Tom Standage, British journalist and author, put together A History of the World in Six Glasses, which chronicles the historical and social impact of 6 different beverages throughout known history. The book chronicles our relationship with beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, and Coca-Cola.
Spanning several millenia and about 300 pages, and several continents, the book both entertains and informs the reader with historical anecdotes and contextual analysis. Standage dedicates around 30 pages to each of the six beverages that nicely divide the book into sections comestible on a commute. Standage maintains an interesting and erudite narrative voice and breaks up the text with the occasional relevant image. The book is full of tidbits sufficient to whet the appetite of any history or trivia buff.
