Coffee

A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry

By: Robert W. Thurston, Jonathan Morris, Shawn Steiman

Narrated by: Dan Kassis

Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide to the Bean, the Beverage, and the Industry offers a definitive guide to the many rich dimensions of the bean and the beverage around the world. Leading experts from business and academia consider coffee's history, global spread, cultivation, preparation, marketing, and the environmental and social issues surrounding it today. They discuss, for example, the impact of globalization; the many definitions of organic, direct trade, and fair trade; the health of female farmers; the relationships among shade, birds, and coffee; roasting as an art and a science; and where profits are made in the commodity chain. Drawing on interviews and the lives of people working in the business-from pickers and roasters to coffee bar owners and consumers-this book brings a compelling human side to the story.

The authors avoid romanticizing or demonizing any group in the business. They consider basic but widely misunderstood issues such as who adds value to the bean, the constraints of peasant life, and the impact of climate change. Moving beyond simple answers, they represent various participants in the supply chain and a range of opinions about problems and suggested solutions in the industry. Coffee offers a multidimensional examination of a deceptively everyday but extremely complex commodity that remains at the center of many millions of lives. Tracing coffee's journey from field to cup, this handbook to one of the world's favorite beverages is an essential guide for professionals, coffee lovers, and students alike.

©2013 Robert W. Thurston (P)2014 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic reviews

“This comprehensive guide to the coffee bean and the beverage itself includes contributions from leading experts in business and academia... By tracing coffee's journey from field to cup, the editor’s work to create a guide for professionals, coffee lovers, and students to help them better understand their favorite beverage.” ( Specialty Coffee Retailer)

“A gift to every coffee lover and scholar: this monumental guidebook takes the reader from seed to cup, with stops in every time and place where coffee is significant. Even coffee fanatics will find many stories and details to savor in this rich and rewarding collection.” (Richard Wilk, Indiana University)

informative

all chapters written by different people great info and I will reference often. am a coffee roaster and a drinker of specialty coffee

Everything you need to know about coffee

in 18,5 hours I got a crash course on coffee. I am trying to start my own coffee business and need to learn all I can about coffee. I might want to get a hard copy of this book and keep it as a reference for everything from science, agriculture, farming concerns and socioeconomics of coffee.

Amount of information.

I should not be directed in the smount of words I should write in this review!

Coffee explained simply and well!

Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide… is a solid book if you want to understand coffee from the ground up. It explains where coffee comes from, how it’s grown, how it’s processed, and how the industry works. The writing is clear and not too fancy, and you learn a lot without feeling overwhelmed.

One thing I appreciated is the influence of Robert Thurston, one of the editors. He has a calm, steady way of explaining big topics, and his background in history helps give the book a grounded, real-world perspective instead of just technical talk.

It’s not a recipe book — it’s more about the story and science behind coffee. If you’re curious about what really happens before the beans reach your cup, this is a great, honest straightforward read.

Wey detailed

This book definitely went into a level of detail I wasn’t prepared for beforehand but what a pleasant and welcome surprise. The authors were very thorough technically and even pyschosocially when portraying both individuals’ and groups’ experiences.