The Philosophy of Coffee

The Philosophy of...

by Brian Williams

This is a short, entertaining and illuminating introduction to the history and culture of coffee, from the humble origins of the bean in northeast Africa over a millennium ago, to what it is today, a global phenomenon that is enjoyed around the world. It is the perfect gift for coffee lovers, including chapters on the rise of the coffeehouse, legal bans on coffee, Brazil s domination of the world coffee trade and the birth of the espresso.

Genres: Food, Philosophy, Nonfiction

80 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2018

About the author

This is the disambiguation profile for otherwise unseparated authors publishing as Brian Williams

Reviews

[Margarita Garova · Rating 3 out of 5]

От книгите, които купуваш в книжарница в неанглоговоряща държава, просто за да се сдобиеш с добре направено издание по специализирана тема, което после да четеш във влака до следващия град. От книгите, които забравяш, че си чел, докато не изскочи случайно от някой рафт.

За тези, които търсят фактите за кафето – къде вирее, кога идва в Европа, как еволюира консумацията му и как тя, от своя страна, разкрепостява консервативните социални системи – “Философията на кафето” е точно за тях. Срещат се и интересни факти, като например че Етиопия – родината на кафето, няма никаква последваща роля в неговата световна експанзия. Благодарение на предприемчивостта на французите и холандците днес кафето е “commodity”, базова стока от първа необходимост.

Кафето като ускорител на социални промени също е добре представено. Възходът на първите кафенета в ислямския свят запълва социалната празнина, резултат от забраната на алкохола и съответно на кръчмите. Кафенетата са инкубатор на идеи, понякога радикални, в които (първоначално) мъже от различни прослойки са се събирали над чаша димящо горчиво кафе, за да бистрят политиката. Кафенето като институция и политика, а кафето като много повече от напитка – може би това е идеята зад “Философията на кафето”.

Книгата е информативна и стегната, има и прилично количество гравюри на плантации, кораби и кафенета, както и описания и чертежи на устройството на кафеварки и прототипи на днешните кафе машини и детайлни обяснения кое как работи, кой е създал съответния механизъм, кой пък след него го е усъвършенствал и безброй подобни неща, които човек забравя, в мига, когато ги прочете.

Накрая е отделено място и на градската гурме-култура в пиенето на кафе, като акцентът е върху родината на автора – Англия. Схематично и не особено интересно.

Какво ми липсваше? – всичко останало. Митологията зад писателските кафенета, емоцията зад фактите, магията на легендарните европейски образци, културните предпочитания и националните особености в пиенето на кафе. Някои го предпочитат горещо, други – с лед и сламка. Някои го пият на крак и на един дъх, други сърбат бавно и с наслаждение. В определени географски ширини е част от по-широк ритуал – шведската “фика”, а в други е самостоятелен играч.

Срещат се и крайности. В по-бедните страни употребата му е и по-утилитарна – още един енергиен източник, набавена набързо евтина робуста от някой клек шоп. В други е ненужно хипстъризирана и снобаризирана, приготовлението е умишлено усложнено и влудяващо бавно от младеж с кокче и титла на престилката (Антъни Бурдейн има много забавно интервю, в което иронизира гурме-веригите).

Та, кафето е много неща. Култура, философия, политика, а за някои е буквално и религия. Отдавна е надраснало чисто непосредственото си предназначение. Хубавото е, че все пак имаме избор.

[Aventinus]

★★ (Not Very Good)

I, somewhat arrogantly, consider myself a coffee connoisseur. I come from a country with a strong coffee culture and I drink at least two cups of coffee every day. Furthermore, I drink my coffee black. Why? Because I believe that this is the only way to appreciate the intrinsic richness and flavors of the coffee beans. Anything else (milk or sugar) turns coffee into an abomination. Yes, I'm that annoying.

Now that we've established this, let's talk about this book.

The Philosophy of Coffee was given to me as a gift. This makes absolute sense to give to someone who likes coffee that much. However, the book fails to impress on several aspects which I list below:

Major Problems

Title & Contents: The book is titled "The Philosophy of Coffee" and as such one expects to get confronted with some in-depth commentary about the effect of coffee on humans, the society, finances, and possibly nature. Unfortunately, the book merely describes a brief history of coffee without providing any real commentary. Frankly, this feels like reading a very long Wikipedia article. Yes, I've learned many things that I didn't know of but I don't truly appreciate their impact because there is no analysis.

Locale: The book has a very strong focus on coffee's impact on London and the UK in general. I do not mean to offend my fellow Brittons but as a non-British living in London for the last 4 years, I can positively tell you that there is absolutely no coffee culture in London. The author mistakenly believes that having an insane number of chain coffee shops (e.g., Starbucks, Costa, Nero) along with many small "hipster" coffee shops translates to "coffee culture." This cannot be further from the truth. Coffee culture means making and appreciating good coffee. However, the British unfortunately have no idea what good coffee is. I have tried hundreds of places in London and not once I've tasted coffee that I'd grade better than average. And while all my non-British friends and acquaintances feel exactly the same, my British friends drink cups of a liquid I'd classify as poison and consider them "brilliant." I know that this feels like an extrapolation, but we have to face facts. If, on the other hand, one visits countries or cities with real coffee culture (e.g., Italy, Greece, Stockholm) they would immediately understand what I'm talking about. Nevertheless, the author does not even acknowledge these countries/cities.

Minor Problems

Missed Opportunities: The book misses several opportunities to educate the reader on how to differentiate good from bad coffee, list all known ways of making coffee, mention some of the downsides of coffee consumption (e.g., when in high doses), etc.

Images: The book includes several very interesting images that, however, lack captions.

Overall, I cannot imagine how one can name a book "The Philosophy of Coffee" of coffee without having some in-depth social commentary and by not even visiting and researching some of the countries with strong coffee culture. A more apt title would be "A Brief History of Coffee and Its Influence on London."

[Islam Sami · Rating 3 out of 5]

لا يمكن مقارنته بكتاب قهوة نامه لعبد الله الناصر الأشمل والأكثر تفصيلا وعذوبة في اللغة، ربما لأن قهوة نامه كُتب بالعربية

[Suwitcha Chandhorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

เล่าเรื่องราวความเป็นมาของกาแฟ และวัฒนธรรมการดื่มกาแฟในประเทศต่าง ๆ ได้อย่างกระชับแต่คงรายละเอียดสำคัญไว้ได้ดี โดยไม่เฉพาะเจาะจงไปยังกาแฟประเภทใดประเภทหนึ่งมากเกินไป (มีทั้งกาแฟทั่ว ๆ ไปและกาแฟพิเศษ กล่าวถึงวิธีการชงในยุคสมัยต่าง ๆ ในแต่ละประเทศ อิงกับประวัติศาสตร์ว่าทำไมมันถึงได้รับความนิยม ทำไมมันถึงตกต่ำลงไป เป็นต้น) อ่านสนุก ชอบจัง เล่มนี้ตั้งใจจะซื้อ paperback มาเก็บไว้อ่านอีกรอบ

[FAISAL ALMULLA · Rating 5 out of 5]

ستتغير نظرتك للقهوة التي كنت تظنها مجرد شراب ساخن، مُر وقاتم، ستقدر تاريخها وأصولها وتجارتها ورحلتها لدول العالم، وسرعة انتشارها التى تفوقت على الشاي.

في أثيوبيا ميلادها وموطنها، والصوفية في اليمن من اكتشفها وشربها، تفاعلت معها المجتمعات حتى أصبحت المقاهي مصدر للأخبار والأفكار والنقاشات.

القهوة مشروب ذات أهمية وثقافة عالمية، هزت الحكومات، نافست المنتجات فحوربت ومنعت, تم حظرها من قبل الحكام، والسلطات، والجماعات الدينية، إلا أنها أبت وانتشرت بلا هوادة وأصبحت مكونا أساسيا لدى المجتمعات فتفننوا في اعدادها وتحضيرها، سخروا لها الآلات، والكبسولات لمن أراد قهوة سريعة التحضير (مثل مكينة الاسبريسو المعروفة، وكبسولات dolce gusto )، أضافوا لها النكهات والمساحيق فظهر لنا (الموكا، الكابتشينو، فلات وايت، واللاتيه) ، تفوقت بامتياز على غيرها من المشروبات، أسسوا لها متاجر وطنية، وسلاسل من المقاهي عابرة القارات مثل ( ستاربكس ، كوستا، سكند كب، نيرو كافيه .. الخ).

إلى قارئ تلك السطور ...
أنتهز هذه الفرصة وأقول ...

أحيلك إلى قراءة كتاب "سِفر القهوة" فهو أكثر تفصيلا، وإثارة للرحالة الكويتي عبدالكريم الشطي، اخترت كتابه ليكون من ضمن قائمة الكتب التي أود اقتنائها وقراءتها، أما كتابنا هذا (فلسفة القهوة) هو "مقدمة وجيزة لرحلة القهوة من أصولها في شمال افريقيا قبل ألف عام حتى يومنا هذا" .

في الختام .. ستضع لنفسك قطعة كاكاو وكوبا من القهوة وأنت تقرأ هذا الكتاب، متأملا قولي : " الناس فيما يشربون ويتذوقون مذاهب " !!

[Christos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a neat little book that gives one a bit of background in the world of coffee. Though it is interesting, it is not life changing or particularly analytical or philosophical in that sense. More like a book you would have on a coffee table in a speciality coffee shop to add just a bit of credibility to the surroundings. It is quite short so definitely not a waste of time, but also not an actual treatise on coffee. The author's writing style is that of a blogger and thus not awfully convincing of the quality of information presented.

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

يأخذنا هذا الكتاب في رحلة ممتعة عن تاريخ القهوة منذا اكتشافها حتى وصولها إلى شكلها الحالي، بشكل ممتع وبسيط.

[Andres Pescara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preciso resumen de como descubrimos el café, como ha se ha ido incluyendo en nuestra cultura con el tiempo y los impactos que tuvo en esta

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating initiation to the art of coffee - short but strong, just like a cup of good espresso!

[Maha · Rating 1 out of 5]

السرد أشبه بحديث غير مشوق عن القهوة. لا يستحق الورق الذي طبع عليه مع الأسف. يبدو أن الكاتب له متابعات على مدونته والكتاب مقتبسات منها. والفلسفة كلمة دخيلة هنا. القراءة افسدت متعة احتساء القهوة. حذار!

[kw_tareq · Rating 4 out of 5]

صفحات مليئة بالكافيين ،
مُغرية لِـ السّهر على الرُّغم من قلّة عددها !


مُتعة و تسلية ،

صولات و جولات لِـ حظر المقاهي بسبب خوف السُّلطات من حدوث اضطرابات في النّظام الاجتماعي ، و سرعة إلغاء الحظر لأهداف اقتصاديّة .


أسطورة خالد و ماعزه الرّاقصة
بين عامي ٨٠٠ و ١٠٠٠ لاكتشاف القهوة بالصّدفة ،


عريضة نساء لندن عام ١٦٧٤ بسبب
منعهم من دخول المقاهي و تخصيصها للرّجال ،


عاصفة في المحيط الأطلنطي و هجوم قراصنة أثناء نقل شجرة القهوة لزراعتها في الجزيرة الفرنسيّة "مارتينيك" عام ١٧٢٣ ،


حفلة شاي بوسطن عام ١٧٧٣
و نقطة التّحول في التّاريخ الأمريكي ،


بعثة دبلوماسيّة برتغاليّة لِـ جارتها "غانا الفرنسيّة"
لِـ سرقة بعض بذور القهوة ،


صعود و هبوط في سوق القهوة :

منذُ انتشارها في مقاهي العثمانيّين في إسطنبول ،
وطفرة حانات الإسبريسو الإيطاليّة في القرن الماضي
إلى التّأثير الأمريكي لستاربكس في يومنا هذا ...

و المزيد في الكتاب !


———————————————————————
اقتباسات :
———————————————————————


" لم تمتلك المُجتمعات المُسلمة ما يُقابل الحانات الأوربيّة لديها . و لذلك ، حقّقت الحاجة الاجتماعيّة أيضاً ، و هو ما أعطى فضاءً عمومياً للرّجال من كل الطّبقات الاجتماعيّة للالتقاء و الاختلاط " ص٢١


" ليست القهوة ، و لا المقهى ، بل توق الرّوح ، و الرّوح تتوق
لِـ الصّديق ، و القهوة عذر اللّقاء " مقولة تركيّة قديمة ص٣٠

[ناديا · Rating 2 out of 5]

كتاب لطيف عن تاريخ القهوة ، مشكلته الوحيدة بالنسبة لي اني قرأت قهوة نامة لعبد الله الناصر قبله !!

على الغالب هو احد مراجع كتاب الناصر، الذي بدا لي أكثر ترتيبا ، وحميمية :)


قصر الكتاب ميزة عظمى

[lcmplce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good place to start and to pick up new trails down the wonderful rabbit hole of coffee.

[Duaa Badawi · Rating 3 out of 5]

رحلة شيّقة وخلاّبة لتاريخ القهوة، كتاب قصير ولكن مكثف، وممتع لغة سلسة

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tiny little book about coffee, primarily the history with a bit about production.

I am a bit confused as to why other reviews say it's like reading a Wikipedia article.

Wikipedia is an encyclopedia - this book is anecdotal and conversational, with a distinct lack of referencing and sourcing. Many things that are generally considered foundational myths of coffee are recounted as if they are known fact for example. I can only assume those saying it reads like Wikipedia haven't actually read that many Wikipedia articles.

This is a perfectly "fine" gift to receive. If you know someone who is in to coffee and you can't work out what to buy them for their birthday or Christmas then this will make a perfectly adequate gift.

But I would suggest one of James Hoffman's books would probably be better.

This book is like reading a blog - it's mildly interesting, mildly entertaining - but there are actual books that cover the same ground in a much more satisfying manner.

[Mohamed Karem · Rating 2 out of 5]

وبحسب مركز التجارة الدوليّة، فإن القهوة أكثر انتشارًا من الشاي، حيث تبلغ مبيعاتها سبعة أضعاف الشاي
حيث تبلغ مبيعاتها سبعة أضعاف الشاي، وتحصد لنفسها مكانًا ودرجة راقية بجانب المواد المخدرة الأخرى مثل النبيذ والدخان ونوعًا ما الشوكولاتة.

لحظة القهوة هي ملاذ يومي، فرصة لالتقاط الأنفاس قبل أن تنطلق في سباق الحياة

استخدمتها الجامعات الصوفيه في اليمن في طقوسهم فكانت منبها يساعدهم على البقاء مستيقظين خلال الطقوس التي كانت تستمر طوال الليل
في خلال القرن السادس عشر في سلطنه المماليك في مصر صارت القاهره مركزا تجاريا للقهوه وظهرت وانتشرت المقاهي حول جامع الازهر

اول حظر للقهوه في مكه 1511 قال العلماء بان القهوه مضره وتسبب مشاكل صحيه وتم حظر القهوه فى مكه
وبعد معرفه سلطان القاهره بالامر ارسل قرار بالغاء حظر القهوه وارسل اطباء يقولون انها ليست تسبب مشاكل صحيه.

[Shreeya · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book begins wonderfully, with an engaging and easy-to-read style that will make you stick to the book for a few chapters. The origins of coffee and it's rise was definitely interesting to read, as I got to know a lot more things that I've not known. After a while, as the chapters progressed the primary focus of the book shifted towards Europe, especially London and UK, which made the perceptive narrow, as the book misses to mention the same details for other countries.The information presented is written simply, and the book as the name suggests, is not 'philosophical' at all (obviously). Overall, it's an easy introduction for anyone who's looking to dive into coffee's journey, but the book is not something that you would call as the ultimate introduction to coffee.

[Audrey Anderson (Ward) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Checked this book out on impulse from the library. I have no clue if it’s well-respected in the coffee community, but it gave me a whiff of historical context for a culture I regularly engage (and work!) in.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the author’s personal voice. I found it often disdainful of any part of coffee culture that isn’t the one he engages with. I also felt like he promised to explore more in-depth later in the book yet never fulfilled that promise.

Either way it’s fun to learn and hopefully be humbly and gracefully critical of writing!

[Katelyn Clements · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it starts slow, I found myself enjoying some of the insights at the end. It would be better titled as “a brief history of coffee” as the book does a good job of looking at coffee’s origins on a surface level. The chapters were quite short and I was left hoping for a little more insight on the effects of coffee socially and economically, but I did learn things about coffee that I had not known before.

[Abdulaziz · Rating 3 out of 5]

" ليست القهوة ، ولا المقهى بل توق الروح والروح تتوق للصديق ، والقهوة عذر اللقاء "

فلسفة القهوة لبراين ويليمز ، ليس كتاب سيتحدث عن مصطلحات فلسفية في هذه الشجرة وطريقة زراعتها ، الفلسفة هنا دراسة وتحليل والمعرفة المسببة وراء حدوثها وتأثيرها على الانسان و المجتمع والدور في الانتاج والصناعة

كتاب يثري القارئ المحب لهذا المشروب العالمي العظيم



تمّت …

[Gaj Tomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concisely and intriguingly written, this short account is all you need to understand how important coffee is today - from its origin to contemporary brewing methods, and also, what the sitcom Friends had to do with it. Top stuff.

[Petteri Räisänen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and entertaining look at the history and rise of coffee. Quite different to ‘The World Atlas of Coffee’ and ’Coffee Obsession’, and that is part of the reason why I enjoy it. However, it could have had a tad more information about techniques and processes.

[Abdulhadi · Rating 5 out of 5]

كتاب جميل جداً ، وممتع ومختصر ، انهيته بنفس اليوم بحكم انه ١٠٠ صفحة بالضبط ، الكتاب يستعرض بشكل مختصر تاريخ اكتشاف القهوه وابرز محطاتها التاريخية وصولنا الى يومنا هذا "عصر القهوة المختصة"

انصح به .. وبشده

[Jack Freud · Rating 3 out of 5]

A title like “ Coffee : A Short History of” would have been way more fitting . The Philosophy of Coffee is just a tad bit pretentious. I enjoyed this it’s a quick little summary of its history and where it is now not life changing but good . Thank you Cameron for this birthday gift .

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book however I expected something else. It s more of the historical evolution of coffee. I have learned a lot from this book. I recommend it.

[Mayas · Rating 5 out of 5]

رائع

[Aleksandar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little read. Does what it says - straight to the point, no philosophy, no technicalities. Writing is a bit too simple on the other hand, feels like a few 12-year-olds published this.

[Timbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a philosophy at all: more of a super-condensed history of coffee culture and production. Still interesting.

[Maryem Saadouni · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب مسلي عن تاريخ القهوة

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب لطيف عن تاريخ القهوة و المقاهي .