Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and how it Transformed Our World

Mark Pendergrast

Basic Books (AZ), 1999 - History - 458 pages

Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in Abyssinia to its role in intrigue in the American colonies to its rise as a national consumer product in the twentieth century and its rediscovery with the advent of Starbucks at the end of the century. A panoramic epic, Uncommon Grounds uses coffee production, trade, and consumption as a window through which to view broad historical themes: the clash and blending of cultures, the rise of marketing and the “national brand,” assembly line mass production, and urbanization. Coffeehouses have provided places to plan revolutions, write poetry, do business, and meet friends. The coffee industry has dominated and molded the economy, politics, and social structure of entire countries.Mark Pendergrast introduces the reader to an eccentric cast of characters, all of them with a passion for the golden bean. Uncommon Grounds is nothing less than a coffee-flavored history of the world.

What people are saying

Review: Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

User Review  - Eddy Allen - Goodreads

Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in Abyssinia to its role in intrigue in the American colonies to its rise as a national consumer product in the twentieth ...

Review: Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World

User Review  - Mark - Goodreads

Man this book was more interesting than I anticipated! The history of coffee as a commodity wasn't particularly gripping but I found the social and cultural aspects of coffee crazy interesting. Also ...

About the author

Mark Pendergrast was born in Atlanta and is a graduate of Harvard University. A business journalist, he has published articles and reviews in a number of magazines and newspapers, including the New York Times, the Sunday Times (London), and Financial Analyst.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and how it Transformed Our World
• Author: Mark Pendergrast
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Basic Books (AZ), 1999
• ISBN: 0465054676, 9780465054671
• Length: 458 pages
• Subjects: History / World