
Uncommon Grounds
The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.00 for first 30 days
Buy for $21.49
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Matthew Boston
-
By:
-
Mark Pendergrast
About this listen
Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks. In this updated edition of the classic work, Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous "Coffee Crisis" that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the "third-wave" of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs. As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds remains more than ever a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world's favorite beverages.
©1999 Mark Pendergrast (P)2018 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
The World Atlas of Coffee
- 2nd edition
- By: James Hoffmann
- Narrated by: James Hoffmann
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before, and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.
-
-
I absolutely adore this book with one fatal flaw
- By Aurora on 07-12-21
By: James Hoffmann
-
Coffee
- A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry
- By: Robert W. Thurston, Jonathan Morris, Shawn Steiman
- Narrated by: Dan Kassis
- Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading experts from business and academia consider coffee's history, global spread, cultivation, preparation, marketing, and the environmental and social issues surrounding it today. They discuss, for example, the impact of globalization; the many definitions of organic, direct trade, and fair trade; the health of female farmers; the relationships among shade, birds, and coffee; roasting as an art and a science; and where profits are made in the commodity chain.
-
-
Everything you need to know about coffee
- By FW1978 on 11-03-18
By: Robert W. Thurston, and others
-
The Coffee Atlas
- Different Types of Coffee and How They Are Made Around the World
- By: Marcia Abrams
- Narrated by: Stefanie Hazen
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forget Starbucks - there's an entire world of coffee waiting to be discovered. Around two billion cups of coffee are consumed across the world every day. Second only to crude oil, it’s the world’s largest traded commodity. The origin of coffee is shrouded in legend, and no one knows for sure exactly how it was discovered (although its discovery is largely attributed to a herd of energetic Ethiopian goats in AD 850). It’s little wonder, then, that coffee is so steeped in culture, with a rich history and a complex social and cultural narrative.
-
-
Fun and Informative
- By Caroline on 09-14-21
By: Marcia Abrams
-
The Whole Business of Beans
- How to Make Coffee Your Business
- By: Stella Perry
- Narrated by: Shannon Lynne
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our tastes in coffee vary from person to person. Everyone is looking for the best cup of coffee, from lattes and cappuccinos to French press and drip-brew. Author Stella Perry prepares the listener for a career in coffee with a walk through different types and preparations of coffee, including tips you should always keep in mind to make the perfect cup.
-
-
This sounds like a recording from another book
- By Amazon Customer on 12-21-20
By: Stella Perry
-
Coffeeland
- One Man's Dark Empire and the Making of Our Favorite Drug
- By: Augustine Sedgewick
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world - one of the most valuable commodities in the history of global capitalism, the leading source of the world's most popular drug, and perhaps the most widespread word on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's Coffeeland tells the hidden and surprising story of how this came to be, tracing coffee's 500-year transformation from a mysterious Muslim ritual into an everyday necessity.
-
-
Unfortunately
- By Brian on 06-06-20
-
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Fun and Informative
- By Stoker on 09-09-11
By: Tom Standage
-
The World Atlas of Coffee
- 2nd edition
- By: James Hoffmann
- Narrated by: James Hoffmann
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before, and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.
-
-
I absolutely adore this book with one fatal flaw
- By Aurora on 07-12-21
By: James Hoffmann
-
Coffee
- A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry
- By: Robert W. Thurston, Jonathan Morris, Shawn Steiman
- Narrated by: Dan Kassis
- Length: 18 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Leading experts from business and academia consider coffee's history, global spread, cultivation, preparation, marketing, and the environmental and social issues surrounding it today. They discuss, for example, the impact of globalization; the many definitions of organic, direct trade, and fair trade; the health of female farmers; the relationships among shade, birds, and coffee; roasting as an art and a science; and where profits are made in the commodity chain.
-
-
Everything you need to know about coffee
- By FW1978 on 11-03-18
By: Robert W. Thurston, and others
-
The Coffee Atlas
- Different Types of Coffee and How They Are Made Around the World
- By: Marcia Abrams
- Narrated by: Stefanie Hazen
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Forget Starbucks - there's an entire world of coffee waiting to be discovered. Around two billion cups of coffee are consumed across the world every day. Second only to crude oil, it’s the world’s largest traded commodity. The origin of coffee is shrouded in legend, and no one knows for sure exactly how it was discovered (although its discovery is largely attributed to a herd of energetic Ethiopian goats in AD 850). It’s little wonder, then, that coffee is so steeped in culture, with a rich history and a complex social and cultural narrative.
-
-
Fun and Informative
- By Caroline on 09-14-21
By: Marcia Abrams
-
The Whole Business of Beans
- How to Make Coffee Your Business
- By: Stella Perry
- Narrated by: Shannon Lynne
- Length: 4 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Our tastes in coffee vary from person to person. Everyone is looking for the best cup of coffee, from lattes and cappuccinos to French press and drip-brew. Author Stella Perry prepares the listener for a career in coffee with a walk through different types and preparations of coffee, including tips you should always keep in mind to make the perfect cup.
-
-
This sounds like a recording from another book
- By Amazon Customer on 12-21-20
By: Stella Perry
-
Coffeeland
- One Man's Dark Empire and the Making of Our Favorite Drug
- By: Augustine Sedgewick
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world - one of the most valuable commodities in the history of global capitalism, the leading source of the world's most popular drug, and perhaps the most widespread word on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's Coffeeland tells the hidden and surprising story of how this came to be, tracing coffee's 500-year transformation from a mysterious Muslim ritual into an everyday necessity.
-
-
Unfortunately
- By Brian on 06-06-20
-
A History of the World in 6 Glasses
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 7 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
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.
-
-
Fun and Informative
- By Stoker on 09-09-11
By: Tom Standage
-
A Short History of Coffee
- By: Gordon Kerr
- Narrated by: Kris Dyer
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Having conquered the world's taste buds and established itself as a staple in our daily lives, coffee has mirrored the moods and movements of society for centuries - yet, how much do we know about its history? In his riveting new book, A Short History of Coffee, Gordon Kerr investigates the fascinating history behind the global obsession with coffee, from its Ethiopian origins, the legends, myths, geographical locations and somewhat eccentric characters that have helped make it the staple that it is today.
By: Gordon Kerr
-
Powers and Thrones
- A New History of the Middle Ages
- By: Dan Jones
- Narrated by: Dan Jones
- Length: 24 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When the once-mighty city of Rome was sacked by barbarians in 410 and lay in ruins, it signaled the end of an era—and the beginning of a thousand years of profound transformation. In a gripping narrative bursting with big names—from St Augustine and Attila the Hun to the Prophet Muhammad and Eleanor of Aquitaine—Dan Jones charges through the history of the Middle Ages. Powers and Thrones takes listeners on a journey through an emerging Europe, the great capitals of late Antiquity, as well as the influential cities of the Islamic West.
-
-
Hard to take a break from it!
- By Mariano's Music on 12-09-21
By: Dan Jones
-
Five Families
- The Rise, Decline, and Resurgence of America's Most Powerful Mafia Empires
- By: Selwyn Raab
- Narrated by: Paul Costanzo
- Length: 33 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Genovese, Gambino, Bonnano, Colombo, and Lucchese. For decades these Five Families ruled New York and built the American Mafia (or Cosa Nostra) into an underworld empire. Today, the Mafia is an endangered species, battered and beleaguered by aggressive investigators, incompetent leadership, betrayals, and generational changes that produced violent, unreliable leaders and recruits.
-
-
7326451
- By Mark on 10-13-16
By: Selwyn Raab
-
From a Great Dream to Grand Opening
- How to Start Your Very Own Coffee Shop
- By: Stella Perry
- Narrated by: Kendra Lords
- Length: 3 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Let’s say you’ve got a dream. A big dream. A huge dream. You want to open a coffee shop. Let me guess - your friends and family have told you it’s a risky idea. At least a hundred people have told you “you don’t know what you’re doing”. And that’s probably true!
-
-
Easy guide to start a business
- By Serena on 03-30-25
By: Stella Perry
-
Van Gogh
- The Life
- By: Steven Naifeh, Gregory White Smith
- Narrated by: Paul Heitsch
- Length: 44 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Working with the full cooperation of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith have accessed a wealth of previously untapped materials. While drawing liberally from the artist's famously eloquent letters, they have also delved into hundreds of unpublished family correspondences, illuminating with poignancy the wanderings of Van Gogh's troubled, restless soul. Naifeh and Smith bring a crucial understanding to the larger-than-life mythology of this great artist.
-
-
Empathy for a True Artist
- By Sojourning Hope on 05-04-21
By: Steven Naifeh, and others
-
Debt - Updated and Expanded
- The First 5,000 Years
- By: David Graeber
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 17 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, anthropologist David Graeber presents a stunning reversal of conventional wisdom: He shows that before there was money, there was debt. For more than 5,000 years, since the beginnings of the first agrarian empires, humans have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods - that is, long before the invention of coins or cash. It is in this era, Graeber argues, that we also first encounter a society divided into debtors and creditors.
-
-
Transformative to the point of being revolutionary
- By James C. Samans on 08-14-16
By: David Graeber
-
Babylon
- Mesopotamia and the Birth of Civilization
- By: Paul Kriwaczek
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Civilization was born 8,000 years ago, between the floodplains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, when migrants from the surrounding mountains and deserts began to create increasingly sophisticated urban societies. In the cities that they built, half of human history took place. In Babylon, Paul Kriwaczek tells the story of Mesopotamia from the earliest settlements seven thousand years ago to the eclipse of Babylon in the sixth century BCE. Bringing the people of this land to life in vibrant detail, the author chronicles the rise and fall of power during this period.
-
-
Solid overview 3000 years of history
- By Alsor2000 on 07-19-20
By: Paul Kriwaczek
-
Lives of the Stoics
- The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius
- By: Ryan Holiday, Stephen Hanselman
- Narrated by: Ryan Holiday
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling authors of The Daily Stoic comes an inspiring guide to the lives of the Stoics, and what the ancients can teach us about happiness, success, resilience, and virtue. In Lives of the Stoics, Holiday and Hanselman present the fascinating lives of the men and women who strove to live by the timeless Stoic virtues of Courage. Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Organized in digestible, mini-biographies of all the well-known - and not so well-known - Stoics, this book vividly brings home what Stoicism was like for the people who loved it and lived it.
-
-
Awful narration
- By Jordan Bailey on 10-03-20
By: Ryan Holiday, and others
-
The Eye Test
- A Case for Human Creativity in the Age of Analytics
- By: Chris Jones
- Narrated by: Chris Jones
- Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a world increasingly ruled by numbers and algorithms, award-winning journalist Chris Jones makes a compelling case for a more personal approach to analytical thinking. The Eye Test is a necessary course correction, a call for a more balanced, personal approach to problem-solving. Award-winning journalist Chris Jones makes the case for the human element - for what smart, practiced, devoted people can bring to situations that have proved resistant to analytics.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Rack Em Willie on 02-12-22
By: Chris Jones
-
1177 B.C. (Revised and Updated)
- The Year Civilization Collapsed
- By: Eric H. Cline
- Narrated by: Eric H. Cline
- Length: 10 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This audiobook narrated by acclaimed archaeologist and best-selling author Eric Cline offers a breathtaking account of how the collapse of an ancient civilized world ushered in the first Dark Ages.
-
-
Look past the one-star reviews: this is an enlightening and engaging read.
- By Alonzo Nightjar on 03-07-22
By: Eric H. Cline
-
Coffee Shop Business Smart Startup
- How to Start, Run & Grow a Trendy Coffee House on a Budget
- By: Rick Robinson
- Narrated by: Sam Slydell
- Length: 2 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Driving around the city in any metropolitan areas we all see trendy coffee shops everywhere and not all of them are Starbucks. Do you ever wonder why there are so many new boutique coffee shops popping up everywhere? Well, according to National Coffee Association, it is not a hoax, but the new trend. The coffee industry and the coffee shop business have boomed in recent years, especially with regards to specialty coffees. If you are thinking about opening a coffee house, here are the 13 steps that you will need to take....
-
-
Great overview
- By C. Sierra on 02-19-25
By: Rick Robinson
-
The Soul of a New Machine
- By: Tracy Kidder
- Narrated by: Ben Sullivan
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Computers have changed since 1981, when Tracy Kidder memorably recorded the drama, comedy, and excitement of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations.
-
-
Reading this book changed my life
- By Timothy Knox on 08-12-16
By: Tracy Kidder
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
An Edible History of Humanity
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: George K. Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, food has acted as a catalyst of social change, political organization, geopolitical competition, industrial development, military conflict, and economic expansion. An Edible History of Humanity is a pithy, entertaining account of how a series of changes---caused, enabled, or influenced by food---has helped to shape and transform societies around the world.
-
-
Flawed, but worthwhile
- By Ary Shalizi on 12-28-17
By: Tom Standage
-
Ninety Percent of Everything
- Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate
- By: Rose George
- Narrated by: Pearl Hewitt
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rose George, acclaimed chronicler of what we would rather ignore, sails from Rotterdam to Suez to Singapore on ships the length of football fields and the height of Niagara Falls; she patrols the Indian Ocean with an anti-piracy task force; she joins seafaring chaplains and investigates the harm that ships inflict on endangered whales. Sharply informative and entertaining, Ninety Percent of Everything reveals the workings and perils of an unseen world that holds the key to our economy, our environment, and our very civilization.
-
-
I was quite mislead by the title.....
- By Steve on 10-20-17
By: Rose George
-
The World Atlas of Coffee
- 2nd edition
- By: James Hoffmann
- Narrated by: James Hoffmann
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before, and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.
-
-
I absolutely adore this book with one fatal flaw
- By Aurora on 07-12-21
By: James Hoffmann
-
Coffeeland
- One Man's Dark Empire and the Making of Our Favorite Drug
- By: Augustine Sedgewick
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world - one of the most valuable commodities in the history of global capitalism, the leading source of the world's most popular drug, and perhaps the most widespread word on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's Coffeeland tells the hidden and surprising story of how this came to be, tracing coffee's 500-year transformation from a mysterious Muslim ritual into an everyday necessity.
-
-
Unfortunately
- By Brian on 06-06-20
-
On Spice
- Advice, Wisdom, and History with a Grain of Saltiness
- By: Caitlin PenzeyMoog
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every home cook has thoughts on the right and wrong ways to use spices. These beliefs are passed down in family recipes and pronounced by television chefs, but where do such ideas come from? Many are little better than superstition, and most serve only to reinforce a cook's sense of superiority or cover for their insecurities. It doesn't have to be this way. These notes On Spice come from three generations of a family in the spice trade, and dozens upon dozens of their collected spice guides and stories.
-
-
Yummy!
- By amanda j green on 11-17-24
-
The Taste of Empire
- How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World
- By: Lizzie Collingham
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Taste of Empire, acclaimed historian Lizzie Collingham tells the story of how the British Empire's quest for food shaped the modern world. Told through 20 meals over the course of 450 years, from the Far East to the New World, Collingham explains how Africans taught Americans how to grow rice, how the East India Company turned opium into tea, and how Americans became the best-fed people in the world.
-
-
Overall really interesting and informative
- By Amazon Customer on 01-01-21
-
An Edible History of Humanity
- By: Tom Standage
- Narrated by: George K. Wilson
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Throughout history, food has acted as a catalyst of social change, political organization, geopolitical competition, industrial development, military conflict, and economic expansion. An Edible History of Humanity is a pithy, entertaining account of how a series of changes---caused, enabled, or influenced by food---has helped to shape and transform societies around the world.
-
-
Flawed, but worthwhile
- By Ary Shalizi on 12-28-17
By: Tom Standage
-
Ninety Percent of Everything
- Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate
- By: Rose George
- Narrated by: Pearl Hewitt
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Rose George, acclaimed chronicler of what we would rather ignore, sails from Rotterdam to Suez to Singapore on ships the length of football fields and the height of Niagara Falls; she patrols the Indian Ocean with an anti-piracy task force; she joins seafaring chaplains and investigates the harm that ships inflict on endangered whales. Sharply informative and entertaining, Ninety Percent of Everything reveals the workings and perils of an unseen world that holds the key to our economy, our environment, and our very civilization.
-
-
I was quite mislead by the title.....
- By Steve on 10-20-17
By: Rose George
-
The World Atlas of Coffee
- 2nd edition
- By: James Hoffmann
- Narrated by: James Hoffmann
- Length: 5 hrs and 40 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee has never been better, or more interesting, than it is today. Coffee producers have access to more varieties and techniques than ever before, and we, as consumers, can share in that expertise to make sure the coffee we drink is the best we can find. Champion barista and coffee expert James Hoffmann examines these key factors, looking at varieties of coffee, the influence of terroir, how it is harvested and processed, the roasting methods used, through to the way in which the beans are brewed.
-
-
I absolutely adore this book with one fatal flaw
- By Aurora on 07-12-21
By: James Hoffmann
-
Coffeeland
- One Man's Dark Empire and the Making of Our Favorite Drug
- By: Augustine Sedgewick
- Narrated by: Jason Culp
- Length: 14 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world - one of the most valuable commodities in the history of global capitalism, the leading source of the world's most popular drug, and perhaps the most widespread word on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's Coffeeland tells the hidden and surprising story of how this came to be, tracing coffee's 500-year transformation from a mysterious Muslim ritual into an everyday necessity.
-
-
Unfortunately
- By Brian on 06-06-20
-
On Spice
- Advice, Wisdom, and History with a Grain of Saltiness
- By: Caitlin PenzeyMoog
- Narrated by: Tanya Eby
- Length: 6 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every home cook has thoughts on the right and wrong ways to use spices. These beliefs are passed down in family recipes and pronounced by television chefs, but where do such ideas come from? Many are little better than superstition, and most serve only to reinforce a cook's sense of superiority or cover for their insecurities. It doesn't have to be this way. These notes On Spice come from three generations of a family in the spice trade, and dozens upon dozens of their collected spice guides and stories.
-
-
Yummy!
- By amanda j green on 11-17-24
-
The Taste of Empire
- How Britain's Quest for Food Shaped the Modern World
- By: Lizzie Collingham
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Taste of Empire, acclaimed historian Lizzie Collingham tells the story of how the British Empire's quest for food shaped the modern world. Told through 20 meals over the course of 450 years, from the Far East to the New World, Collingham explains how Africans taught Americans how to grow rice, how the East India Company turned opium into tea, and how Americans became the best-fed people in the world.
-
-
Overall really interesting and informative
- By Amazon Customer on 01-01-21
Bad; terrible conditions for workers makes on feel guilty about drinking coffee.
Coffee some good some bad
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A history of coffee!
I found this book fascinating…but then I love history and I love coffee, so I may be biased.
The author follows coffee from it’s inception on the world markets centuries ago to it’s modern “Fair Trade” usage.
Coffee was instrumental in warfare, in governments and…addiction.
One more recent fact, speaking of fair trade…for the longest time the people who raised and harvested coffee had never even tasted it.
Most may become bored with the minutiae in this book, but I found it interesting.
A history of coffee!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
My morning cup. The characters tied to this history make it even more fascinating . #espresso
Fascinating daily brew
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Solid
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good information for the coffee enthusiast!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I also found the recording to be lacking. I never quite grew accustomed to Boston's voice for this project, though his reading was clear and professional. Worse however -- and this will sound like a quibble, but it was quite severe in its impact -- is the audiobook's strange production when it comes to spacing between sections. Other than chapter breaks, there are no pauses between sections, which consistently created jarring transitions that required effort to figure out that we have left the previous section and started a new, virtually unrelated topic. I've never experienced this in any of several hundred non-fiction audiobooks, so it's a bit puzzling how the publisher allowed it to happen. When you add this to the author's lack of narrative structure beyond the straightforward dates-and-places of other dry tomes, this strange production quirk oddly contributed to the book's overall encyclopedic feel. Which is unfortunate, as these gapless section breaks could be so easily fixed by any entry-level sound engineer.
Encyclopedic breadth, but too dry
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
WARNING: WILL MAKE YOU A COFFEE SNOB!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good audio book on many modern day coffee history
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good and informative but tedious.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Décent overarching review of coffee history digressing into its American commercialization
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.