A History of the World in 6 Glasses

By: Tom Standage

Narrated by: Sean Runnette

Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates with authority and charm, six of them have had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history, becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece, wine became the main export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration, fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-century Europe, they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.

For Tom Standage, each drink is a different kind of technology, a catalyst for advancing culture by which he demonstrates the intricate interplay of different civilizations. You may never look at your favorite beverage the same way again.

©2005 Tom Standage (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Standage starts with a bold hypothesis - that each epoch, from the Stone Age to the present, has had its signature beverage - and takes readers on an extraordinary trip through world history." ( Publishers Weekly)

A Splendid Little Microhistory

What made the experience of listening to A History of the World in 6 Glasses the most enjoyable?

I love me a good microhistory. This one was splendidly done. It covers a vast time period, but manages to keep the focus on the specific subject the book has chosen to explore.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did! Listened to it in a single night at work, and felt like a historical beverage connoisseur by the end of the night.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in a good microhistory. They are a very popular genre right now, and some are more successful than others. This is one of those successful ones.

Interesting history comes through dry storytelling

I learned a lot about the influence of beer, wine, distilled spirits, coffee, tea and cola shaping societies and historical events since the early civilizations. In fact, I am listening to this book for the 3rd time there is so much to learn from it. However, some histories are entertaining and others are more like dry encyclopedia articles and this is the latter. It is serious throughout in language and tone. There are many fascinating things to be learned, though, and these do come through. The reading style is just very direct and matter-of-fact, clean and clear with no distractions, but just as dry in tone as is the book. The 6 major units seem to get more interesting as the book advances, but that is perhaps because the more recent the history the more I am familiar with it already or that I can relate to it better.

Anyway, this book contains lots of fascinating information; in particular I think of the chapters on coffee and how coffee houses were so prevalent in the Arab world in the last millennium and also their importance in the flow of information and the debates on human rights and revolutionary movements in western Europe in the past several centuries.

Definitely worthwhile listening.

Literaly, a history book

Any additional comments?

I thought this might be a bit more of a "light" listen, but it really read more like a history book. Not awful, but not what I expected.

Fascinating! A book for everyone

For anyone with an interest in History then this is a book you must read. I never realized the connections with these six beverages and how they ultimately changed civilization.

Apart from the history buffs I recommend the book to anyone who has the slightest interest and appreciation for beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and coke cola! I guess this means everyone?

Well write history with an interesting hook or drinks

Nice way of looking at history. Interesting link of USA and Chinese history to drink. If you found Empire of Cotton interesting you will like us history as well.

Educational and interesting, although dry at times

Would you consider the audio edition of A History of the World in 6 Glasses to be better than the print version?

The narrator was definitely skilled and added to the audio experience, although I didn't read the print version so I don't have much to compare to.

Would you recommend A History of the World in 6 Glasses to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend it, especially for intellectual types and drinkers who never really put much thought into cultural reasons and norms behind reaching for a beer, wine, tea, cola, etc. For people who enjoy learning and questioning the world around them, this will certainly be an easy read. Otherwise, it might start to get dry and read like a textbook if you're expecting an entertaining thrill-ride - if you're not 100% invested in the reading while you have your headphones in, it's easy to zone out and miss entire portions of the book.

What about Sean Runnette’s performance did you like?

Mr. Runnette does an excellent job reading and relaying the history of the drinks in the book - like having a skilled history teacher who genuinely sounds interested in the material, it helps listeners get drawn in too. Although sometimes, not even a skilled reader can make otherwise dense or dry material seem anything else. That is a rarity though for this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No real extreme reactions, just a lot of interesting facts and tidbits to share with friends and bring out at cocktail parties.

history repeats itself but in different forms ....

enjoyed the history of each drink ... now I look at these drinks differently...


history repeats itself in different forms...
greed, manipulation and more around the human nature to explore, experiment and exploit ..
and the public, in turn, would have the power to overturn the businesses by shifting the habits to choose what drink to consume.,,, constant change .... at times with individual choice but most of the times with no choice...

Western-centric and sometimes hyperbolic

I found this book informative, especially in regards to the origins of the six drinks, but I was unimpressed with the author’s treatment of non-European history. For example, I learned a lot in the section on spirits, but I noticed that the author *not once* referred to kidnapped Africans as people, only as slaves. In the section on tea, the British attitude and politics surrounding tea received at least 40 minutes and several quotations, but Japanese tea ceremony received only a 5-minute description; no history or origins, no political significance, just a description of some of the tools. Also, I am skeptical of the author’s case for the impact of each beverage. Yes, they were crucial, but to suggest that the modern toast is a remnant of ancient Sumerian religious ceremonies seems a bit overzealous. The epilogue and recipes at the end, however, were fascinating. All told, I’m glad I listened, but I would advise a good dose of skepticism throughout.

best history book

my favorite history book to date. narrator is excellent and the content is immersive and riveting.

Fascinating

Neat take on a world history lesson. I learned some really fascinating, cool facts in this book that are fun to share over drinks! 100% recommend if you’re a a history buff and foodie