A History Of The World In Six Glasses Summary

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Published in 2006, Tom Standages’s book A History of the World in Six Glasses endeavors to use a timeline of drinks in order to link one of humanity’s greatest life source and it’s past. Standage’s thesis in the book A History of the World in Six Glasses is simply that these drinks or beverages are more than just a glass of liquid, but they tell a story in the way they were drunk, in whom they were given to, how they traveled, and most importantly, how they shaped history. His argument is clearly stated as this, “Six beverages in particular-beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and cola-chart the flow of world history. Three contain alcohol, and three contain caffeine, but what they all have in common is that each one was the defining drink…show more content…
Originating from the first civilizations, ancient people found that beer could be made from the soaking of cereal grains and then leaving it to be fermented. This allowed alcohol to be made effortlessly as cereal grains were abundant and easily storable. Once this discovery had been made, people started experimenting with beer by adding different berries, spices, and herbs, adding much variety in the taste of beer therefore matching the event for different occasions. Because of its abundance, beer was made into a method of payment, and because it was made using boiled water, it was a safer drinking resource than a pond of water. The use of beer allowed higher and lower classes to have one thing in common - the taste for beer. For numerous drinkers, beer had magical powers and was therefore thought to have been a gift from the gods. Since many believed it to be true, beer was presented in religious ceremonies, funerals, and agricultural activities to be given as an offering. Beer impacted various aspects of ancient civilizations of Fertile Crescent such as religion and social
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  • History Of The World In 6 Glasses Summary

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    historians who divided history by ages, empires or wars, Tom Standage divided history by the era of development of different predominant beverages. In his book, “A History of the World in 6 Glasses”, Standage took his readers on a tour of the past, for a period ranging from the time when the humans on the earth started living settled life with the advent of agriculture to the 20th century. This is an interesting book which teaches important historical events with the history of development of everyday

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