Braddy Reads A History of the World in 6 Glasses

So I've made a goal this year - an unwritten goal (well, previously unwritted) to read more non-fiction.  I've decided that I'll focus on some of my favorite subjects and hobbies, mainly food, art, and history.  Admittedly, "history" is a pretty broad subject that could do with some narrowing.  However, sometimes a broad overview is sufficient.  And, heck, if it's an overview that happens to include some food info as well, then that's pretty great.

I learned last year that food makes a pretty great medium through which to teach history, and Tom Standage seems to agree, if his book A History of the World in 6 Glasses is anything to go by.  Standage links some of the most popular and influential beverages with broad sections of human history.  Beer is associated with early human history and a move from wandering hunter-gatherer tribes to fixed farming settlements.  Wine is associated with the rise of Greek and Roman thought.  Distilled spirits reflect the spirit of exploration and ocean travel.  The rise of coffee mirrors the rise of scientific thought.  Tea covered the world in a period of global imperialism.  Finally, Coca-Cola's worldwide popularity is indicative of the triumph of marketing and the spread of American influence, for good or for ill.

Frankly, that's the gist of the book, so I may have saved you a few hours of reading.  However, the details of this expansion are well-worth reading, and Standage's writing is accessible enough to invite even novice students of history to crack open the pages.  I've found a lot of events in here that I want to explore in a bit more detail, but, as an introduction to world history, this text serves its role well.  And it makes its lessons all the more effective by tying historical events in with everyday beverages everyone consumes.

Well, everyone except me, that is.  I'm Mormon.