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A review by jlennidorner
A History of the World in 6 Glasses by Tom Standage
4.0
This was a fun book to read. I highly recommend it to my fellow writers who do world-building (fantasy, sci-fi). It's also a great book that has an interesting take on world history. It goes from the dawn of humans all the way to a discussion about the possibility of colonizing Mars.
In the "High Spirits, High Seas" section, it discusses slavery, and the argument that some people weren't human, and therefore couldn't be converted to certain religions. That's something that's always fascinated me (since my great-grandfather was, by such logic, the first human in my family). It talks about the important role that coffee played at the birth of "information workers."
My favorite quote from the book:
"...people are happiest when granted freedom of choice in the political, economic, and personal spheres, in the form of democracy, consumerism, and the rejection of many long-standing forms of discrimination."
Here's a part I really found interesting:
"The wealthy aristocracy and clergy, a mere 2 percent of the population, were exempt from taxes, so the burden of taxation fell on everyone else..." It's about France in about 1789, at the start of the French Revolution.
In the "High Spirits, High Seas" section, it discusses slavery, and the argument that some people weren't human, and therefore couldn't be converted to certain religions. That's something that's always fascinated me (since my great-grandfather was, by such logic, the first human in my family). It talks about the important role that coffee played at the birth of "information workers."
My favorite quote from the book:
"...people are happiest when granted freedom of choice in the political, economic, and personal spheres, in the form of democracy, consumerism, and the rejection of many long-standing forms of discrimination."
Here's a part I really found interesting:
"The wealthy aristocracy and clergy, a mere 2 percent of the population, were exempt from taxes, so the burden of taxation fell on everyone else..." It's about France in about 1789, at the start of the French Revolution.