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watermelonboogerbb 's review for:
The Monk of Mokha
by Dave Eggers
Picked up this book because I wanted to learn more about coffee, which I drink daily but only vaguely understand in terms of a global commodity. And I definitely got an education!!!
While there is information about coffee's origins and the processing components (harvesting, sorting, roasting, the grading process, etc), the book is less about the coffee itself and more about Mokhtar Alkhanshali and how he turned an idea into a reality despite many, many challenges. Mokhtar is very likeable and I became really invested in the story of his life. There were a lot of names to keep track of, but it shows how Mokhtar's efforts were shared by his friends, family, and business partners. In addition to the coffee and Mokhtar, the book also contained a concise history of Yemen and how Mokhtar's journey was made more difficult by political conflict. To be honest, reading this book helped me understand some of the current conflict in the Middle East, particularly the Houthis and how they gained power. At some points this book read like a thriller, with the amount of times people were getting kidnapped or blindfolded or threatened at gunpoint!
Overall a very fun and educational read that had me cheering for Mokhtar Alkhanshali's success! Now I want to try a coffee cupping as well, I guess it's hardly surprising but I had no idea that there was so much to coffee!
While there is information about coffee's origins and the processing components (harvesting, sorting, roasting, the grading process, etc), the book is less about the coffee itself and more about Mokhtar Alkhanshali and how he turned an idea into a reality despite many, many challenges. Mokhtar is very likeable and I became really invested in the story of his life. There were a lot of names to keep track of, but it shows how Mokhtar's efforts were shared by his friends, family, and business partners. In addition to the coffee and Mokhtar, the book also contained a concise history of Yemen and how Mokhtar's journey was made more difficult by political conflict. To be honest, reading this book helped me understand some of the current conflict in the Middle East, particularly the Houthis and how they gained power. At some points this book read like a thriller, with the amount of times people were getting kidnapped or blindfolded or threatened at gunpoint!
Overall a very fun and educational read that had me cheering for Mokhtar Alkhanshali's success! Now I want to try a coffee cupping as well, I guess it's hardly surprising but I had no idea that there was so much to coffee!