The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug

by Bonnie K. Bealer and Bennett Alan Weinberg

Book Overview

First published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415927226
• ISBN13: 9780415927222
• Release Date: December 2000
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 2.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent

Excellent. Is now another reference book in my library.

Complete, Authoritative, Entertaining, Definitive!

"The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World's Most Popular Drug" is the best book found on the subject. No other book even comes close to the scope of this important topic covered in such magnificent detail! Nearly 400 pages in length encompassing seventeen highly informative chapters separated into five distinct parts, this jewel of nonfiction work by authors Bennett Alan Weinberg and Bonnie K. Bealer is sure to mark it's place in history as the best in its class.Part I, "Caffeine in History" tells everything you could possibly want to know about this powerful, world's most popular drug, from the Arabian Origins to its refined, almost religious use in Europe, blending into Part II. Part III discusses the role of caffeine from a cultural standpoint and works its way into Part IV, "The Natural History of Caffeine." Of particular interest to me is Part V, "Caffeine and Health," specifically Chapter 15, "Caffeine and the Body," Chapter 16, "Thinking Over Caffeine: Cognition, Learning, and Emotional Well-Being" and Chapter 17, "Caffeine Dependence, Intoxication, and Toxicity." The details of how caffeine permeates every cell in the body are clear, straightforward and very comprehendible. This book was written in a classical narrative style, wonderfully free of slanted opinions and unrelated ramblings in an instructional tone. This is one of the most beautifully arranged and printed hardbounds that I have found, so much that after only a few minutes I had to get my own copy!It is clear to me now that there are far more benefits to caffeine than detriments. It has been proven to increase alertness, improve concentration and even to help with weight loss, and much more. According to the book, it would take almost 100 cups of coffee to reach toxic blood levels! Even on a day where I crave two or three double lattes, I can now rest easier knowing that I'm far below toxic. But even here the authors make it clear that even after two strong cups of coffee, some of the well-known side effects can take hours to wear off: nervousness, talkativeness and anxiety. It even compares and cross-references other elements of caffeine, a member of the methylxanthine family, to other important naturally occurring compounds such as theophylline and theobromine found in cacao and yerb mate. Absolutely fascinating! The book also has me convinced that I'm hopelessly hooked to caffeine--and not just from coffee!The message: watch your intake of caffeine levels by knowing how it works in your body and where it orginated, and how other peoples of the world regard its use. No other singular work encompasses the knowledge of the world's preferred drug of choice. There is more than enough information to include as well-founded research of your own, based on the rock solid references, informative notes, beautiful black and white photographs and perfectly placed, highly detailed illustrations. The page layout is practically an art in itself, set in a

Well-researched and entertaining.

This is great reading! Caffeine is so ubiquitous within society that most of us have never really thought about how or why we use it. In this very comprehensive book, the authors detail the history of coffee, tea, and chocolate. This includes their discovery, cultivation, introduction into various societies around the world, impact on society, opposition efforts and medical implications. The book is written in a very evenhanded tone without a noticeably pro-caffeine or anti-caffeine agenda. It is full of absolutely fascinating historical tidbits. Who knew that coffee replaced beer as the morning beverage in the United States, or that the U.S. Government once brought suit against Coca Cola arguing that the caffeine in the soft drink caused bad behavior in adolescent boys? This book may not motivate you to forgo that morning cup of coffee, but you certainly will stare at it with a bit more insight.

The World of Caffeine

As a physician I found the information in The World of Caffeine both comprehensive and enlightening. I discovered many facts that I will be passing along to my patients who may not realize how much caffeine they are taking in and all the ways in which it may be affecting them. Caffeine has many potential benefits for the mind and body and a few dangers of which people should be aware. Especially sobering are the discussions of possible deleterious effects on children and a serious warning about the unknown dangers of fetal exposure. Incredibly, this is the first serious book ever written about a drug that is used almost universally. If you are going to use a drug, you should know as much about it as possible. I strongly recommend this book to everyone who uses caffeine-- in coffee, tea, colas, or pills-- and that includes almost everyone.

Who knew?

Who knew that caffeine had such a fascinating story?I received a copy of the book as a Christmas present from a family member who knows of my love of the cappuccino, and I must say I was suprised by what Weinberg and Bealer have discovered about the drug. The scientific and medical material is interesting and useful (to pretty much everybody, as apparently most of the world ingests caffeine daily in one form or another), but it was the cultural and social history that I found really engaging. A tiny example: Did you know that Bach wrote a "Coffee Cantata"? Neither did I, and I'm not sure I'll ever have a use for this snippet, but it's good just to know it.Anyway, I really enjoyed the book and can't imagine a better researched or more interesting treatment of "the world's most popular drug."

The Drug That Runs the World

This book rocks! If you drink coffee, tea or cola you need to getthis book. I'm not sure which is more fascinating-- the hundreds ofsurprising medical facts about caffeine's effects on the mind andbody, or the astonishing part caffeine has played in culture, art,religion, society, politics, science and literature.Caffeine is thedriving force behind the explosion in cafe culture, the drug of thecomputer world and the Internet, and necessary part of just abouteverybody's daily life. And the authors really know to tell a storyand there are hundreds of great stories from all over the world andthroughout history.Amazing health facts include that caffeineactually improves your short term memory and helps you perform certainmental tasks more quickly and with fewer mistakes. Even moreincredible, that caffeine actually grows new brain cells. The bookalso raises some serious warnings about caffeine use in pregnancy, arisk that has been pretty much overlooked by the FDA.I would saythat this book gives a unique perspective on understanding history andmodern society as well as offering a wealth of practical informationabout how to get the most out of the drug almost all of us areaddicted to. It also has dozens of illustrations and charts andwouldn't be a bad gift for the caffeine addict in your life.