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God's Drink: History in Six Bottles (progress of Civilization Series)

(us) Tom Standage

117K0

Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola, these six common drinks have gone far beyond their physical properties: they have served as currency, used in religious ceremonies, symbolized partisan political positions, triggered philosophical and artistic inspiration, highlighted the elites of the upper class, and even became weapons to conquer foreign countries or quell civil strife. Beer was once used as wages and currency, and once became a symbol of wealth and prosperity. How did it become knocked down from the throne of "crown of civilized drinks" and replaced by wine? As a once powerful and great nation and the pioneer of tea culture, why did China suffer from devastating colonization? The outrageous Opium War destroyed the corrupt Qing government and accelerated the prosperity of the British Empire. What does all this have to do with tea? How did Coke, today's new social darling, transform from a glass of fizzy soda water into an American national drink with fans all over the world? The author of this book, Kittom Standage, uses a unique and keen perspective, and through a large number of detailed and rich historical records, vividly depicts the role these drinks played in the critical period of human history, and how they became irresistibly attractive drinks all over the world.