Uncommon Grounds by Mark Pendergrast (2000, Paperback)

Mark Pendergrast's Uncommon Grounds is chock-full of facts that you never knew about coffee. Unless you're the all-knowing god of coffee information, you'll learn something new on every page. If you are the all-knowing god of coffee information, you'll learn something new on every other page.

It's a darn shame that so many historians focus on the history of politics and wars, when business history is often richer, more satisfying, and in this case, mountain-grown and hand-picked by Juan Valdez.

Learn how coffee has altered the course of mankind. Marvel at what a complete nutjob CW Post was. Find out what was really going on in those sexy Taster's Choice commercials in the 1980's. Gasp in wonder as Starbucks takes over the world under the upturned noses of Big Coffee.

The author endeavors to keep an even hand in the narrative, but his political leanings sometimes seep through. I didn't care too much for that, but the author does try to keep it in check, and generally tells all sides of a story.

As history books go, this is much more interesting and much more informative than the average bear.