book And a Bottle of Rum... was similar to this. Each chapter started with a recipe involving rum, beginning with the recipe for rum. It was another of those interesting "drink your way through history" kind of books:)

Well, I may just do that. After we get through the alcoholic beverages. I love tea, coffee, and even coke on occasion.

I am reading The Delight of Wine chapter Rick and finding it quite interesting. I'm not gonna worry about spoilers since it looks like we are in this alone. But, I really liked when it was talking about the dilution of the wine with water and how it affects the potency. Also, I'm in the middle of reading about the symposions and finding it fascinating. It says a lot not only about wine itself but the social interactions between the attendees of the symposions and the relationship between social class and wine.

I thought this section was pretty interesting as well. I just finished reading it myself, and I like the way he compares the way the Greeks held their symposions, and the way we hold our dinner parties today. I keep thinking of my aunt and uncle who have owned or worked in restaurants most of their lives, and have quite a bit of knowledge regarding wine. When you eat at their place, there is always the pre-dinner wine or two followed by the dinner wine, which varies depending on what's served. After the meal they serve a sweet or fortified wine of some type, depending on what's for desert. It's very much part of their lives, not only in relation to what they eat, but how they socialize. Seems to be a chapter right out of the ancient Roman's handbook. Only difference is, my uncle is also good with beer (provided it's a good one, especially microbrewery):) Must be that Greek/Barbarian crossbreeding!

So I just finished the section on spirits. (view spoiler)[ The focus on rum was really interesting. The book And a Bottle of Rum goes into a lot more depth, but I thought Standage did a really good job, considering he's got so much ground to cover. (hide spoiler)] I thought it was interesting learning the origins of the terms "limey" and "grog", although I thought grog went back a lot further. I never had any idea how distillation worked either, so that was pretty interesting to read about. I'm thinking that might be something I could do at home!

I should catch up with you tomorrow Rick. Next section is spirits.

I just finished the section on spirits and found a couple of things pretty interesting. The part where it talked about stills. My grandparents actually had one, so I've seen some of this firsthand. Also, I'm from Kentucky and found it fascinating when the book was talking about bourbon and how it got the name.

Had never really thought about the health reason of drinking alcoholic beverages -- safer than germ-infested water!

Darlene wrote: "Had never really thought about the health reason of drinking alcoholic beverages -- safer than germ-infested water!"

Yes, I imagine it was since they didn't have any water purification systems perfected yet. Very interesting stuff. Alcohol was widely used as a form of currency so to speak. People back then were very resourceful.

I thought the section dealing with the rum/slave/sugar triangle was interesting. Here in New England,we generally think of ourselves as having been a haven from slavery, and yet being part of this whole trade triangle, shows how involved we were in promoting it, whether knowingly or not. At least in the beginning.

I like the fact that bourbon comes from the county of the same name. It lends an air of respectability to the drink, like the French wines being named after their regions. And the fact that these beverages were (and still are in the case of red wine), healthy to consume, I almost feel obligated to have a glass on occasion.

I just finished the coffee section, and I had to post this link to one of my favorite quotes regarding coffee. It comes from Honore de Balzac, and gives an interesting view of coffee from a historical perspective:

http://blissbat.net/balzac.html

Getting ready to start the final section. I'm having trouble picturing Cola having as much of an effect on world history as the other beverages he talks about, but then, I didn't see it with the others until he started writing about them. I don't drink much tea, and was the least interested in that section, but having just finished it, I have to say it was one of the most impressive. Tea definitely has a big place in history, especially when it comes to the spread of imperialism, and British history in particular.

I finished the book last night, and was truly surprised at how big a part Coca-Cola played in American history. I have the book For God Country Coca-Cola, which is referred to at the end of this book, but I haven't had a chance to read it. (view spoiler)[ It's amazing that Coca-Cola was so closely associated with America, that when WWII started, they were the only company not required to partake in sugar rationing. The fact that the military allowed them to provide product to men in the field, really shows that iconic association. (hide spoiler)]