Monday, July 25, 2005


interesting book? probably not

"like italian cars, football, fashion, food, and film starlets, espresso coffee has acquired an unmistakable aura of italian glamour. it combines precision engineering, voluptuous lines, impeccable style, and consummate showmanship, allowing its exponents to build an entire cafe culture around the process of making a cup of coffee. . ."

sounds like an interesting book, hmm? maybe a little too conspiracy-theorist on the agent orange charge, however.

i was surprised to find from this review that the author seems to believe that coffee is harmful, however. i honestly just don't think the science is on his side when it comes to moderate consumption, 2 or 3 cups a day.

"coffee used to be a business in which, despite its manifest drawbacks, a man could think himself honourably employed. in common with many other businessmen, the coffee man as often as not now finds himself effectively a receiver of stolen goods and an enslaver of the third world. the more conscientious may scratch their heads and wonder how on earth this came about. most keep their conscience prisoner."

this claim i think is waaay too harsh. in fact, while long-time readers know that i am a big critic of the current coffee market, i will say that "the coffeeman" per se is much more concerned with the state at origin than most other businessmen are about the roots of their products.

i know greenies -- even "evil" ones who sell commercial coffee to folgers -- who have built roads, schools, and medical clinics for workers. those coffeemen and women in the specialty coffee industry have been tireless in alerting the world to the plight of coffee farmers and in designing working, practical solutions beyond just fair trade, which is the only thing the author seems to offer.

i guess you can buy it here. but so far, i think i'll be skipping it.

posted by fortune | 9:08 AM | top | link to this | email this: | | | 0 comments