What is the main idea of a History of the World in 6 Glasses?
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.
Why does Standage claim in the epilogue to six glasses that water is the beverage of the future?
Standage begins his epilogue by arguing that the “drink of the future” is the same drink that humans consumed before they knew how to brew anything at all: water. The popularity of bottled water in part reflects the mistaken belief that distilled water is healthier than tap water.
How long is the book A History of the World in 6 Glasses?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780802715524 |
|---|---|
| Publication date: | 05/16/2006 |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Sales rank: | 8,204 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d) |
Who wrote 6 glasses?
Tom Standage
A History of the World in 6 Glasses/Authors
What scientific theory was born in a coffeehouse?
Perhaps the greatest book of the Age of Enlightenment was published because of coffeehouse conversation. Robert Hooke, the noted physicist, was drinking coffee with Halley, Wren, and Newton. Hooke brought up the inverse square law: the mathematical rule that was thought to govern the motion of planets.
What is the origin of distilled spirits?
Spirits: What is the origin of distilled spirits? Distilled spirits were originally created by ancient Arab chemists by distilling wine and using the resulting fluid as medicine or as an alchemical ingredient.
What is the connection between spirits and slavery?
spirits made people much more intoxicated than their lesser alcoholic counterparts, leading to more intoxication by the people. it also opened up the need for more slaves to be taken from their homelands to the Americas, and was used as a currency to give to the slavers.
How did beer civilize man in Standage?
How did beer “civilize” man, according to Standage? Beer helped to make up for the decline in food quality as people took up farming, provided a safe form of liquid nourishment, and gave groups of beer-drinking farmers a comparative nutritional advantage over non-beer drinkers.
How was beer used by the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations?
In Sumer, as well as in Egypt and Mesopotamia, people were required to pay taxes in the form of grain. This wealth was then used by the people’s rulers to build public works. In other words, grain—and beer—was a form of payment. The Egyptians also used beer as a sedative during surgeries.
336
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780802715524 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury USA |
| Publication date: | 05/16/2006 |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Sales rank: | 78 |
What is the relationship between beer and writing commerce and health?
6. What is the relationship between beer and writing, commerce, and health? Regarding health, the alcohol content made it less likely to harbor pathogens such as those which caused dysentery.
Why were wine and water important to each other?
A bowl of wine that contained equal parts water and wine was considered to be very strong. It was believed that no human being could drink pure wine without becoming mad and violent—only Dionysus himself could do such a thing safely. Unbeknownst to the Greeks, it was actually life-saving to mix water and wine.
Why did Coke become linked to Western values?
Because Coke had been an explicitly military drink during World War II, Coke was regarded as a symbol of American power for years afterwards. The Coca-Cola company, well aware of its product’s patriotic associations, launched a series of ad campaigns that emphasized Coke’s all-American qualities.
How was the Roman use enjoyment of wine a reflection of Roman society explain?
Wine had profound effects on the growth of empires, the use of medicine, and also had a large value in religion. Wine allowed the growth of the Roman Empire in that it led to social classes that shaped Roman society. Wine was often used as a pain killer as well, and wine was often prescribed for medicine.
What drinks are considered spirits?
Unsweetened, distilled, alcoholic drinks that have an alcohol content of at least 20% ABV are called spirits. For the most common distilled drinks, such as whiskey and vodka, the alcohol content is around 40%.
What did drinking wine symbolize in ancient Greece?
For while the availability of wine was more democratic in Greek society than in other cultures, wine could still be used to delineate social distinctions. Plato saw drinking as a way to test oneself, by submitting to the passions aroused by drinking: anger, love, pride, ignorance, greed, and cowardice.
How did the discovery and use of beer in ancient cultures civilize humans?
How did beer “civilize” man, according to Standage? Beer introduced the need for agriculture, which led to permanent settlements, which led to the creation of the first civilizations.
Why did Greeks dilute their wine?
The Greeks diluted their wine with water (1 part wine to 3 parts water), although the Macedonians scandalously drank theirs neat. This dilution helped prevent excessive alcoholism, which was (at least by the elite) considered a trait of ‘barbarian’ foreign cultures and which was widely parodied in Greek comedy plays.
Is there a history of the Western world in 6 glasses?
This book should really be called “A History of the Western World in 6 Glasses,” as it doesn’t consider the drinks of South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and much of Asia. Indeed, tea is considered only through the lens of the British empire, even though the formal Japanese tea service is arguably more interesting than a British tea party.
What are the six drinks in a history of the world?
This can only be viewed as a surface history of the world, but as far as surface stories go, it’s pretty interesting. Throughout the book, Standage tells the history of six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola) as they appeared in the historical record.
What kind of drinks are in 6 glasses?
Tom Standage seeks to answer these and many other questions as he examines how six beverages (beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and Coca-Cola) help to explain global advancemen A well-written book is sure to quench the thirst of a curious reader, full of facts or action that keeps them coming back for more.