How have commodities shaped world history? That is a question that may or may not have been asked, but I put forward that we have never truly answered. More often than not, when we look on a commodity, it is a peep hole into a specific culture or culture cluster. If we are talking cocaine, we are looking at Peru. The Pill points us at Mexico and (to a lesser extent) the United States. And just about everything we have done looks upon the Spanish Empire and how other European powers acted upon it. (If nothing else, I put this book forward because it moves away from the Spanish Empire.)
A History of the World in Six Glasses goes beyond one culture in particular. In fact, it shows how commodities (in this case, beverages) shaped and continue to shape our lives. Coffee was not only a stimulant for the body, but for the Enlightenment as well. Beer was not just something to get you drunk, but a forerunner to bread. And it is an interesting coincidence that the places the Roman Empire touched are mainly Wine drinking countries today.
A History of the World in Six Glasses shows that what we trade today can shape our tomorrow. It shows that (and I hate myself for saying this) things can have a social life.
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