A History of the World in 6 Glasses

Fri, May 19
Check In and Drinks: (Coffee, Tea, and Cola): 6:00 PM, Program: 7:00 PM
Council members: FREE; Students w/ ID: $5; Non-members: $15

Event @ the World Affairs Council, 5/19
What: "A History of the World in 6 Glasses"
Who: Tom Standage, Technology Editor, The Economist, Author, "The
Turk", "The Neptune File" and "The Victorian Internet" Presented by
the Young Professionals International Forum
Event: Throughout human history, certain drinks have done much more
than just quench thirst. As Tom Standage relates, six of them have
had a surprisingly pervasive influence on the course of history,
becoming the defining drink during a pivotal historical period. A
History of the World in 6 Glasses tells the story of humanity from
the Stone Age to the 21st century through the lens of beer, wine,
spirits, coffee, tea, and cola. Beer was first made in the Fertile
Crescent and by 3000 B.C.E. was so important to Mesopotamia and Egypt
that it was used to pay wages. In ancient Greece wine became the main
export of her vast seaborne trade, helping spread Greek culture
abroad. Spirits such as brandy and rum fueled the Age of Exploration,
fortifying seamen on long voyages and oiling the pernicious slave
trade. Although coffee originated in the Arab world, it stoked
revolutionary thought in Europe during the Age of Reason, when
coffeehouses became centers of intellectual exchange. And hundreds of
years after the Chinese began drinking tea, it became especially
popular in Britain, with far-reaching effects on British foreign
policy. Finally, though carbonated drinks were invented in 18th-
century Europe they became a 20th-century phenomenon, and Coca-Cola
in particular is the leading symbol of globalization.
When: Friday, May 19th; Check In and Drinks: (Coffee, Tea, and Cola):
6:00 PM, Program: 7:00 PM, Book Signing and Drinks: (Beer, Wine, and
Spirits): 8:00 PM
Where: World Affairs Council, 312 Sutter St., 2nd Floor Auditorium,
San Francisco
Admission Costs: Council members: FREE; Students w/ ID: $5; Non-
members: $15
Info: (415) 293-4600, , www.itsyourworld.org/
program.php?page=1610
Cosponsored by A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books

Venue:

World Affairs Council
312 Sutter St., 2nd Floor Conference Room
Berkeley
(415) 293-4600
http://www.itsyourworld.org/

Additional Info:

(415) 293-4600
http://itsyourworld.org/program.php?page=1610