A History of the World in 6 Glasses

I love books that delve deep into seemingly small topics, like the best-sellers Cod and Salt, on subjects we take for granted.

The author, who has written several history books, here chooses six beverages through which he does indeed tell a history of the world, by linking each beverage to a time period. Only one is spirits, the others being beer, wine, tea, coffee, and Coca-Cola.

Again it's aimed at the general reader, not the specialist, and is an entertaining journey down the centuries. It zips along and is packed with those quirky 'I never knew that' facts.

I’d already read The Victorian Internet by Standage by the time A History of the World in Six Glasses was released, so I had a feeling I would like it before I even cracked it open. Most of my favorite history books are similar to these two—written by a generalist, who has a keen ability to tell a big story and clearly articulate insight into when, how, and why humans changed the way they lived in the past. In this book, he divides up the history of the world according to what people drank and tells us what it means… show more.