The Coffee Book

Full of facts, figures, cartoons and commentary, this book covers coffee from its first use in Ethiopia in the 6th century AD to the rise of speciality retailers in the 1990s. It explores the process of cultivation, harvesting and roasting from bean to cup; surveys the social history of cafe society from the first coffee-houses in Constantinople to Renaissance French cafes, to beatnik havens in Berkeley and Greenwich Village; and tells the story of international trade and speculation. The book also examines the industry's major players, reveals how the quest for higher profits has often come at the expense of quality, and shows how the product has been turned into a lifestyle. Finally, the text considers the exploitation of labour and damage to the environment that mass cultivation causes, and explores the growing "conscious coffee" market and "fair trade" movement.