A History of the World in 6 Glasses

2009-05-26 History

Author : Tom Standage
Release : 2009-05-26
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 590/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis A History of the World in 6 Glasses by : Tom Standage

Download or read book A History of the World in 6 Glasses written by Tom Standage. This book was released on 2009-05-26. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New York Times Bestseller * Soon to be a TV series starring Dan Aykroyd “There aren't many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history.” -Los Angeles Times Beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola: In Tom Standage's deft, innovative account of world history, these six beverages turn out to be much more than just ways to quench thirst. They also represent six eras that span the course of civilization-from the adoption of agriculture, to the birth of cities, to the advent of globalization. A History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from the Stone Age to the twenty-first century through each epoch's signature refreshment. As Standage persuasively argues, each drink is in fact a kind of technology, advancing culture and catalyzing the intricate interplay of different societies. After reading this enlightening book, you may never look at your favorite drink in quite the same way again.

Glass

2002-10 Technology & Engineering

Author : Alan Macfarlane
Release : 2002-10
Genre : Technology & Engineering
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 287/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Glass by : Alan Macfarlane

Download or read book Glass written by Alan Macfarlane. This book was released on 2002-10. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Picture, if you can, a world without glass. There would be no microscopes or telescopes, no sciences of microbiology or astronomy. People with poor vision would grope in the shadows, and planes, cars, and even electricity probably wouldn't exist. Artists would draw without the benefit of three-dimensional perspective, and ships would still be steered by what stars navigators could see through the naked eye. In Glass: A World History, Alan Macfarlane and Gerry Martin tell the fascinating story of how glass has revolutionized the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Starting ten thousand years ago with its invention in the Near East, Macfarlane and Martin trace the history of glass and its uses from the ancient civilizations of India, China, and Rome through western Europe during the Renaissance, Enlightenment, and Industrial Revolution, and finally up to the present day. The authors argue that glass played a key role not just in transforming humanity's relationship with the natural world, but also in the divergent courses of Eastern and Western civilizations. While all the societies that used glass first focused on its beauty in jewelry and other ornaments, and some later made it into bottles and other containers, only western Europeans further developed the use of glass for precise optics, mirrors, and windows. These technological innovations in glass, in turn, provided the foundations for European domination of the world in the several centuries following the Scientific Revolution. Clear, compelling, and quite provocative, Glass is an amazing biography of an equally amazing subject, a subject that has been central to every aspect of human history, from art and science to technology and medicine.

Writing on the Wall

2014-09-16 History

Author : Tom Standage
Release : 2014-09-16
Genre : History
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 858/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Writing on the Wall by : Tom Standage

Download or read book Writing on the Wall written by Tom Standage. This book was released on 2014-09-16. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chronicles social media over two millennia, from papyrus letters that Cicero used to exchange news across the Empire to today, reminding us how modern behavior echoes that of prior centuries and encouraging debate and discussion about how we'll communicate in the future.

Drink

2008-07-03 Cooking

Author : Iain Gately
Release : 2008-07-03
Genre : Cooking
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 263/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Drink by : Iain Gately

Download or read book Drink written by Iain Gately. This book was released on 2008-07-03. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A spirited look at the history of alcohol, from the dawn of civilization to the modern day Alcohol is a fundamental part of Western culture. We have been drinking as long as we have been human, and for better or worse, alcohol has shaped our civilization. Drink investigates the history of this Jekyll and Hyde of fluids, tracing mankind's love/hate relationship with alcohol from ancient Egypt to the present day. Drink further documents the contribution of alcohol to the birth and growth of the United States, taking in the War of Independence, the Pennsylvania Whiskey revolt, the slave trade, and the failed experiment of national Prohibition. Finally, it provides a history of the world's most famous drinks-and the world's most famous drinkers. Packed with trivia and colorful characters, Drink amounts to an intoxicating history of the world.

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