Explore how coffee shaped human history in this book review of “Global Addiction.” Discover key events, cultural shifts, and the rivalry between coffee and tea. Let’s see how coffee’s role in human history.
Today, we discuss a book that’s less about practicality but brimming with fascination: Global Addiction. Its core thesis? How coffee stirred human history. After reading it, your next cup will feel like a historical elixir—as the author argues, coffee didn’t just change history; it agitated it.
How Coffee Stirred Human History
1. The Legend of Coffee’s Discovery
The story starts in Yemen. According to lore, a 9th-century imam accidentally brewed coffee berries after observing frenzied goats. The bitter yet invigorating drink, dubbed “Muslim wine” (halal alternative to alcohol), spread across Islamic regions. Unlike wine’s intoxicating haze, coffee sharpened minds—a quality later mythologized as Helen of Troy’s “magic potion” in The Odyssey.
2. Coffee’s Islamic Golden Age
By the 16th century, coffee became central to Ottoman life. Turkish law even allowed women to divorce husbands who banned coffee! When Mecca’s governor tried banning it, public riots forced Egypt’s Sultan to overrule him—proving coffee’s anti-fragile cultural grip.
3. Coffee Conquers Europe
The 1683 Siege of Vienna introduced coffee to Europe. Polish spy Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki smuggled Ottoman coffee beans into the city, later founding Vienna’s first café. To appeal to Europeans, he added milk (creating the café au lait) and invented croissants—mocking the Ottoman crescent symbol.
4. Battling Beer and Tea
In beer-obsessed Germany, coffee faced backlash from brewers and doctors claiming it caused impotence. Meanwhile, British tea culture (boosted by sugar monopolies) overshadowed coffee until the 1773 Boston Tea Party made coffee a patriotic U.S. symbol.
5. Coffee’s Dark Side
Brazil’s coffee empire—fueled by slavery and deforestation—led to cyclical gluts. By 1932, 12 million bags were burned to stabilize prices. WWII accelerated industrialization, with instant coffee becoming a battlefield staple.
6. Modern Coffee Culture
Today, coffee defines economies and identities:
- Geopolitical Divide: Tea dominates Asia/Russia; coffee rules Europe/Americas.
- Fair Trade Movements: Addressing historical exploitation of coffee farmers.
- Café Society: From Parisian salons to Silicon Valley startups, cafes remain hubs of innovation.
How Coffee’s Role in Human History
Key Takeaways
- Origins of Coffee: Discovered in Ethiopia, coffee’s legend began with hyperactive goats in Yemen.
- Cultural Clash: Coffee a “Muslim wine” symbolized clarity vs. alcohol’s Dionysian euphoria.
- Ottoman Influence: Coffee fueled warriors and philosophers, even becoming grounds for divorce in Turkey.
- Europe’s Coffee Revolution: Vienna’s siege by Ottomans introduced coffee to Europe, birthing cafes and croissants.
- Coffee vs. Beer/Tea: This competition competed with beer’s dominance in Germany and tea’s rise in Britain post-1700s.
- Political & Literary Impact: Cafés incubated Enlightenment ideas (Voltaire, Rousseau) and fueled revolutions.
- Modern Commodity: Brazil’s coffee booms/busts, WWII’s instant coffee, and today’s fair trade.
Why Read This Book?
Global Addiction blends anthropology, economics, and humor to show how a humble bean shaped empires, art, and daily rituals. Whether you sip coffee or tea, this brew of history will awaken your curiosity.
Emily Cheong