Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast
Uncommon Grounds is a comprehensive history of coffee, tracing its journey from its discovery in ancient Abyssinia to its global spread across the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
The book covers a wide range of topics, including the social and political impact of coffee production in Latin America, the rise and fall of coffee brands in America, the role of advertising and marketing, industry infighting, climate change, and more.
The book also explores broader themes such as colonialism, culture clash, mass production, women’s issues, and international commodity schemes.
In this updated edition, Pendergrast reviews the changes in coffee culture over the past decade, including the Coffee Crisis that caused global prices to plummet and the rise of the Fair Trade movement and quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs.
What I Liked
Everything! This book is all the things that a nonfiction book should be. And the topic is immediately relatable to all normal, coffee-drinking people. It’s a good way to have more appreciation for the drink of the gods.
What I Did Not Like
Nothing – great book.