A fair history. I would have liked a bit more detail of the early history of coffee. The last chapter in this updated version could have been better organized and even broken down into a few chapters. Otherwise, a good read. ( )

This book is the culmination of a thousand years of oral tradition, and I believe the first time these secrets have appeared in print.
Enjoying coffee is a global phenomenon with its popularity exploding throughout the world. This book will appeal both to those who make their living from coffee and those who simply can't live without it. It's written for anyone who loves coffee. The book is quite nice, with lots of details.

The book has an extensive bibliography and illustrations and serves as a road map of the history of coffee and its development into one of the most traded commodities in the world. It's an excellent resource for anyone wishing to deepen their knowledge of coffee and coffee production.
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The start of this book was really interesting, and as I got into it, it became simple light reading I could pick up from time to time. At some point I realized I was only halfway through the book, though, and couldn't keep going with the intricacies of detail about various US marketing and roasting firms. ( )

The history of coffee and how it tranformed our world. Read. Not great.

Pendergrast’s succinct yet extensive text offers a comprehensive look at coffee’s birth and progression to a beverage with global significance. Covering centuries of coffee production and consumption, Uncommon Grounds leads the reader through the turbulent history of a product rife with bloodshed, economic strife, and cutthroat politics. At times heavy on the economic side of the coffee industry, this text still offers an unintimidating glimpse into the complexities of the coffee world. ( )