A History of the World in Six Glasses by Tom Standard effectively illustrates the world’s complex history in summary with six common drinks: beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola. By including the development of these six drinks in relation to different parts of the world, Tom Standard nailed the concept that not only did common drinks supply our world’s ancient ancestors with a quenching refreshment, but a significant Influence on the development of the societies themselves. Reasonably, this book impacted how I view these six drinks in comparison to the world itself. I consume one of the drinks mentioned, Coke, on a regular basis. I simply viewed Coke delicious and refreshing before reading this book; nothing less, nothing more. But after learning how Coke Influenced the development of my own country, placing up a can of coke the next day felt Like I was holding America’s entire history In just my hand. The rise of Coca-Cola was essentially in partnership with the rise of American culture, industrialization, economy, and well -America itself.
When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941 and sparked World War II, American soldiers – all sixteen million of them – took with them a sense of patriotism in both their hearts and well, in bottles. Robert Woodruff, president of the Coca-Cola Company, Issued an order for each solider a bottle of Coke for a mere 5 cents, no matter what It may cost the company. “It anyone were to ask us what we were fighting for,” one soldier wrote, “we think half of us would answer, the right to buy Coca-Cola again. ” This demonstrates how important Coke was towards patriotism and the effort of fighting for what all Americans initially set out for: freedom.
Coca-Cola expanded far beyond the battlegrounds of the war. In fact, all over the world Coke factories were being built, which led to more job openings for all people of all kinds. This led to Coke becoming the leading product responsible for globalization, otherwise known as International marketing. Today, coca-cola Is said to be the most commonly known word in the world other than the phrase “K”. The reasoning behind that is indeed because of Its participation – if not the cause – of globalization. Rewinding to the mere Stone Age. Ere had a major impact on the world’s development, probably that of one of the most significant. Around 10,000 8. C. E. , harvesting grain in the Fertile Crescent by Mesopotamia and Egyptian hunter- gatherers was evident according to archaeologists. Beer was basically discovered rather than Invented when gruel (cereal grain) was left out slating for a few days and turned into a fizzy, intoxicating substance. Because of the discovery of grain, which led to the production of beer, Nomads expelled their hunter-gatherer lifestyle for permanent settlements so they could grow and harvest it.
Essentially, if it wasn’t for ancient Mesopotamia and Egyptians discovering beer, there’s a chance that the world wouldn’t have adapted the permanent settlement-lifestyle so quickly. Between 9000 and 4000 B. C. E. , the cultivation of grape vines Increasingly overrode hat to grain because to the new drinking epidemic: wine. The first production to transportation of wine became fairly expensive. Overtime, however, wine became such a widespread drink that everyone – from the wealthiest to the poorest – enjoyed it at symposiums.
At these conferences, Greeks and Romans discussed issues, which, wine was known to bring out the truth in people in a cultured, Greek-like way. The sophistication of wine reflects that of the Greeks, soon followed by the Romans who adopted much from Greece, including wine. Spirits quickly established themselves in the Colonial Period during the times of American exploration. Rumbling, today known as Rum, spread widely throughout the first colonies in America. Spirits like Rum were said to be such important economic goods that they helped determine the course of history.
Spirits also brought people – especially slaves – through tough times. Slaves would sometimes be rewarded with whiskey or rum if they performed well enough in fields, which made production get done quicker and more efficiently. The Age of Reason was accompanied with the perception-heightening beverage of coffee. Coffee was very comparable to alcoholic beverages because of its buzzing- eke affect it had on the brain, yet it was sobering rather than intoxicating. Coffee came to be the preferred drink of scientists, intellectuals, merchants, and clerks.
The first coffeehouses were established in the 17th century Just to simply enjoy a cup of the mind-sharpening drink, but soon took on an entire different meaning. Discussions that reflected everyday thought inspired scientists to develop theories and ideas, which may have led to the modern-day scientific theories of human thought. Originally, tea was known as the national beverage in China during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) because of its health-enhancing appeal. It later spread to the British Empire, where it was first used as medicine.
The Industrial Revolution first rose in England, bringing with it deathly diseases from unsanitary factories and working conditions. Because of tea’s health remedies, however, one observer in 1796 noted that because the British started drinking more tea rather than unsanitary water, the diseases “have so decreased, that their very name is almost unknown in London. ” Today, these drinks are still consumed regularly throughout the world by modern- day society. The relevancy this book has on today’s society is very dynamic, engendering these drinks are literally drunken everywhere.
If it wasn’t for these six accountable drinks, the world we live in today most likely wouldn’t be the same due to how these drinks have impacted our society development. When this book was published, it received reviews of such astonishment and realization. Steven Shaping of The New Yorker tells “[Standard] uses something mundane and everyday to tell vivid and accessible stories about the changing textures of human life. ” I’m positive that everyone who read this book viewed the drinks they consume daily differently, for hey were responsible for our placement in the world today.
Tom Standard stressed major points along the Journey to the world’s society development, the most important being the six drinks that were crucial to the expansion of the world. Beer, for example, was the reasoning behind permanent settling, and Coke influenced American patriotism, which led to freedom from Britain. Standee’s intentions. After reading, I’m truly convinced that if it wasn’t for the course of these six drinks – beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola – our world’s history may never have even made it as far as it has come today.
