The Devil's Cup: Coffee, the Driving Force in History - book review
Sylwia Presley
Before I start writing about the book itself I need to explain why I am so happy that I was advised to read it. When I start investigating a topic - and this one will obviously take me a bit of time - I usually approach it in a rather eclectic manner: I investigate major areas of particular topic but I also talk to people about it, ask in the library or simply go to the local book shop, charity shop, any shop! And so "Devil's cup" was suggested to me by Bob Russotti from ANSI during ISO IEC Forum in Geneva when we talked about my new blog. And I am really, really happy he pointed me towards this book because it's different than anything else I read so far. Those of you who read sylwiapresley.com will know that my book reviews boil down to the effects a story has on me and in this case I have to admit that it has changed me...probably for ever. See, I have never thought about coffee as a drug. I read about this element of our habit a lot but I never REALISED just how addicted I am!:) Stuart Lee Allen in his book describes his journey to discover traces of coffee history - really smart plot, but what strikes me the most is the tonality and almost insane search for the dark side of drinking coffee all throughout the ages. I enjoyed the context the author puts his story in, "adventures", experiences and people he meets on the way.
Somehow, I really don't know how he does it, but he manages to demystify coffee, puts it at the heart of the dark habits to land your own attitude somewhere in between admiration and addiction, but probably a bit closer to addiction that you would expect.
Read it! It's a good, light start on coffee's history. It's a must read for any coffee geek! Thx to Bob for the tip! I loved it!