Reveals the shocking exploitation that has always lurked at the heart of the industry.
Also known as Black Gold: The Dark History of Coffee.
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reviews
Oct 22, 2011
Norain MT
rated it: 
It was not that thick but halfway through it, I had to put it aside. I would not say the narration was bad. It just had the tendency to wander off to other things, so you got not only about coffee and its rival tea but also Napoleon, Sufism, goat and apple berries, Starbucks, capitalism in America, Monsanto… And oh yes, don’t forget St Helena.
But I did not abandon the book altogether, thanks to the experience of reading Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain whic More...
But I did not abandon the book altogether, thanks to the experience of reading Consuming Passions: Leisure and Pleasure in Victorian Britain whic More...
Dec 18, 2009
Leo Africanus
rated it:
Seemingly written in a frenetic caffeine-fuelled state, the book contains far too many rambling tangents and a sprinkling of horrendous factual errors (especially when explaining Islamic terminology e.g. confusing the sunnah with the Quran).
However the first couple of chapters demand attention as they chart the Chinese inspired path of coffee under Arab and then Ottoman auspices to the gates of Vienna only for secular Turkey to dismiss its 400 year coffee drinking history in favour More...
However the first couple of chapters demand attention as they chart the Chinese inspired path of coffee under Arab and then Ottoman auspices to the gates of Vienna only for secular Turkey to dismiss its 400 year coffee drinking history in favour More...
Sep 17, 2010
Petra
rated it:
A 3.5 star book. There's a lot of interesting information here about coffee and the coffee trade.
The author does run off on mainly unrelated tangents occasionally and some of the history of the Coffee Traders, with all the names and dates and ship names, is quite dry and detailed but, on the whole, this is an interesting look at coffee history from ancient times to the present, including Fair Trade coffees.
The author does run off on mainly unrelated tangents occasionally and some of the history of the Coffee Traders, with all the names and dates and ship names, is quite dry and detailed but, on the whole, this is an interesting look at coffee history from ancient times to the present, including Fair Trade coffees.
Mar 01, 2010
Gerard
rated it: 
Interesting political, economic and social history of coffee and a good introduction to the varieties and preparations of the drink.
Aug 12, 2009
Zoe
rated it: 
This book confirms my view that Starbucks is evil and reinforces my decision not to patronize them. Wild does an excellent job of pointing out the economic webs around coffee, and how, as usual, it is the poor farmers who suffer the most from price fluctuations, weather issues, and World Bank policies. It is worth the read, although if you are already tending toward depressed, it won't cheer you up at all.
Feb 01, 2008
Tim
rated it:
Does what it says it does. But in the midst of the coffee discussion, Wild goes off on long tangents about St. Helena and a variety of other topics. He looks longingly back at the 19th century world (an English one) and disparages global (American) capitalism. Of course, there is quite a lot to disparage...
Oct 29, 2007
Elizabeth
rated it: 
This book is misleading- title seems interesting but is really quite a bore! I only finished it because it was the only English language book available in Zambia where I suffered the misfortune of running out of books.
Nov 11, 2008
Eric
rated it:
A very well written, fascinating look at the second most traded commodity in the world.
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