Paperback, 424 pages
English language
Published Jan. 6, 2010 by Basic Books.
Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks.
In this updated edition of the classic work, Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous Coffee Crisis" that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the third-wave" of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs.
As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds remains more than ever a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world's favourite beverages.
Having previously read Black Gold, this is a far more US centric take on the whole history of coffee. Yes it covers some of the same ground, but is far more about the rise of the coffee barons and the impact from there. Still an interesting read, with lots to learn.
Nice and informative, though a bit too US-oriented, book on coffee and the industry which developed around it.
