Caffeine

How Caffeine Created the Modern World

By: Michael Pollan

Narrated by: Michael Pollan

Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.

Pollan takes us on a journey through the history of the drug, which was first discovered in a small part of East Africa and within a century became an addiction affecting most of the human species. Caffeine, it turns out, has changed the course of human history - won and lost wars, changed politics, dominated economies. What’s more, the author shows that the Industrial Revolution would have been impossible without it. The science of how the drug has evolved to addict us is no less fascinating. And caffeine has done all these things while hiding in plain sight! Percolated with Michael Pollan’s unique ability to entertain, inform, and perform, Caffeine is essential listening in a world where an estimated two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day.

©2019 Michael Pollan (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Me and the author must be psychically linked

I've never been a regular coffee drinker. I rarely drink it but as I was listening to this audiobook I decided to go ahead and have a cup.
As I start to get wired from the coffee I decided to clean out my email, start filtering everything, and unsubscribing from newsletters that I don't read. To my surprise as I am doing this I am on section 16 of the book and the author describes himself doing the EXACT same thing after his first coffee after abstaining from it for a while.

I found it hilarious that both of us in our caffeine high decided to do the exact same thing!

Good Introduction to Coffee

It's a good introduction to caffeine (particularly coffee) - history, withdrawal symptoms, impact on sleep, and some benefits to cognitive/physical performance. There isn't anything new or provocative in this audio book (maybe except if you drink coffee at noon, a quarter of the caffeine from that cup of coffee is still in your body as late as midnight).

Curious about caffeine? Be entertained.

Michael Pollan entertains you with information about caffeine, coffee, tea, and more, and he retells his experiences of living without it and living with it and describes how caffeine effects us physically, financially, and, of course, at night whether we stay up or sleep.

Fun look at the history of coffee and tea

Enjoyable look at the history, science and impact on our civilization of caffeine. While I personally think this book over-estimates the influence of caffeine on shaping modern society, it is an interesting take on potential impact caffeine may have made. Excellent book, I would highly recommend.

Fascinating

Fascinating and eye opening historical lessons and thought provoking affects of caffeine on our daily lives. Great listen!