The World In Six Glasses

Tom Standage’s A History of the World in Six Glasses discusses the importance of six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, Coca-Cola), each of which define distinctive periods of civilization. The comparably minor, yet crucial role of water is also represented in support of Standage’s argument regarding not only the necessity of each drink as a requisite to life, but also the role of each drink as a stimulus for cultural diffusion and development. Various historical developments, ranging from water purification to convivia, are utilized to depict each beverage’s appeal and the contributions of each drink towards its respective era of prosperity, subsequently illustrating various historical themes that mark the progression of society

Over the summer I read Tom Standage’s nonfiction novel, A History of the World in Six Glasses. Standage analyzed and depicted the tremendous impact these fluids had on the development of our present day society. The discovery of beer caused a change in the lifestyle of mankind as hunter gatherers settled down in larger villages and began farming wheat and barley. Starting in 10,000 BCE, beer was an everyday staple in Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilizations. It was safer to drink than water and soon became a form of payment. Beer was even used in religious ceremonies, fertility rites and funerals by the Sumerians and Egyptians. The next drink discussed by the author, wine, was a symbol of sophistication and was directly

There are many ways to look at history. Many perspectives from the past that form today. Tom Standage chose to discuss about drinks and how they helped shape the world. In his book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, Standage examines the most popular 6 drinks throughout history to describe how they influenced the development of the world. He takes the reader on an odyssey from the mesopotamian era to the 21st century and from beer to Coca Cola, proving that what was thought to be irrelevant to history has affected it by sparking revolutions and advancing scientific and intellectual movements. One wonders after reading this book if a pen and a paper or a spoon and a knife have their own history that has helped shape the world in another

One does not consider the origin and history of a alcoholic drink during a celebratory event nor does one consider the effects it has created in society when reaching the bottom of their glass. Journalist and author, Thomas Standage in his non-fiction text, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, describes the great impact of beer, wine, and spirits on civilizations. Standages purpose is to explain how these alcholic drinks marked political, social, and intellectual revolutions that influenced modern day society. Particularly, wine caused major social and agricultural turning points in the Greek and Roman empires. Standage adopts a celebratory and admireful tone in order to convince the readers of wines pivotal role in history.

(Waiters et al. 710). Recently, younger individuals and teenagers in America are starting to be involved in current politics and ethics. Instead of using appeals that are flashy or party-like, Budweiser attracts a broader audience by conveying a present-day issue in a historical manner so that viewers could connect to Busch’s story on a closer

As we read The History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, we see the massive impact that certain drinks had on history. These drinks could do everything from controlling trade to influencing government. Their power was endless for one sole reason: demand. All three of these commodities caused major shifts in power. Each of the drinks presented a different type of power. Rum influences the pattern of trade, coffee enhanced the power of intellect, and tea worked with politics to create a in shift power. All three of these powers are important in world history and still have an effect on the world today.

In the book, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-cola, all differently benefited this world we live in. Alcoholic drinks and Caffeinated drinks all medically benefited through history. For example, sailors drank grog to alleviate scurvy and doctors used wine to help sick patients. For the Caffeinated drinks, coffee was used by businessmen to stay up longer to work. It also helped clear men’s mind after they have drank too much alcohol. Coca-cola in the beginning, was also used medically. Coca-cola when it was originally advertised, was used as a cure for morphine and opium addictions. Another similarity between Alcohol and Caffeinated drinks is that each drink was the defining drink during a pivotal

Beverage Prompts BEER 1. How is the discovery of beer linked to the growth of the first “civilizations”? The discovery of beer is linked to the growth of the first civilizations because it came into existence during time when people were switching from nomadic to settled lifestyles, giving them the opportunity to create civilizations. Beer became the center for everything including religion, and economics.

The vitality of liquid nourishment to human health cannot be denied, and this requirement has been well known to humans since the beginning of the species. Tom Standage realized this necessity to maintain life and used it as a platform from which to discuss the history of humanity in A History of the World in 6 Glasses. Standage chose beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola as vehicles to navigate through history. The utilization of the world’s most popular drinks to explain history allows for the reader to make personal connections to the point in history the drink has had great influence on. From Standage’s perspective each of these drinks was a stimulant for major events that shaped human history. Through writing this book, his goal is

In The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, the original tale of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is flipped from total nonsense to a new telling with Alyss as the princess of Wonderland. In Beddor’s version, Alyss is taken away from Wonderland for her protection by the orders of her mother Queen Genevieve as Alyss’s evil aunt, Redd attacks the palace to claim the throne. As Alyss is being transported out of Wonderland along with the leader of the millinery, Hatter Madigan, they are separated with Alyss being in London and Hatter in Paris. Hatter must cross oceans and climb mountains to find the lost princess and return her to Wonderland to defeat her evil aunt Redd and take back the throne of Wonderland that was rightfully her’s. Thanks to

In The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor,The story from Alice and Wonderland is revisited, making changes such as Alice being the princess of wonderland, and the Mad Hatter is a royal guard for Wonderlands “Millinary”. Alice, or Alyss, has to escape Wonderland because her evil Aunt Redd has taken over the kingdom over and needs to kill her. She end up escaping to England, where she grows up denying this ever happened. However, she eventually returns to Wonderland and reclaims her rightful spot as the queen. In this book, the author added some themes to the story line.

When the Americas were just beginning to form, spirits accelerated their colonialism. At first, sugarcane production was introduced to the Western Indies or Caribbean Islands by Christopher Columbus. The West Indies land was not suitable to grow wine vines or grains for beer, instead Columbus introduced sugar canes to the Indies, creating a major sugar plantation in the West

The author wants to show that beverages had a great impact on history. He wants to tell his

A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage is a non-fiction historical novel, whose main purpose is to show the surprisingly pervasive influence of certain drinks on the course of history. Then it takes the reader on a journey through time to show the history of mankind through the lens of beverages.

This book takes place around the time of 10,000 BCE to modern times. While reading you learn about three caffeinated and three alcoholic beverages that has shaped the world throughout history. The first one of these drinks is beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt in 10,000 BCE. Then Wine in Greece and Rome starting at around 9,000 BCE. Followed by spirits in the 1300s, taking place in The West Indies, Africa, Europe, and the Colonies. After comes coffee in Mecca, Europe, and Cairo taking place in the sixteenth century. Tea follows coffee taking place in the sixth century and affecting China, The West Indies, Portugal, Korea, Japan, India, Europe and the Colonies. The last of the Six is Coca Cola starting in 1767