Throughout human history, many different things affected culture and history as a whole. From laws, to inventions, to technological advancements. One thing most people do not consider to be part of this list is drinks. In the book “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” by Tom Standage, six different drinks that heavily affected world history are discussed and analyzed. Beer and wine had an extensive effect on the world, but coffee is, without question, the most influential of the three.
Beer was an amazing discovery that changed the course of history forever. It was used for religious ceremonies, as a source of currency, and it had many other uses through the course of ancient and modern history. When exactly beer was first discovered is not
…show more content…
This drink originated in the Middle East, heavily influenced by Arabian culture. Over the course of many years, coffee made its way to Europe through trade and helped Europe to come out of its drunken and alcohol induced haze that has lasted for centuries. This, in of itself, is a huge impact to history, despite the fact that Europe had been drinking mostly alcohol for the past few centuries and the people 's initial dislike of coffee, the drink somehow managed to take over the Western World. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol in the morning began the day alert and stimulated, rather than relaxed and mildly intoxicated, making the quality of their work better. Coffeehouses became a social center to discuss current events, philosophy and science. While coffee faced many objections, no one was able to stop its reign and popularity growth through the western world. Not King Charles II (who believed conspirators and traitors gathered in coffeehouses). Not the people who were prejudice to Arabic people (who feared coffee due to its close association with Arabians), Or even the Great Fire of London (which burned down most coffeehouses in London in
A History of the World in 6 Glasses, by Tom Standage, discusses the influence of various drinks on certain events and throughout the course of history. The drinks we read about in this book are beer, wine, spirits, tea and (from the epilogue) water. The overall purpose of this book is to explain and prove that each of these drinks had a profound effect on the world. Tom Standage is a digital editor and an author who wrote a plethora of books on an array of events and times throughout history. That being said, Standage’s work can be trusted and recommended as he is a qualified writer.
However, when beer was discovered it became moderately prevalent and a necessity to some degree. It was used in religious formalities as it was thought to be a gift from the Gods. It was used for social collaborations as well. In order to keep up with its high request, hunter-gatherers had to deliberately farm. One of the key reasons for its popularity was its ability to be stored which was Unlike anything they’ve ever seen before as the ability of previous food sources were not up to that level of technologies for the storage of the grain.
Beer: Beer was not particularly an invention, Standage says, it was more so a discovery, when it came about in the Mesopotamia society around 3400 BCE. Water was the only beverage the Mesopotamians ever knew, until they came upon a new drink derived from barley, wheat, and cereal grains. Beer had become the staple beverage of the earliest civilizations. Both rich and poor people consumed beer.
Anthony Glass is merchant from Natchez, Mississippi (Baird and Goble 54). The book written by Baird and Goble, “Oklahoma a history,” has a map showing this explorers routes on page 49. Glass’s journey only takes part of a small portion of this map. However, he doesn’t fall short of making an impact in history with his traveling. In the year of 1808 and 1809, Anthony Glass led a group of merchants to the Red River region (O’Dell).
In John Standage’s book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, the history of the world is told through the history of six beverages; beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca Cola. The effect that each has had on the world is profound and immeasurable, however, of the six beverages, I have found that coffee has played the largest and most significant role in world history. One way that coffee affected world history is that establishments that served coffee created a social venue for members of the community to bond over various topics. Standage wrote that coffeehouses were hotspots for “gossip, rumor, political debate, and satirical discussion.”, similar to what they are in the present day. These topics led to Kha’ir Beg, ruler of Egypt, as well as his superiors worrying about coffeehouses being a popular meeting place for those wishing to overthrow the government.
The Glass Castle written by Jeannette Walls is story that revolves around a family that faces the hardships of a low class life, constant frustration, and hopelessness. I believe this story is centralized by the title of the book. “The glass castle” throughout the book is a dream, it is dream to Jeanette and her whole family, it represents a better life in a better place. Jeannette Walls centralizes her writing based on diction, the writer specifically chose unique words to show her experiences and emotions, this helps readers interpret the story from the writer's point of view.
This book reveals to us how beer and wine were used for cultural, social, political, and even medical purposes. Finally, Standage shows us how civilizations grew by the spreading of beer and wine, and how the spreading of these drinks spread culture around the world. To Standage beer and wine is a technology that played huge role in the developing and advancing civilization. In the introduction, Standage states that throughout history various drinks have/had such high significance
In A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage, the similarities and differences in the economic and political role of drinks such as spirits and coffee between the Colonial Period and the Age of Reason are presented. Economic similarities between these periods include that spirits and coffee were agriculturally produced and traded between areas for items and that both of these drinks slowly promoted the growth of capitalism. An economic difference is a trade of spirits being used as slave currency and encouraging slavery while coffee promoted equality between different economic classes. Political similarities include spirits and coffee shifting political power and the drinks’ role in challenging the government. A political difference
After reading "A History of the World in Six Glasses" by Tom Standage I found beer the most interesting beverage discussed in his book. I thought it was fascinating how the location and events of the first civilizations played a role in the discover of beer. I was also intrigued by the effects that beer had on the political, economic, and social aspects of these new civilizations. "The event that set humankind on the path towards modernity was the adoption of farming…" (Standage Pg.2) also known as the agricultural revolution. Some anthropologists have even suggested beer was one of the factors that played into the adoption of agriculture.
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage is not the typical history read that one might expect. To some who find reading history books quite tedious and overwhelming, this book is for you. Standage divides his book into 6 main sections via beverages: Beer, Wine, Spirits, Coffee, Tea and Coca-Cola. These drinks, which all started as a form of medicine, not only have great affects on today’s social culture but have also affected the historical spread of technology, religion, exploration, trade, slavery, and noteworthy worldwide events that changed society. As Standage describes it, Beer was a representation of both liquid wealth and health during the early civilizations in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
While watching “History: Through Deaf Eyes” by PBS, I learned a lot about deaf culture and history. I already knew about certain events, like the rise of oral teaching and the protest for Gallaudet; however, listening to the stories from people who experienced these events gave me appreciation I did not have before. Also, learning how technology shaped deaf history was also very interesting, as well as the various options for deaf children today. The rise of oral teaching was a part of history I briefly learned about when I was younger, but I never fully understood it until watching the movie.
Journal #1. Page 19- “Since beer was a gift from the gods, it was also the logical thing to present as a religious offering.” Response - Beer was used in ceremonies such as religious, agricultural, funerals, etc. The religious meaning of beer has a longer timeline than the Sumerians and the Egyptians.
Also impacting per capita coffee consumption, another industry driver. • Consumers switching to competing lower priced substitutes or
Coffee is a drink made from roasted beans, which are seeds of a cherry-like tree. III. In researching this topic, I have discovered how diverse coffee and its history is. IV. Tonight I will present the history of coffee, the health benefits and risks of drinking coffee, and three common types of coffee drinks.
Coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. In fact, it is estimated that every year, more than 400 billion cups of coffee are consumed all across the world. For many, it is the choice of drink early in the morning before work while for others it is the drink of choice when they want to burn the midnight oil. Well, whatever the case, there are many benefits in drinking coffee and some are quite shocking and unexpected too! 1.