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Công dân Coke
Tạp chí Time đã mô tả hình ảnh này của Coke vào năm 1950: “Coca-Cola không phải là kiểu doanh nghiệp Mĩ điển hình mà những người dân nước khác hay nghĩ, như các doanh nghiệp thép hay ô tô. Đó không phải là một sản phẩm từ những tài nguyên thiên nhiên rộng lớn của vùng đất này, mà từ khả năng thiên phú trong việc tổ chức kinh doanh của người Mĩ. Công ty này nảy sinh từ những thứ vô hình như phân tích thị trường, huấn luyện bán hàng, quảng cáo và phân quyền tài chính.” Theo Time, Coke ít tạo áp lực lên các cộng đồng cung ứng cho họ. Công ty có thể tăng trưởng mà không gây hậu quả cho những thế kỉ tới, và thế giới sẽ là một nơi tốt đẹp hơn nhờ có Coke.
Ảo tưởng tự duy trì bền vững này giúp Coca-Cola biện minh cho sự bành trướng của mình đến các cộng đồng khắp thế giới. Công ty là một vị khách được mời đón tại nhiều chính thể quốc tế bởi họ được xem là một doanh nghiệp chi phí thấp có khả năng kích thích các nền kinh tế địa phương. Ít ai dừng lại để suy nghĩ xem công ty đòi hỏi ở họ điều gì, chỉ nghĩ họ có thể đòi hỏi ở công ty điều gì mà thôi.
Nhưng khi Coke bắt đầu mở rộng đế chế thương mại của mình vào nửa sau của Thế kỉ XX, thì rõ ràng rằng lời hứa hẹn lợi-nhuận-lớn-chi-phí-thấp đã có vẻ khá viển vông. Coca-Cola và các công ty thị trường đại chúng khác vừa là người tiêu dùng vừa là nhà sản xuất, và họ cần phải có tài nguyên thiên nhiên để tồn tại. Qua thời gian, Coke đặt những lực cầu nặng nề lên các hệ sinh thái khắp thế giới. Đó là một cỗ máy hữu cơ, sự tăng trưởng không ngừng của nó phụ thuộc vào việc khai thác các nguồn vốn tự nhiên, tài chính, và xã hội phong phú ở những nơi nó hoạt động.
Như nhiều người khác trên khắp thế giới, tôi hưởng lợi từ những gì mà lợi nhuận của Coke cung cấp nhưng chỉ có vài khái niệm mơ hồ về cách tạo ra các khoản lợi nhuận đó. Quyển sách này là một nỗ lực tìm hiểu những lực cầu mà Coke đặt lên các cộng đồng cung cấp phục vụ nhu cầu của nó suốt 128 năm qua, một nỗ lực nghiên cứu Công dân Coke như một người tiêu dùng chứ không phải một nhà sản xuất. Đó là nhiệm vụ mang tính lịch sử, đồng thời là cuộc hành trình tìm hiểu thực tế kinh tế và sinh thái đằng sau toàn bộ thứ nước Coke mà tôi đã uống từ nhỏ đến lúc trưởng thành.
Ảo tưởng tự duy trì bền vững này giúp Coca-Cola biện minh cho sự bành trướng của mình đến các cộng đồng khắp thế giới. Công ty là một vị khách được mời đón tại nhiều chính thể quốc tế bởi họ được xem là một doanh nghiệp chi phí thấp có khả năng kích thích các nền kinh tế địa phương. Ít ai dừng lại để suy nghĩ xem công ty đòi hỏi ở họ điều gì, chỉ nghĩ họ có thể đòi hỏi ở công ty điều gì mà thôi.
Nhưng khi Coke bắt đầu mở rộng đế chế thương mại của mình vào nửa sau của Thế kỉ XX, thì rõ ràng rằng lời hứa hẹn lợi-nhuận-lớn-chi-phí-thấp đã có vẻ khá viển vông. Coca-Cola và các công ty thị trường đại chúng khác vừa là người tiêu dùng vừa là nhà sản xuất, và họ cần phải có tài nguyên thiên nhiên để tồn tại. Qua thời gian, Coke đặt những lực cầu nặng nề lên các hệ sinh thái khắp thế giới. Đó là một cỗ máy hữu cơ, sự tăng trưởng không ngừng của nó phụ thuộc vào việc khai thác các nguồn vốn tự nhiên, tài chính, và xã hội phong phú ở những nơi nó hoạt động.
Như nhiều người khác trên khắp thế giới, tôi hưởng lợi từ những gì mà lợi nhuận của Coke cung cấp nhưng chỉ có vài khái niệm mơ hồ về cách tạo ra các khoản lợi nhuận đó. Quyển sách này là một nỗ lực tìm hiểu những lực cầu mà Coke đặt lên các cộng đồng cung cấp phục vụ nhu cầu của nó suốt 128 năm qua, một nỗ lực nghiên cứu Công dân Coke như một người tiêu dùng chứ không phải một nhà sản xuất. Đó là nhiệm vụ mang tính lịch sử, đồng thời là cuộc hành trình tìm hiểu thực tế kinh tế và sinh thái đằng sau toàn bộ thứ nước Coke mà tôi đã uống từ nhỏ đến lúc trưởng thành.
320 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2014
111 people are currently reading
1657 people want to read
About the author
Bartow J. Elmore
4 books49 followersBartow J. Elmore, an Atlanta native, grew up drinking Coke. He now teaches history at the University of Alabama.
Also writes as Bart Elmore.
Also writes as Bart Elmore.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
January 20, 2020
Coke. Who doesn’t enjoy an ice cold Coca-Cola Classic while relaxing with friends, barbecuing, or watching a big game? With the Super Bowl fast approaching the American viewing public is sure to be inundated with commercials for Coke and it’s rival Pepsi leading up to the big game. While Coke Zero is my soft drink of choice these days, I am still intrigued as to what advertisements these beverage giants will roll out. Last year spot lighted Americans from all corners of the country stating their comfort food of choice with one thing in common: Coke. Yet, how did Coca-Cola reach the point it is at today? In his first book, University of Alabama professor and Atlanta native Bartow J. Elmore allows readers to discover the history of Coca-Cola.
It is 1886. Americans have survived the Civil War and Reconstruction and have settled into the Gilded Age. Frederick Jackson Turner proclaimed that the West was closed for future settlement, resulting in many potential farmers moving to cities instead of west. Rather than farming, Americans started down the path toward an industrial society, and after a long day in a factory, what a better way to relax than with a carbonated beverage with friends or family. Atlantan John Pemberton capitalized on the industrialization of society by introducing a new drink that he called Coca-Kola to drug stores and taverns around the country. The original drink had been copied from a French creation named Vin Mariani, that was red wine laced with cocaine, a drug all the rage in Europe in the late 19th century. Doctors believed cocaine to be a wonder drug, and German pharmaceutical giant Merck even manufactured it. And cocaine was in the original formula for Coca-Cola until 1903 when American pharmacologists realized that maybe the drug was not ideal for consuming after all. By 1903, Coca-Cola had been around for nearly twenty years and had made inroads in society. The drink was here to stay and make a large impact albeit without cocaine in its new formula.
Elmore organizes the chapters of the book based on each ingredient and material used to create a now standard 12 oz can of Coca-Cola. Each chapter is chronological and teaches readers about history, business side, and implications about using each ingredient and the global imprint that Coke has left to create its image as Citizen Coke. Coke’s presidents have largely kept costs down over the years by outsourcing production and farming of ingredients to outsiders. At the dawn of the company, Coke shipped its syrup to thousands of independent bottlers who would add the syrup to the water source at factories around the country. Coke did not have to supply water or bottles, and bottlers stood to make a profit due to bottle reclamation programs that existed in the early 20th century. Unintentionally, Coke was among the early leaders in recycling. Coke also did not provide its own coca leaves or coffee leaves found in South America. These were farmed, shipped to factories in the United States to be stripped of caffeine or cocaine, and then the ingredient would be sent to the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. All Coke provided was the formula and produced the syrup, which was then sent back out to bottlers. As a result, Coke turned a large profit even in the early days of its existence, allowing it to become the giant that it is today.
Coke got an even bigger break during World War II when the U.S. Army asked for bottles to be vended to the troops serving on the front. Coca-Cola became the preferred beverage of the armed forces, allowing the company to receive production cost breaks from the government. Pepsi did not receive these breaks or contracts, catapulting Coke ahead of the curve and to the forefront of American consumerism during the baby boom era when these troops returned to civilian life. It was an age of prosperity for Americans who now had disposable income on their hands to buy soft drinks on a daily basis. Nothing could be better than an iced cold Coca-Cola, even if the drink was loaded with sugar and caffeine. Yet, during the 1950s when brand names became a part of society and few people thought about their diet, Americans were not focused on the calories or caffeine they ingested with each serving of Coke. Rather, Coke was a drink that adults and kids alike could enjoy, and during the 1950s, few people inside or outside of Coke focused on the consequences of drinking it.
For the last few decades Coke has been embroiled in its share of controversy. Today the company has bottlers at 3000 sites around the globe, but, in order to produce the drink, taps into the local water source, depleting emerging countries of an essential natural resource. In both the United States and abroad, soft drink and beer companies have to take corporate responsibility for the litter created by bottles and cans that can be found on sides of the roads or in landfills. While plastics and aluminum can be recycled, not all consumers remember to recycle rather than throw away containers. It is up to these corporate giants to remind consumers to reclaim and recycle. Additionally, people have shouldered the cost of generations of drinking soft drinks loaded with both sugar and caffeine. Obesity is on the rise each year and with it come billions of dollars of medical costs. Coke has come up with Diet Coke and Coke Zero as replacements, yet scientists claim that these fake sugars lead Americans to eat even more. Some cities have imposed taxes on large beverages, and even these have been met with protests as Americans still want to be in charge of what they eat and drink, no matter the cost to themselves.
Coca-Cola has been around for 134 years and I suspect the company will last as long as the United States is a country. The corporation has left its imprint around the world as Citizen Coke, and despite the ecological and medical costs involved when consuming the drink, people still enjoy the taste and relaxing with friends. That is why Coke still pours millions of dollars into creating the perfect advertisement to be shown during the Super Bowl each year: they know that despite the costs, the average person still enjoys an ice cold Coca-Cola Classic. As one who recycles and has all but switched to Coke Zero, I can still enjoy Coke during the 21st century. Bartow J Elmore has created a book that is enjoyable for the 21st century Coke consumer while also urging people to drink with caution.
4+ stars
It is 1886. Americans have survived the Civil War and Reconstruction and have settled into the Gilded Age. Frederick Jackson Turner proclaimed that the West was closed for future settlement, resulting in many potential farmers moving to cities instead of west. Rather than farming, Americans started down the path toward an industrial society, and after a long day in a factory, what a better way to relax than with a carbonated beverage with friends or family. Atlantan John Pemberton capitalized on the industrialization of society by introducing a new drink that he called Coca-Kola to drug stores and taverns around the country. The original drink had been copied from a French creation named Vin Mariani, that was red wine laced with cocaine, a drug all the rage in Europe in the late 19th century. Doctors believed cocaine to be a wonder drug, and German pharmaceutical giant Merck even manufactured it. And cocaine was in the original formula for Coca-Cola until 1903 when American pharmacologists realized that maybe the drug was not ideal for consuming after all. By 1903, Coca-Cola had been around for nearly twenty years and had made inroads in society. The drink was here to stay and make a large impact albeit without cocaine in its new formula.
Elmore organizes the chapters of the book based on each ingredient and material used to create a now standard 12 oz can of Coca-Cola. Each chapter is chronological and teaches readers about history, business side, and implications about using each ingredient and the global imprint that Coke has left to create its image as Citizen Coke. Coke’s presidents have largely kept costs down over the years by outsourcing production and farming of ingredients to outsiders. At the dawn of the company, Coke shipped its syrup to thousands of independent bottlers who would add the syrup to the water source at factories around the country. Coke did not have to supply water or bottles, and bottlers stood to make a profit due to bottle reclamation programs that existed in the early 20th century. Unintentionally, Coke was among the early leaders in recycling. Coke also did not provide its own coca leaves or coffee leaves found in South America. These were farmed, shipped to factories in the United States to be stripped of caffeine or cocaine, and then the ingredient would be sent to the Coca-Cola headquarters in Atlanta. All Coke provided was the formula and produced the syrup, which was then sent back out to bottlers. As a result, Coke turned a large profit even in the early days of its existence, allowing it to become the giant that it is today.
Coke got an even bigger break during World War II when the U.S. Army asked for bottles to be vended to the troops serving on the front. Coca-Cola became the preferred beverage of the armed forces, allowing the company to receive production cost breaks from the government. Pepsi did not receive these breaks or contracts, catapulting Coke ahead of the curve and to the forefront of American consumerism during the baby boom era when these troops returned to civilian life. It was an age of prosperity for Americans who now had disposable income on their hands to buy soft drinks on a daily basis. Nothing could be better than an iced cold Coca-Cola, even if the drink was loaded with sugar and caffeine. Yet, during the 1950s when brand names became a part of society and few people thought about their diet, Americans were not focused on the calories or caffeine they ingested with each serving of Coke. Rather, Coke was a drink that adults and kids alike could enjoy, and during the 1950s, few people inside or outside of Coke focused on the consequences of drinking it.
For the last few decades Coke has been embroiled in its share of controversy. Today the company has bottlers at 3000 sites around the globe, but, in order to produce the drink, taps into the local water source, depleting emerging countries of an essential natural resource. In both the United States and abroad, soft drink and beer companies have to take corporate responsibility for the litter created by bottles and cans that can be found on sides of the roads or in landfills. While plastics and aluminum can be recycled, not all consumers remember to recycle rather than throw away containers. It is up to these corporate giants to remind consumers to reclaim and recycle. Additionally, people have shouldered the cost of generations of drinking soft drinks loaded with both sugar and caffeine. Obesity is on the rise each year and with it come billions of dollars of medical costs. Coke has come up with Diet Coke and Coke Zero as replacements, yet scientists claim that these fake sugars lead Americans to eat even more. Some cities have imposed taxes on large beverages, and even these have been met with protests as Americans still want to be in charge of what they eat and drink, no matter the cost to themselves.
Coca-Cola has been around for 134 years and I suspect the company will last as long as the United States is a country. The corporation has left its imprint around the world as Citizen Coke, and despite the ecological and medical costs involved when consuming the drink, people still enjoy the taste and relaxing with friends. That is why Coke still pours millions of dollars into creating the perfect advertisement to be shown during the Super Bowl each year: they know that despite the costs, the average person still enjoys an ice cold Coca-Cola Classic. As one who recycles and has all but switched to Coke Zero, I can still enjoy Coke during the 21st century. Bartow J Elmore has created a book that is enjoyable for the 21st century Coke consumer while also urging people to drink with caution.
4+ stars
January 25, 2020
Thoughts soon.
March 14, 2015
Transaction capitalism
[Through my ratings, reviews and edits I'm providing intellectual property and labor to Amazon.com Inc., listed on Nasdaq, which fully owns Goodreads.com and in 2013 posted revenues for $74 billion and $274 million profits. Intellectual property and labor require compensation. Amazon.com Inc. is also requested to provide assurance that its employees and contractors' work conditions meet the highest health and safety standards at all the company's sites].
Well-meaning, but not what I expected. A corporate history, where presidents have pride of place, and critical thinking seems to consist in debunking the 'myth' that Coca-Cola is a "good corporate citizen". Not sure who ever nurtured such high expectations (OK, maybe in Atlanta). The author is spot-on though in singling out this soft drink brand as the champion of a particular way of doing business that does not fit with the common rhetoric of entrepreneurial heroism.
From the beginning, intellectual property was the core asset of the business, which operated for want of capital through a system of licenses whereby all risks and costs rested with the licensees, as Monsanto is notorious for doing with seeds today. The book however does not cover in any detail the contractual aspects, which are all-important for a business model based on agreements with third parties. It is a widely held assumption of organizational theory that organizations develop and grow to reduce transaction costs. In Coca-Cola's case, transaction costs are a plus, not a minus, because with them comes the de-risking of all the value chain, pushing liabilities away from the intellectual property owner.
It is also a good and original intuition of the author that as other success stories have followed the same pattern (McDonald's, Apple), it is finance that followed Coca-Cola's transaction model and not Coca-Cola or the 'productive' sector that 'financialized'.
The author's main goal however is to expose the company as an extractive business, free riding public investments and dumping environmental and social externalities free of charge. Despite the good intentions, this sounds somewhat dull. This is NOT typical of Coca-Cola. The intake (or extraction) of natural resources associated with any product we buy is horrific if watched closely, and often not even profitable.
What the author misses is the covert class war waged by the company in extracting money from low income households that cannot oppose cultural resistance to the causes of obesity. No reference is made either to the workers that have produced the secret formula syrup over more than a century.
A people's history of Coca-Cola has still to be written.
[Through my ratings, reviews and edits I'm providing intellectual property and labor to Amazon.com Inc., listed on Nasdaq, which fully owns Goodreads.com and in 2013 posted revenues for $74 billion and $274 million profits. Intellectual property and labor require compensation. Amazon.com Inc. is also requested to provide assurance that its employees and contractors' work conditions meet the highest health and safety standards at all the company's sites].
Well-meaning, but not what I expected. A corporate history, where presidents have pride of place, and critical thinking seems to consist in debunking the 'myth' that Coca-Cola is a "good corporate citizen". Not sure who ever nurtured such high expectations (OK, maybe in Atlanta). The author is spot-on though in singling out this soft drink brand as the champion of a particular way of doing business that does not fit with the common rhetoric of entrepreneurial heroism.
From the beginning, intellectual property was the core asset of the business, which operated for want of capital through a system of licenses whereby all risks and costs rested with the licensees, as Monsanto is notorious for doing with seeds today. The book however does not cover in any detail the contractual aspects, which are all-important for a business model based on agreements with third parties. It is a widely held assumption of organizational theory that organizations develop and grow to reduce transaction costs. In Coca-Cola's case, transaction costs are a plus, not a minus, because with them comes the de-risking of all the value chain, pushing liabilities away from the intellectual property owner.
It is also a good and original intuition of the author that as other success stories have followed the same pattern (McDonald's, Apple), it is finance that followed Coca-Cola's transaction model and not Coca-Cola or the 'productive' sector that 'financialized'.
The author's main goal however is to expose the company as an extractive business, free riding public investments and dumping environmental and social externalities free of charge. Despite the good intentions, this sounds somewhat dull. This is NOT typical of Coca-Cola. The intake (or extraction) of natural resources associated with any product we buy is horrific if watched closely, and often not even profitable.
What the author misses is the covert class war waged by the company in extracting money from low income households that cannot oppose cultural resistance to the causes of obesity. No reference is made either to the workers that have produced the secret formula syrup over more than a century.
A people's history of Coca-Cola has still to be written.
December 30, 2017
After putting this book aside earlier this year, I circled back, restarted and finished. Very interesting look into corporate mindset from a small individual start-up to a global power. And how it’s crossed paths with everything from narco politics, to environmental concerns, to lobbying, and massive consumer campaigns. Definitely worth a read.
December 17, 2016
The idea that we can judge the past by the standards and collective knowledge of today, is historically fallacious. This tone fills the pages of this book. To further make points against Coke the author jumps around chronologically using information from the 1880s to make a point about the 1980s.
At one point, to make a point about environmental degradation of Brazil, the coffee plantations built on the backs of slaves are mentioned. This despite the fact the Coke wasn't in the coffee business at that time, nor was it getting caffeine from these plantations.
Another anecdote mentioned more than once was that General Eisenhower requested Coke be available to servicemen during WW2. Which of course didn't hurt the company. No evidence was given to suggest Coke lobbied for this. Only that they made the most of it (by requesting cheap access to sugar etc.) after the decision was made. Coke had made its product essential to Americans before the war.
The thesis of coke style capitalism being somehow evil is lost in this failure of logic.
At one point, to make a point about environmental degradation of Brazil, the coffee plantations built on the backs of slaves are mentioned. This despite the fact the Coke wasn't in the coffee business at that time, nor was it getting caffeine from these plantations.
Another anecdote mentioned more than once was that General Eisenhower requested Coke be available to servicemen during WW2. Which of course didn't hurt the company. No evidence was given to suggest Coke lobbied for this. Only that they made the most of it (by requesting cheap access to sugar etc.) after the decision was made. Coke had made its product essential to Americans before the war.
The thesis of coke style capitalism being somehow evil is lost in this failure of logic.
January 19, 2020
An eye-opener, to say the least
While the Coca-Cola Company is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, the adventure of how it got there is not as well known. This book by Bartow J. Elmore paints a not-too-flattering picture of the corporate giant. Explaining how Coke was able to get others to invest heavily in their key ingredients such as sugar (later high-fructose corn syrup) and water, Elmore does a terrific job of exposing Coke as a giant conglomerate with conflicting values all in the name of profit. It isn’t completely a bashing of the company, but it will open the eyes of anyone who reads this
While the Coca-Cola Company is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, the adventure of how it got there is not as well known. This book by Bartow J. Elmore paints a not-too-flattering picture of the corporate giant. Explaining how Coke was able to get others to invest heavily in their key ingredients such as sugar (later high-fructose corn syrup) and water, Elmore does a terrific job of exposing Coke as a giant conglomerate with conflicting values all in the name of profit. It isn’t completely a bashing of the company, but it will open the eyes of anyone who reads this
September 9, 2021
As if there was ever any doubt that Coca-Cola's actions and speech were for anything other than growth and profit...
Yet again, I was fascinated to find out the multiple tactics employed by Coke in order to green wash its actions (and negative impact) all along its 100+ history. The only thing that is not fascinating are the environmental, health and social repercussions.
Yet again, I was fascinated to find out the multiple tactics employed by Coke in order to green wash its actions (and negative impact) all along its 100+ history. The only thing that is not fascinating are the environmental, health and social repercussions.
December 20, 2021
One of my favourite true story movies based off a huge corporation is "the founder" that is based off the book that tells the story of the rise of McDonald's and how it's taken over the world! And while reading this book i got the exact same feeling as it's a true fact just as much as Mcdonalds is, apart from north Korea, is there any place in this world where you won't find someplace that sells coke?
Go on I'll wait 🤔
My guess is there probably isn't, mostly because it's evolved to be a life blood for a lot of countries both in money, and literal life blood as water quality still for the most part of the world is still dirty and unclean, where as coke is filtered and clean, and is the best and only choice for a drink next to alcohol. And this was just a huge eye opening moment for me, i knew coke was powerful, but it wasn't till the end of this book, i to believed that citizen coke was a real person as it's everywhere and has an effect on America and the world. I no longer drink coke, i haven't for years now, and i don't miss it if im honest, but as you do with revelations, you praise to god that you no longer use something and im glad i gave up coke *the drink* the drug still has a hold 😉 haha but in all seriousness, should you drink coke? Well that's your choice, waters better and who doesn't love a 7up? But as for me, im done with all fizzy drinks and I don't miss any of them that much.
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥🔥
Go on I'll wait 🤔
My guess is there probably isn't, mostly because it's evolved to be a life blood for a lot of countries both in money, and literal life blood as water quality still for the most part of the world is still dirty and unclean, where as coke is filtered and clean, and is the best and only choice for a drink next to alcohol. And this was just a huge eye opening moment for me, i knew coke was powerful, but it wasn't till the end of this book, i to believed that citizen coke was a real person as it's everywhere and has an effect on America and the world. I no longer drink coke, i haven't for years now, and i don't miss it if im honest, but as you do with revelations, you praise to god that you no longer use something and im glad i gave up coke *the drink* the drug still has a hold 😉 haha but in all seriousness, should you drink coke? Well that's your choice, waters better and who doesn't love a 7up? But as for me, im done with all fizzy drinks and I don't miss any of them that much.
5/5 Stars GoodReads ⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟
100/100 GingerPoints 🔥🔥🔥
June 18, 2019
“Don’t take the tap water for granted”, my mom always tells me. As a child, she had to bring buckets of water from the public water pump for family use. It is now very difficult for me living in an urban city with sophisticated but invisible water supply networks built and buried underground to imagine the time when it was part of one’s daily chores to walk miles before they got hold of something as essential as water. People usually take things for granted if they remain invisible, at least as far as their naked eyes are concerned.
I take coke for granted. I was born at a time when coke was readily and cheaply available in restaurants around the world. It has never crossed my mind how coke was really made until I came across the book “Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism” written by the journalist Bartow Elmore. Practically speaking, the making of coke is largely invisible to me. Unlike the writer, I have not travelled as far as Kerala, India to see for myself how Coca-Cola’s bottling plant has exhausted the local water resources for making coke. Neither did I do any research on the business model of Coca-Cola which, as Elmore argues, depends on the aggressive use of the ever-depleting natural resources.
“Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism” is about the corporate history of Coca-Cola from an ecological perspective. The book offers a few takeaways:
1. Coca-Cola’s business has, despite some sidetracks, always remained lean and refrained from the temptation of engaging in vertical integration. It relies on thousands of suppliers to provide all the raw ingredients: water, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, caffeine and decocainized coca leaf (yes, the original Coke was laced with cocaine). Coca-Cola, being one of the most valuable brands of the world, is able to extract from them the most favourable price because of its huge purchasing power. In addition, Coca-Cola has never needed to shoulder any operating costs and expenses associated with manufacturing and heavy machinery.
2. Caffeine in coke is extracted from unwanted tea sweeping and cocoa waste. For marketing purposes, Coca-Cola was initially reluctant to use synthetic caffeine as it is derived from chemical substances present in human urine - urea. In the past few decades, however, Coca-Cola seems to have finally adopted the use of synthetic caffeine so that it will not be subject to the whims of volatile markets in natural commodities.
3. In the early decades of the 20th century, Coca-Cola and other soft-drink companies delivered their products in returnable glass bottles. People received a few cents for returning the bottles to bottlers for reuse. Coca-Cola abandoned returnable glass bottles in favour of disposable aluminium cans and plastic bottles so that they can deliver products to farther regions. Needless to say, Coca-Cola does not need to shoulder the public expenses and the ecological costs of disposing and landfilling such cans and bottles. It is the consumers’ responsibility to take care of the used cans and bottles and to recycle them, Coca-Cola argues. By shifting the responsibility to consumers, Coca-Cola evades the question of why it was ever allowed to produce such prodigious amounts of such disposable cans and bottles in the first place.
As Coca-Cola has faced an avalanche of criticisms for causing, directly or indirectly, the current obesity epidemic, it proves to be a resistant company. The book was published in 2014, before Cola-Cola rolled out “Coca-Cola Plus”, a new product of coke that is sugar-free, calorie-free and contains copious amounts of dietary fibre. I did a quick five-minute Google search on how such dietary fibre known as dextrin is made and manufactured for Coca-Cola but to no avail. However, you can be certain that wisdom from the older generations holds true more often than not. Don’t take anything for granted, including the innocuous-looking coke in your fridge.
I take coke for granted. I was born at a time when coke was readily and cheaply available in restaurants around the world. It has never crossed my mind how coke was really made until I came across the book “Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism” written by the journalist Bartow Elmore. Practically speaking, the making of coke is largely invisible to me. Unlike the writer, I have not travelled as far as Kerala, India to see for myself how Coca-Cola’s bottling plant has exhausted the local water resources for making coke. Neither did I do any research on the business model of Coca-Cola which, as Elmore argues, depends on the aggressive use of the ever-depleting natural resources.
“Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism” is about the corporate history of Coca-Cola from an ecological perspective. The book offers a few takeaways:
1. Coca-Cola’s business has, despite some sidetracks, always remained lean and refrained from the temptation of engaging in vertical integration. It relies on thousands of suppliers to provide all the raw ingredients: water, sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, caffeine and decocainized coca leaf (yes, the original Coke was laced with cocaine). Coca-Cola, being one of the most valuable brands of the world, is able to extract from them the most favourable price because of its huge purchasing power. In addition, Coca-Cola has never needed to shoulder any operating costs and expenses associated with manufacturing and heavy machinery.
2. Caffeine in coke is extracted from unwanted tea sweeping and cocoa waste. For marketing purposes, Coca-Cola was initially reluctant to use synthetic caffeine as it is derived from chemical substances present in human urine - urea. In the past few decades, however, Coca-Cola seems to have finally adopted the use of synthetic caffeine so that it will not be subject to the whims of volatile markets in natural commodities.
3. In the early decades of the 20th century, Coca-Cola and other soft-drink companies delivered their products in returnable glass bottles. People received a few cents for returning the bottles to bottlers for reuse. Coca-Cola abandoned returnable glass bottles in favour of disposable aluminium cans and plastic bottles so that they can deliver products to farther regions. Needless to say, Coca-Cola does not need to shoulder the public expenses and the ecological costs of disposing and landfilling such cans and bottles. It is the consumers’ responsibility to take care of the used cans and bottles and to recycle them, Coca-Cola argues. By shifting the responsibility to consumers, Coca-Cola evades the question of why it was ever allowed to produce such prodigious amounts of such disposable cans and bottles in the first place.
As Coca-Cola has faced an avalanche of criticisms for causing, directly or indirectly, the current obesity epidemic, it proves to be a resistant company. The book was published in 2014, before Cola-Cola rolled out “Coca-Cola Plus”, a new product of coke that is sugar-free, calorie-free and contains copious amounts of dietary fibre. I did a quick five-minute Google search on how such dietary fibre known as dextrin is made and manufactured for Coca-Cola but to no avail. However, you can be certain that wisdom from the older generations holds true more often than not. Don’t take anything for granted, including the innocuous-looking coke in your fridge.
April 6, 2015
Or "How to build a global business using someone else's water and sugar" The snooty-named Bartow Elmore takes us into the long history of one of the world's most valuable brands to explore how it grew into the behemoth it is today largely by the clever marketing and management of its operators. Elmore touches on all the standard Coke lore including that at one time the formula contained trace amounts of cocaine (you wouldn't have been able to drink enough to alter your mood) and that it is now easily available in the world's most remote places. More interesting than this Coke-icana is the actual business model which involved enlisting the extensive help of the U.S. government both in the form of sugar subsidies and the near completely free water from local municipality which make up nearly all of the actual product. Also intriguing is Coke's response to public outcry over the build-up of its discarded cans along roads and public areas. Coke, along with other consumer product leaders organized the "Keep America Beautiful" public service campaign most famously featuring a Native American chief crying along the side of a litter-strewn highway. Of course, the Indian was an Italian actor and the public service campaign was Coke's means of enlisting the American public to clean up the mess so it didn't have to. Say what you want about the company, you have to admire the strategy.
In the book's final chapters, Elmore reveals he does not so much admire the strategy. The many chapters that precede this (the book could have used a little pruning) are a mostly objective history of the firm told in understandable and readable text. The final chapters amount to Elmore's hatin' the playa not the game and seem to reveal something of an anti-business or at least anti-Coke bias. He sees the job loss from "...taxing Coke out of existence..." as an unfortunate barrier rather than an abuse of the tax code and a misuse of the U.S. government.
In short, short of this bias, this is a good tale well told of one of the worlds more fascinating commercial concerns.
January 28, 2015
Fascinating look at one of my worst addictions and the company that is slowly ruining our planet and its inhabitants. I constantly try and give up drinking Coke because I know how horrible it is for me. This book showed me how bad it is for the entire world!
Well researched, well written, and it seems like Elmore is a little sad tearing down an institution he has so fondly loved his entire life. I was also disappointed to find out how easily the American public has been duped by PR campaigns shuffling the disposables problem off themselves and onto the government.
Well researched, well written, and it seems like Elmore is a little sad tearing down an institution he has so fondly loved his entire life. I was also disappointed to find out how easily the American public has been duped by PR campaigns shuffling the disposables problem off themselves and onto the government.
October 8, 2015
Another book about Coca-Cola, but viewed from an environmental lens. It's about Coke capitalism. It's about outsourcing, in the days before this word was popular. The author is not fair though and did the usual bash-the-big-evil-company thing. Blamed Coke for keeping its costs down (no loyalty to suppliers), for trying to get Government to make regulations that helps its business, for outsourcing (not owning assets), for externalities (that Coke cans create litter and fill up land fills), etc. There are some truths, I suppose, but business is business.
January 26, 2017
Fantastic, insightful and relevant. A very well referenced read that brings to forethought a distaste for capitalism but also a feeling of awe for what coca cola has done for big business.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
February 7, 2023
A delightful breakdown of the key decisions Coke executives made to turn their product into a global capitalist enterprise. I loved how Elmore organized the chapters based on ingredients, I was weary that the structure would feel forced but it actually meshed well with the chronological organization.
The instances of early outsourcing, the image of “stomach silos”, and the “say no to H2O” campaign strike me as particularly egregious practices accomplished by the Coke. Elmore makes his book approachable (both in content and style), while still engaging in critical explorations beyond the cherub like branding of Coca Cola.
Coming off from reading Nature’s Metropolis, Environmental History is winning me over more and more as a discipline. While I am used to engaging in assemblages in the context of geography, I find both works to be masterful examples of historical assemblages (one Chicago, the other Coke).
I don’t have much more to say, the book is just the right length to give you a mid-level dive into Coke’s historical practices, and does a good job highlighting important continuities and differences in company policies that have produced the best and worst (a lot of the worst) of Coke’s history.
If you want the knows of Coke (or the soft drink industry broadly), this is a fantastic read.
The instances of early outsourcing, the image of “stomach silos”, and the “say no to H2O” campaign strike me as particularly egregious practices accomplished by the Coke. Elmore makes his book approachable (both in content and style), while still engaging in critical explorations beyond the cherub like branding of Coca Cola.
Coming off from reading Nature’s Metropolis, Environmental History is winning me over more and more as a discipline. While I am used to engaging in assemblages in the context of geography, I find both works to be masterful examples of historical assemblages (one Chicago, the other Coke).
I don’t have much more to say, the book is just the right length to give you a mid-level dive into Coke’s historical practices, and does a good job highlighting important continuities and differences in company policies that have produced the best and worst (a lot of the worst) of Coke’s history.
If you want the knows of Coke (or the soft drink industry broadly), this is a fantastic read.
April 13, 2020
Never a fan of soft drink in general and coca cola in specific. However, cannot deny how deep this company has rooted in every corner of our economies/ lifestyles - including US and other countries, especially developing ones - which has rendered its strength to control our health/ choice/ politics/ regulation/ tax payment. Not to mention the company's indirect impacts on environment/ concept distortion.
This book is such an amazing scientific/ economics writing that is really awakening.
This book is such an amazing scientific/ economics writing that is really awakening.
September 9, 2022
Good business biography on the Coca Cola corporation. Their business model is unique and many product developments were based on the opportunistic use of commodities and public services/goods. The two most interesting parts in my opinion were on sugar both in terms of the massive production needs and associated environmental impact and how Coke was heavily involved in pushing for recycling, albeit for business not altruistic purposes.
October 9, 2021
Very enlightening!
Coke was apparently one of the first companies reducing to a minimum the number of assets it holds and needs to invest and maintain. Something common today with internet companies.
With this incredibly successful model lot's of business challenges arrise in society, challenges that have never been addressed accordingly.
Coke was apparently one of the first companies reducing to a minimum the number of assets it holds and needs to invest and maintain. Something common today with internet companies.
With this incredibly successful model lot's of business challenges arrise in society, challenges that have never been addressed accordingly.
September 18, 2020
Bartow Elmore has done an exceptional job! This book is extremely well researched and set out in a manner that is easy to understand and absorb. My favorite part was the very end when the author details improvements for the future. I highly recommend this read.
July 23, 2021
This book was much better than I anticipated. Definitely not an easy read. It was definitely interesting to see the path coca cola took to become successful and how the government continually tried to dismantle the company.
The book did it's job, now I want an icy cold coke!
The book did it's job, now I want an icy cold coke!
April 10, 2022
3.4/5.0
This book gives a great insight into the corporate world of Coke and how greed is the driving force in the world. It's interesting to learn how these big corporates can exploit natural resources and have zero regard for public well being all in the name generating jobs.
This book gives a great insight into the corporate world of Coke and how greed is the driving force in the world. It's interesting to learn how these big corporates can exploit natural resources and have zero regard for public well being all in the name generating jobs.
February 20, 2020
I've really come to appreciate economic history, and this one is a doozy.
So much is unveiled here about the corporate welfare state and the vaporous nature of the modern global economy.
So much is unveiled here about the corporate welfare state and the vaporous nature of the modern global economy.
May 7, 2021
It is a very well researched and informative book but I found it a bit boring and dry at times.
February 22, 2020
This book is fascinating. If you want to understand large corporations and how they interact with government, the public, and world economies, you would find this an interesting read. I never imagined how far reaching the tentacles of such a corporation could be. Various factors that came together to make Coca-Cola the success it is today are explained. The author did much research to put this together. This book includes great background of world economies and government reactions through the past century. The narrator did a great job with the text. The chapters of the first half of the book are sorted by Coke's key ingredients and covers the company's history from 1886 through 1950. The chapters of the second half of the book are cataloged by the impacts of the corporation and covers the company's history from 1950 through today. I found the first half of the book more engaging than the second half, but it was all engrossing and I recommend this book.
July 20, 2018
Tôi đã bị thu hút về thông tin cá nhân tác giả, những lời bình luận sách và mục lục của nó. Nhìn chung, tôi cho rằng quyển sách đã thành công trong việc thu hút bất kỳ người đọc nào từ bìa sách cho đến đầu chương 1 của nó.
Tôi nghĩ mình đã đánh giá cao quyển sách này. Song đến cuối chương sách, thực sự cuốn sách chưa thoả mãn được những câu hỏi cơ bản và tò mò của tôi: "Nếu tác hại đã rõ, coca cola ảnh hưởng đến xã hội như thế nào? Cách giải quyết cho chủ nghĩa "tư bản coca cola" của tác giả là gì? Hướng giải quyết cho vấn đề môi trường (cầu tài nguyên khủng) của coca cola nói riêng và ngành giải khát, ăn uống này là gì?". Cơ bản là phần mở đầu của tác giả và câu kết của phần đó đã khiến tôi kỳ vọng quá cao về "vấn đề lịch sự của nhân loại" mà chưa thoả mãn được.
Bên cạnh nhận xét tiêu cực trên, tôi đồng ý với một số ý kiến nhận xét đầu trang sách. Quả thực, sách là một đề tài nguyên cứu lịch sử coca cola với góc khai thác rất sáng tạo với việc dùng nguyên liệu của thứ nước uống này làm chủ đạo mỗi chương để khai thác được nhiều khía cạnh.
Tác giả chọn tiêu đề chương theo chiều hương tiêu cực, dù vậy mỗi chương dù khai thác đúng như tên gọi của nó, tôi vẫn thấy nó quá khách quan đến mức có vẻ quá trung lập với một người đọc như tôi (tựa đề cũng trung lập như vậy)
Suy cho cùng và với tôi, cuốn sách tạm ổn và đủ cho một người học ngành môi trường như tôi không bao giờ muốn làm ở một công ty như coca, pepsi nữa.
Tôi nghĩ mình đã đánh giá cao quyển sách này. Song đến cuối chương sách, thực sự cuốn sách chưa thoả mãn được những câu hỏi cơ bản và tò mò của tôi: "Nếu tác hại đã rõ, coca cola ảnh hưởng đến xã hội như thế nào? Cách giải quyết cho chủ nghĩa "tư bản coca cola" của tác giả là gì? Hướng giải quyết cho vấn đề môi trường (cầu tài nguyên khủng) của coca cola nói riêng và ngành giải khát, ăn uống này là gì?". Cơ bản là phần mở đầu của tác giả và câu kết của phần đó đã khiến tôi kỳ vọng quá cao về "vấn đề lịch sự của nhân loại" mà chưa thoả mãn được.
Bên cạnh nhận xét tiêu cực trên, tôi đồng ý với một số ý kiến nhận xét đầu trang sách. Quả thực, sách là một đề tài nguyên cứu lịch sử coca cola với góc khai thác rất sáng tạo với việc dùng nguyên liệu của thứ nước uống này làm chủ đạo mỗi chương để khai thác được nhiều khía cạnh.
Tác giả chọn tiêu đề chương theo chiều hương tiêu cực, dù vậy mỗi chương dù khai thác đúng như tên gọi của nó, tôi vẫn thấy nó quá khách quan đến mức có vẻ quá trung lập với một người đọc như tôi (tựa đề cũng trung lập như vậy)
Suy cho cùng và với tôi, cuốn sách tạm ổn và đủ cho một người học ngành môi trường như tôi không bao giờ muốn làm ở một công ty như coca, pepsi nữa.
November 27, 2021
Interesting overview of the history of one of the largest corporations in the world and perhaps the best known brand globally. Lots of insight I never knew about the company and plenty of intrigue is found in many of the topics covered.
The first part of the book is a relatively bland history. There’s some good, but the subject matter isn’t conducive to an electrifying read. Not bad stuff, really, but not great either.
The second part is where it really gets going. It’s quite the expose and well worth getting to.
All in all this is a good book on an interesting subject. Just that there’s nothing to elevate it into the realm of greatness.
I am excited to read Elmore in the future though. Especially considering how on point his investigative work here was.
The first part of the book is a relatively bland history. There’s some good, but the subject matter isn’t conducive to an electrifying read. Not bad stuff, really, but not great either.
The second part is where it really gets going. It’s quite the expose and well worth getting to.
All in all this is a good book on an interesting subject. Just that there’s nothing to elevate it into the realm of greatness.
I am excited to read Elmore in the future though. Especially considering how on point his investigative work here was.
February 26, 2016
This facts and data presented in this book were very intriguing. What an impressive company with a fascinating history. The book got rather dry and tedious at times and I had a hard time finishing it. As I learned about "coke" I found myself wishing I had drank less of it and invested more in it.
February 27, 2015
If you are looking for new reasons why there is a global conspiracy out to kill you with whatever you deem poison in Coca Cola, than this is the right book to read.
February 19, 2015
I wonder why such a low rating for this book? There must be lots of trolls from the Consumer Freedom network here
January 7, 2019
Not very well-written, but contained a lot of interesting and thought provoking information. Worth a read if you are a Coke fan like I.
October 5, 2022
The story of Coca Cola’s rise to prominence as a global corporation is only part of the narrative told by Bartow J. Elmore in Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca Cola Capitalism. The soft drink company’s genesis in Atlanta during the second half of the nineteenth century is told at the book’s outset, as are the contributions made by John Pemberton to kick start its success. The methods that pharmacist Asa Candler used to further Pemberton’s baby are also thoroughly examined in Citizen Coke.
Coke’s riffing off of Vin Mariani, a coca wine from Europe during the mid-1800s, was held up as a master stroke at successful imitation and improvement of an idea.
The company’s success in making minimal capital investments early on and instead relying on suppliers to provide their material needs was shown to be a key strategy by which they locked in ever higher profit margins. Bottling plants and manufacturing were in effect outsourced, while Coke was left free to ceaselessly advertise and market their drink. By using other industry’s excesses-from coca to caffeine to the materials in their cans and bottles-and scavenging these to improve their own product, Coke, in the words of Elmore, made “abundance transportable.”
This utilization of abundance and example of the power of branding over the physical was one important element of what the book dubs Coca Cola capitalism.
Coke’s brand took off under the guidance of Robert Woodruff, who served in executive positions at the company, including as president, for six decades.
It was during Woodruff's time at the helm, which ran from the 1920s until the 1980s, that Coke became a globally recognized brand. Crucially, Coke won a contract to supply American service members with the soft drink overseas during World War Two; the awarding of this by the War Production Board was shown to be a turning point in the takeoff of company profits. The fact that many local municipalities heavily subsidized water usage (Coca Cola has always been a heavy user of local water supplies) was another way the company took advantage of friendly public policies to pad their bottom line.
The negative elements of Coca Cola Capitalism are not overlooked by Elmore in this work of nonfiction which has the feel of a Fast Food Nation sort of expose. These are the second element of this form of capitalism examined in the book’s pages.
There was strong backlash which ensued after the company began using single-use bottles; seeing these strewn over the landscape was not a welcome sight to many Americans. To combat this, Coca Cola (and other corporations) put the onus on individuals and local governments to both recycle and fund recycling programs. Elmore strongly implies that America could have used a more European-style approach to this litter crisis by making the companies themselves responsible for the disposal of the waste they themselves created instead of blaming consumers.
The idea of filling plastic bottles with water which was not even from a particularly special source and selling these at a massive markup was shown to be another genius stroke in the company’s marketing.
The 1985 switch to high fructose corn syrup was put in a fairly bad light as well. To hear Citizen Coke tell it, like the country’s roadsides, American’s bodies became repositories for Coke’s excess. A look at obesity statistics since then can tell the story of what impact this has had on society at large.
Citizen Coke closes by explaining why it is so hard for consumption habits to change. Even though it is minority communities which are hardest hit by the marketing for things like soft drinks and fast food restaurants, their complaints over this are often muted by a few factors. One of these, Elmore points out, is that many small local retailers in minority communities rely on soft drink sales as a crucial part of their revenue stream and therefore are not as apt to back sugar taxes as one might assume. Many families in communities of color also fall below the poverty line and are often barely able to afford the unhealthy options offered in their neighborhood to begin with, so efforts to vice-tax these products have an additional reason to be opposed by disadvantaged groups.
Paul Austin was another intriguing Coke executive readers met in Coca Cola Capitalism. He is held up as an individual with a strong social conscience who truly wanted to do good in the world with the billion dollar corporation he found himself leading. But even Austin was ultimately unable to change much within the constraints of needing to constantly show growth at almost all costs.
This is a strong work of journalistic writing with shades of Barbara Ehrenreich and Eric Schlosser present in nearly every chapter. Its single-minded focus on Coke was coupled with an open minded strategy of looking at both the good the company has done and, in the cases of the bad, why they opted for the shortcuts and socially questionable decisions they did.
Coca Cola Capitalism is worth reading both as a chronology of an important American company and a mirror held up to the consequences of modern industrial capitalism.
-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado
Coke’s riffing off of Vin Mariani, a coca wine from Europe during the mid-1800s, was held up as a master stroke at successful imitation and improvement of an idea.
The company’s success in making minimal capital investments early on and instead relying on suppliers to provide their material needs was shown to be a key strategy by which they locked in ever higher profit margins. Bottling plants and manufacturing were in effect outsourced, while Coke was left free to ceaselessly advertise and market their drink. By using other industry’s excesses-from coca to caffeine to the materials in their cans and bottles-and scavenging these to improve their own product, Coke, in the words of Elmore, made “abundance transportable.”
This utilization of abundance and example of the power of branding over the physical was one important element of what the book dubs Coca Cola capitalism.
Coke’s brand took off under the guidance of Robert Woodruff, who served in executive positions at the company, including as president, for six decades.
It was during Woodruff's time at the helm, which ran from the 1920s until the 1980s, that Coke became a globally recognized brand. Crucially, Coke won a contract to supply American service members with the soft drink overseas during World War Two; the awarding of this by the War Production Board was shown to be a turning point in the takeoff of company profits. The fact that many local municipalities heavily subsidized water usage (Coca Cola has always been a heavy user of local water supplies) was another way the company took advantage of friendly public policies to pad their bottom line.
The negative elements of Coca Cola Capitalism are not overlooked by Elmore in this work of nonfiction which has the feel of a Fast Food Nation sort of expose. These are the second element of this form of capitalism examined in the book’s pages.
There was strong backlash which ensued after the company began using single-use bottles; seeing these strewn over the landscape was not a welcome sight to many Americans. To combat this, Coca Cola (and other corporations) put the onus on individuals and local governments to both recycle and fund recycling programs. Elmore strongly implies that America could have used a more European-style approach to this litter crisis by making the companies themselves responsible for the disposal of the waste they themselves created instead of blaming consumers.
The idea of filling plastic bottles with water which was not even from a particularly special source and selling these at a massive markup was shown to be another genius stroke in the company’s marketing.
The 1985 switch to high fructose corn syrup was put in a fairly bad light as well. To hear Citizen Coke tell it, like the country’s roadsides, American’s bodies became repositories for Coke’s excess. A look at obesity statistics since then can tell the story of what impact this has had on society at large.
Citizen Coke closes by explaining why it is so hard for consumption habits to change. Even though it is minority communities which are hardest hit by the marketing for things like soft drinks and fast food restaurants, their complaints over this are often muted by a few factors. One of these, Elmore points out, is that many small local retailers in minority communities rely on soft drink sales as a crucial part of their revenue stream and therefore are not as apt to back sugar taxes as one might assume. Many families in communities of color also fall below the poverty line and are often barely able to afford the unhealthy options offered in their neighborhood to begin with, so efforts to vice-tax these products have an additional reason to be opposed by disadvantaged groups.
Paul Austin was another intriguing Coke executive readers met in Coca Cola Capitalism. He is held up as an individual with a strong social conscience who truly wanted to do good in the world with the billion dollar corporation he found himself leading. But even Austin was ultimately unable to change much within the constraints of needing to constantly show growth at almost all costs.
This is a strong work of journalistic writing with shades of Barbara Ehrenreich and Eric Schlosser present in nearly every chapter. Its single-minded focus on Coke was coupled with an open minded strategy of looking at both the good the company has done and, in the cases of the bad, why they opted for the shortcuts and socially questionable decisions they did.
Coca Cola Capitalism is worth reading both as a chronology of an important American company and a mirror held up to the consequences of modern industrial capitalism.
-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado
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