Customer Reviews

The Coffee Book: Anatomy of an Industry from Crop to the Last Drop

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Mr.Dicum and Ms.Luttinger have writtne a phenomenal book. From their obsure historical facts to their pinpointing the origin of coffee, 6th century Ethiopia, you will be riveted to your seat as if you were reading a fictional novel.

They put coffee, the coffee industry, and global coffee politics under a microscope and often times it fails to hold up to the scrutiny. No matter what your political affiliation is you can't help but be immediately shocked and awed and the incredible amount of sociopolitical machinations that go on for you to have that morning sip of java.

For 11 years I have been a futures investor, broker, and author. One of the preferred futures contracts that I trade is coffee. This book has provided me with an indepth background and perspective on coffee that I never had before. This is now one of my reference books. For those that are interested in investing in coffee either actual grounds or in futures this book is for you and for those that can go a day without the original "liquid gold" you have got to read it. At the end of the day you will appreciate that Starbuck's "venti mocha grande" just a little bit more.

This was a fascinating book. A very good overview of coffee from it's beginnings to the present, and a real eye-opener on it's effect on world economy and politics over the centuries. I was especially interested in the sections on ecology and marketing, and found it to be very well researched and complete, yet written in a very catchy way. The illustrations and sidebar notes included fit in nicely.

Perfect to accompany "un tinto", as they say in Colombia.

I never knew the extent of coffee on the economy until I read this book. Not only did it include statistics and graphs, it also included little pictures and quotations that were insightful. I learned about the process of coffee harvesting, roasting, blending and the marketing of it in the U.S. Also there were quirky and cool little facts on coffee's impact on our history. I mean, who knew that the Green Dragon coffeehouse in Boston and Merchant's coffeehouse in New York became meeting houses for the angry American colonists who planned and protested against imported British goods in the midst of the Boston Tea Party?? Overall a good and enjoyable book!

I picked this book up at the library, thinking it was about kinds of coffee and how to brew it. I was mildly disappointed to find out that it was about the coffee industry, but I read every word. If you want to know how to minimize ecological damage in choosing your coffee, here's where to find out. The history was also fascinating. A great read!

This is a must read for anyone who works with or loves drinking coffee. If you're looking for a crash course in the history, economics behind or current politics of the coffee industry, look no further!

The coffee can cover attracted my attention, as did the handy take-to-cafe dimensions of The Coffee Book, plus I was pleasantly surprised by the contents. Not your usual non-fiction reader, the ample visuals helped hold my highly caffeinated short attention span. Learn more about your beloved legal stimulant and enjoy it even more!

The Coffee Book is an invaluable source of information on coffee commerce and history. Dicum and Luttinger take you through the beginning of coffee cultivation, its growth into the second most valuable commodity traded in the world today (petroleum is number one), and a detailed chronology of the major events shaping the coffee industry. This book provides an invaluable foundation for the reader to understand where we are today in the coffee business and what may be important aspects of coffee commerce for the future. I've read many books on coffee but if I could have only one book as my primary reference, The Coffee Book would be my choice without a doubt.

Michael Maxey

Superb. Hits like a double espresso. Provides everything you need to know about the history, social implications, and economics of coffee. A must read!

I agree with most of the comments in the other reviews. One thing I will add is that this is a more concise book than "UNCOMMON GROUNDS", but has much of the same information, from a different viewpoint of course. It is also around 6 years more up to date. For instance in "UNCOMMON GROUNDS" Vietnam was just starting to make a mark in the coffee industry, now it's one of the top producers of Robusta beans. Also the Fair Trade / Bird Friendly etc. coffee is more common now. Information will be found on the various aspects of coffee, such as Starbucks, instant, caffeine-decaf, specialty coffee, which turned the industry around (if not on its head). There are sidebars of some of the major players such as Kraft, P & G, etc.

The authors also dealt with coffee advertising which was a significant part of coffee history during the 20th century. Whatever one thinks of the commercials or the coffee, Mrs.Olsen & Juan Valdez became stars. One interesting quote they reported had to do with why the ad-industry put out certain of the ads they did during the 50-60's such as some from CHOCK-FULL-OF-NUTS & CHASE AND SANBORN. The people behind those ads said that they did it on purpose - they figured that the women went through the same thing in real life. Imagine the ad agencies trying to get away with some of those ads today.

So, if you are interested in the history of coffee but don't have the time for the 400+ pages found in "UNCOMMON GROUNDS" (also reviewed), this is the book to read.
Of course it would be hard to beat the cover.

Fascinating book on the history of coffee, well written and style that flows makes the stories easy to follow . You find yourself winding through time and all the crazy social ramifications coffee has had on a variety of cultures - including European and American. Highly recommend for coffee drinkers curious to know how the cup of coffee they drink and today's coffee houses came into being.