Customer Reviews

Silver Spoons, Mad Baboons, and Other Tales of Tea

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I had the pleasure of meeting the author, Barry Cooper, recently in his St. Croix, VI waterfront home. He gifted me with his book, and I began to read it in my "spare" time. Being a former english teacher, I appreciate well written, interesting literature, and this book is pleasantly all that and more. It enabled me to have a whole new appreciation of what it means to be passionate about your life and career. The author has an adventurous spirit, a result, I am sure, of having been raised in Kenya, Africa to a less than ordinary family. His writing relects that spirit, as he tells of his life, how he got into the tea business, and the history of tea. There is more to tea than this Texas native ever knew! Barry is an International Tea Master, who travels the world in his quest to perfect the art of tea. I highly recommend this book! You don't even have to like tea to enjoy this entertaining, informative, and picturesque read! His resemblance to Sean Connery seems only fitting, given the "007 James Bond of Tea" life he leads! His lovely wife is a gift, sharing his enthusiasm for work, travel, fun, and knowledge.
Treat yourself to this book!

I have the pleasure of knowing Barry Cooper and the book he gifted me was a pleasure to read. I learned more about tea than I ever thought I wanted to, yet was fascinated all the while. The book is short but his story telling drew me right in and I could almost "see and feel" everything - yet I've never traveled abroad! His eagerness to tell us of his travels and memories was done just beautifully. What a remarkable life he's had - I'm so glad he shared it with us. Thank you Barry.

This book was a pleasure to read. I really enjoyed the writing style and all the stories this book had to hold. Though the book is short, it has stories that resonate with the reader. My favorite part about the book is how it does not focus on how Cooper came to have an international tea company, but it talks about the memories that are truly important to him and that have come to define his character. For me, there was a lesson of never accepting fear as a barrier in achieving one's passions and goals. Barry Cooper has really lived an extraordinary life!

If you're looking for an intriguing read full of fascinating tales, definitely sit down with a cup of tea and enjoy this book!

I met Barry Cooper in Kampala, Uganda when he was a mere 'tea boy!!' This book is such a delight to read - it is beautifully written, full of tales, adventures and a fascinating insight into all that goes into that good old cuppa. I met Barry again just a couple of years ago - this time he was a Tea Master - he lost none of his charm over the years - and I am thrilled that he has found such success in his chosen career and that his love of books has resulted in the production of this really unique publication - what a triumph.

I read this book in a single session pretty much, one Sunday, lying here in tropical Indonesia by the pool under the palm trees, surrounded by bamboo, banana trees and the like. Almost as if I was inhabiting the world Barry Cooper so humourously describes in his book.

I must admit that I have been in the tea business for 30 years working in Asia, Africa, USA, Australia and Europe, and I too was an 'expat kid' living in Asia and Africa like Bazza. I recall Kenya from a young child's perspective in the 1960's - what a wonderful world that was; pre computer games, pre cable TV, pre Gameboy, pre CNN 24 hour news. And Barry's book brought all those memories of a past innocent world back to me. It is a rollicking ride reading about Barry's eccentric but lovely family members. I first met his mother in 2004 - she came gliding into the Mombasa Sports Club (on the Kenyan coast) car park in her Mercedes SL sports convertible, scarf around her neck looking resplendent. A modern scene from 'Out of Africa' - and she was about 80 years old at this time, seemingly an elder Meryl Streep, sweeping all before her. So I know the characters are as real as they are portrayed, which makes it an even better read.

But apart from the fascinating and colourful insight into pre colonial Asia and Africa, it is an excellent work on how the tea industry developed in the mid and late 20th century. And Barry played a big role in many developments, as part of the Lipton company. Technically the book is very revealing for anyone who is interested in the herbals that we drink today. It shows you how much thought and work goes on behind the scenes sourcing these innocuous items like hibiscus, rose hips etc.

Tea has an extraordinary history, and this book is a delightful way to get some insight into that colourful world. It is a great read - buy the book and enjoy the ride with Barry through a bygone era. Sadly the end came too fast....maybe we will enjoy a Part Two one day, Mr. Cooper ?

I am not a tea aficionado...... but after reading Barry Cooper's delightful book I may become one!

International Tea Master Barry Cooper has led a wonderful life and it is all detailed here in this part travelogue, part adventure story and overall tea lesson. Mr. Cooper's adventures have him traveling across the globe. From his birth in Kenya to his tea travels across India, China, Indonesia and Japan and many more countries........... the story and romance of tea comes to life. Mr. Cooper's love and respect for "two leaves and a bud" are obvious and it is joy to savor each and every chapter.

If you enjoy a well written, educational and yarn filled tome....then Silver Spoons, Mad Baboons and Other Tales of Tea is for you.

This isn't just a book for tea lovers. It is a book for people who love great writing, for people with a fascination for the wilds of Africa and for people looking for a little adventure in their life.

I started reading this book because I am a tea drinker and thought I might learn something. I kept reading this book because the stories are fascinating and the writing keeps you reading. Human stories, funny stories, adventure stories. The makings of a great movie here as well.

I loved the burning lantana, the security stops that ended in a golf lesson and the trips to the highlands of Sri Lanka. I found myself wanting to visit a tea tasting room and wondering if I would be thrown out if I put sugar in my tea. I wanted to share my story about Boo Bergstrom and the herbal tea I shared with him. "Tastes like dishwater" he said with exclamation. I had to admit the point, at least in this instance, and moved back to black tea.

If you are the kind of person who wonders how things move from the farm to your table, this will be fun. If you like learning about different animals, plants, places and cultures, score one for Barry. If you just like human stories about people and their fallacies, then this is worth a toss. Iron Man Cooper may not be the next James Bond but he has lived a life and that is no small complement. This book is chapter one of that life. I can't wait for chapter two.

In a world in which 25 year-olds seem to launch tea brands like techies launched dot coms in 2000, it's refreshing to read about the adventures of a real master of his trade. The man behind many of the tea favorites we enjoy today has led a life few are given the opportunity to experience - traveling the globe, building his expertise and ultimately becoming one of the most renowned figures in the world of the second most-consumed beverage in the world behind water: tea. Barry takes you along for the ride in compelling, well-written form. His sense of humor and perspective shine through, from the chapter titles to the smaller details. The result is one of those rare, sneaky, well-written sort of autobiographies which entertains you to the point where you don't even realize that all the while you are being educated. Terrific read - I highly recommend it!

The reader enjoys a whirlwind tour of the globe from Mr. Coopers childhood to the present day entrepreneur. The leafy tea bush and life of Barry Cooper are inter-twined with passion, money, tradition, taste, international politics, local agribusiness and big business. Cheers to Mr. Cooper...the real Mr. Tea!

What happens when an intrepid tea master spends his life in search of two leaves and a bud (and a few herbs in between)? Entertaining stories overflowing with adventure, intrigue and narrow escapes!

I love this book--not just because I love tea and am a "heavy user" (as we say in tea lingo) and not just because I worked in the tea business for many years--but also because it is written with great skill and humor. I laughed aloud over Barry Cooper's out-of-Africa stories--from his family's bold encounter with a charging elephant in Uganda, to an "accidental" lantana fire gone amok in Kenya, to post-meal belching and other "courtesies" in China.

In addition to helping to shape the tea and herbal "infusion" industry, Barry is an accomplished writer with scores of educational tales of tea tasting, types, growers, and blenders. His memoir is informative yet reads like an adventure novel. Further, his book is beautifully designed and richly embellished with precious photos and old world maps.

It is little wonder that "Silver Spoons, Mad Baboons & Other Tales of Tea" has been awarded the Independent Publisher Book Award out of a field of thousands of entries. Though I wasn't one of the judges, I concur wholeheartedly with their decision.