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Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
Audiobook16 hours

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

Written by Mark Pendergrast

Narrated by Matthew Boston

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

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.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 14, 2018
ISBN9781977389268
Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

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Rating: 3.754999906 out of 5 stars
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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This book is the culmination of a thousand years of oral tradition, and I believe the first time these secrets have appeared in print.
    Enjoying coffee is a global phenomenon with its popularity exploding throughout the world. This book will appeal both to those who make their living from coffee and those who simply can't live without it. It's written for anyone who loves coffee. The book is quite nice, with lots of details.

    The book has an extensive bibliography and illustrations and serves as a road map of the history of coffee and its development into one of the most traded commodities in the world. It's an excellent resource for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of coffee and coffee production.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Pendergrast’s succinct yet extensive text offers a comprehensive look at coffee’s birth and progression to a beverage with global significance. Covering centuries of coffee production and consumption, Uncommon Grounds leads the reader through the turbulent history of a product rife with bloodshed, economic strife, and cutthroat politics. At times heavy on the economic side of the coffee industry, this text still offers an unintimidating glimpse into the complexities of the coffee world.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Very detailed book, but incredibly boring. I fell asleep a third of the way through, which I find ironic for a book about the world's (and mine) most beloved beverage. I eventually did finish it, but it wasn't easy.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A very long non-fiction book, but frankly it's hard to see what should be cut. His other books, portions of Salt excepting, don't live up to this book. If you've every protested or boycotted Starbucks or been pressured to buy Free Trade coffee and resisted, you need to read this book. Or if you just like knowing that Dunkin' Donuts was the easiest-to-find high quality coffee in America for years.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Really it should be subtitled the History of American Coffee Producers and Distributors of the 20th Century.He spends a lot of time looking at how coffee was marketed and complaining about American's percolating coffee. It's still a fun book to read, but it is not as all-encompassing as the title would indicate.