All Things Coffee

by Farnaz Calafi

All Things Coffee speaks to those who see coffee, not only as an enticing beverage, but also as a muse! This book is an eclectic collection of writings that capture the historical, cultural, health and social justice aspects of coffee, as well as fun facts and recipes.

Genres: Nonfiction

68 pages, Hardcover

Published September 15, 2020

About the author

Farnaz Calafi loves all kinds of stories! Whether fact-based & well-researched or fictional & out of this world bizarre! She previously worked for the Los Angeles Times & her OpEd pieces have been published in USA Today, San Diego Union-Tribune, & The New York Times.

Reviews

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

Sort of a coffee table book about coffee. Unfortunately, the type is very tiny and I can hardly read it.

[Tessa B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book with lots of facts about everything coffee, the recipes are soooo good the coffee milkshake is my fave. It’s an interesting read you can talk about for smalltalk

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was full of fun facts, the recipes look amazing (i still have to try them), and I loved the poetry included. I will definitely be looking to get a hard copy of this book!

[gizelle ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know what I was expecting when I picked up this book but definitely not this. This book is so random but it's a pleasant and welcome surprise. It's very short and easy to read and it's something I'd definitely pick when it's put on a coffee table. It's about coffee's history, some trivias, poems, and there are easter eggs too. I had fun reading this and I liked the coffee recipes. Maybe I'd try them out in the future. The only thing I didn't like much was the font was hard to read as it was so small but it's understandable since it's a magazine type of book.

[ಸುಶಾಂತ ಕುರಂದವಾಡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is completely about coffee. We have a bunch of people who love coffee, not just as a drink but as something addictive when it comes to a state of mind outside their boring lives. The author takes us back to the history of when coffee was started. When you read this book, you might get some answers to questions like "Why and how did it start?". When coffee started, it, of course, underwent an evolution. Earlier, if it was just soft drinks, coffee completely replaced them. When it comes to farming and trading, are they making good numbers? Since the number of coffee consumers has increased, coffee production is increasing every day. And also, this book tells us the problems that women go through when they go into farming. These women will have a huge amount of responsibilities tied to them, but in the world, women coffee farmers are at the top.

We need to think about health constraints when consuming coffee. This book has a clear vision for explaining the benefits of coffee and the amount of consumption we need to have for a healthier body. Some fun facts about coffee really bring a smile to our faces; some poems make us read them again and again; some humour content makes us think over them. Adding to these contents, we have well-made recipes with ingredients to be added for a better taste of coffee! For a quick read and for coffee lovers, this is a nice book to start with.

[Y Emanuelle . · Rating 5 out of 5]

As smooth as a blond roast, and as hot as a dark tall; this book takes you to an enchanted realm of coffee savouring! First, the author takes your hand and walks you through the alleys of Ethiopia and Yemen, then she takes you further into the realities and fantasies that encircle every drip of coffee that you sip on a daily basis. Farnaz Calafi, the author, has creatively composed fables, sonnets, and odes about coffee and gathered a whole world of detail related to it. Before reading this book, I was under the impression to be pretty savvy about the perky world of coffee! After reading this sassy and smart Java tome, I realized how much I didn’t know!!!
The photos are also stunning and to die for! The book is simply splendid and fanciful! She has picked every word and every detail with such fervency for coffee that caused me to read it time and again since I received it.
I highly recommend this book to all Java Lovers out there because it’s a jewel everyone needs to have in their library.
I own two versions of this book. I have the hard cover and the Kindle ebook. I am not sure why people are not able to enlarge the typeface as it is very easy to do that. I can easily increase the size on my Kindle on my iPhone 7+ and read it without my reading glasses.

[Casey Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Things Coffee by Farnaz Calafi really does cover almost everything about coffee and does so in a beautiful, funny, and for me the most delightful, poetic way. Filled with bits of information about coffee-making, the coffee industry, the history of coffee, coffee drinks, including a wonderful set of recipes for various coffee cocktails, it covers a lot in not too many pages. Each entry is accompanied by attractive photos. My favorite parts: the revelation that 70% of coffee workers are women, most in developing countries where they may make $3 a day, the same amount that Americans spend on coffee each day. I loved the picture and story about Agatha Christie’s first play, which was called, “Black Coffee.” The story is accompanied by a wonderful picture of Christie herself in her library. A section on coffee humor was also very entertaining, as was a section on poems about coffee, written by the author.
“All Things Coffee” is a coffee-table book and it is very handsomely done as a large-size hardbound book. It’s just the thing for one’s coffee table or as a gift to your favorite coffee-lover.

[Kalpanaashri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am extremely grateful to have received this book through Booktasters for providing an honest review!

Genre:
Non-Fiction, Food

Description:
A beautiful aromatic collection of history, cultural, social and health aspects of the coffee served hot by the author.

Review:
As someone who loves coffee, I was so excited to grab this eBook. Starting with historical facts about the humble cup of coffee, the author Farnaz Calafi talks about social justice for plantation workers, health aspects of coffee and slowly talks about fun facts too! What I loved most about the book was the author including such delectable recipes that I wish I could just grab it straight out of the book!! The illustrations make this book much more interesting!

This is a short and fun educative book for everyone out there. Please, do get this book! It is a treat for coffee lovers! Also don’t forget to grab your favourite cup of coffee while reading. Otherwise, you will end up craving for one by the time you finish reading!

[Yara · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Things Coffee speaks to those who see coffee, not only as an enticing and exciting elixir but also as a muse! – An earthy gift from the divine unknown. A robust beverage. A versatile ingredient. A loyal friend in solitude. A persistent excuse to meet with a loved one. Poetry in a cup! – This book encompasses historical, cultural, health, and social justice topics as well as fun facts and recipes, all revolving around coffee.

I read this book in one sitting; Calafi knows her coffee well. She walks you through the dark alleys of 15c Yemen where the Arabs drank the dark beverage for spiritual intoxication and stayed up all night to seek divine purification. She highlights the bitter truth about female coffee workers in the present day and the benefits of fair trade coffee. She touches base with the health benefits of drinking coffee and tasseography.

The book has fables, sonnets, and odes about coffee, which makes it a fab read.

[Lauri Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great coffee table (no pun intended) book which mixes facts, history, humour, images and poetry perfectly. The way Farnaz Calafi has done her research clearly shows throughout this book - and I have learned things I didn’t even know were happening! And in my opinion is a very good thing to highlight. That and the meagre pay. (80% of Ethiopian coffee farmers are female, etc). It is a very well researched book, with poetry dotted throughout, and images too; I loved the ‘how to know if you’re a coffeeholic’ section and laughed out loud at the furniture being brown, smelling coffee everywhere in the house, and most of all the coffee scented candles and body wash being coffee and cream, haha!

Overall a very good, informative book that I would recommend to others.

[Raagadharshini · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much more than just drinking a cup of coffee. This book is one such marvel. It states a lot of coffee facts and histories, poems about coffee.
Also gives us coffee related recipes.
Be sure to have a cup of coffee while reading this, cause trust me you will be craving for it as you turn pages.
It has amazing illustrations and so comfortable to read.
A must read for coffee lovers!
Happy reading..!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun little book about coffee! Easy to read, and would make a great gift for that coffee-loving friend. Made me want to learn even more about coffee, the history, the fair trade coffees, and explore the recipes. This book will not tell you everything you ever wanted to know about coffee but it opens up the mind and is fun to read while sipping a cup of your favorite brew.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful recipe

This is a little literal cup of happiness. From history to poetry to recipes it's an enjoyable read for anyone

[Disclaimer: I won this as part of #GoodreadsGiveaway]

[Stephanie Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun read!!! This felt like a ride along the history of coffee and I am glad to have read it!! Thank you to booktasters and the author for the opportunity to read this!

[Chris Maddix · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a minor league baseball player is promoted to the major leagues for a very short period of time, he is said to be having "a cup of coffee." All Things Coffee is a "cup of coffee" of a book. Per author Farnaz Calafi, coffee was first discovered by a goatherder in Ethiopia who recognized the impact of the plant on his herd. Cultivated by the 15th century, coffee arrived in Europe soon after, although Shakespeare missed it. Coffee is reportedly a health benefit, both physical and mental, it's usable in fortune telling, it was the subject of Agatha Christie's first play, it's been the topic of some fair poetry, and the author offers some interesting coffee recipes. There are some downsides, among them the tongue-in-cheek danger of becoming a "coffeeholic" and the fact that much of the product comes from.

This is a cute little book.

[Labannya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's one hell of a coffeeholic. If you're no lover of coffee then you simply can't can't write this in depth memoir on coffee. It was clear that the author has a strong knowledge-base and love for coffee.

All Things Coffee speaks to those who see coffee, not only as an enticing beverage, but also as a muse! This book is a collection of writings that capture the historical, cultural, health and social justice aspects of coffee, as well as fun facts, poems and recipes. I wouldn't have believed that there're so many recipes you can make with Coffee itself if not for this book. I love the recipes and can't wait to try them myself.

Be sure to have a cup of coffee while reading this, cause trust me you will be craving for it as you turn pages. It has amazing illustrations and so comfortable to read. The author writes poetically loved how the History she introduced us.

A must read for coffee lovers!

Highly recommended.

Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Thank you @booktaster for the #arc in exchange for a honest review.

[Tyrife · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Good ideas start with brainstorming. Great ideas start with coffee."

I have only lately discovered the pleasure of coffee; so it was interesting to learn about the way it came to be.

But what was even more interesting, was to learn how it could prevent a few diseases, including (but probably not limited to):

• Parkinson's;
• Alzheimer's;
• heart disease;
• type 2 diabetes;
• liver and colon cancer;
• depression.

The internet is dependent on the meme about coffee curing depression, but it was an interesting to surprise to learn that what I thought was nothing more than meme, was actually based in reality!

A good book for any heavy coffee fan (or even someone who's just thought "what is so great about coffee anyway?").

If the health benefits won't convince you to give the beverage a try (if you haven't), one of the suggested recipes certainly will!

[Cynthia Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple Praise for coffee

The author gathers various facts, art and recipes to celebrate coffee in it's variant forms. Delightful use of visual representation to support the written word

[EmioÑa Hammam · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all coffee lovers out there ❤️
This book sums up coffee history in a good simple way. Along with some coffee adorable recipes.
What really caught my heart and I couldn't resist is the poetry written for the love of coffee in this book. Everything about the book style and pics is perfect.

[Taylor Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Best Part of Waking Up!

Not just a book of coffee recipes! Coffee drinkers and coffee lovers alike will love this book. I learned so much! I shared it with my mom and she enjoyed it too! Wonderful addition to anyone’s coffee table!

[Swati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing... Reading this book while having a coffee was amazing. Filled with bits of information about coffee-making, the coffee industry, the history of coffee, coffee drinks,... . It also has many eye catching photos which makes the book fun to read!

[Sharn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little informational bits over coffee. Think a tea version would be a nice pairing. Then both books would be nice little additions to a living room or office waiting area for guests.

[Ananna Dutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book for all coffee drinkers! Gained huge knowledge on coffee. The book starts with its origin and detailed all facts on coffee. Thank you Farnaz Calafi for the wonderful book.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly enjoyable read that is light, fun and informative. This book is perfect for coffee table reading, or just in a reception area as it's so light and easy.
I learnt lots of fun anecdotes about coffee from this well formatted book.
I plan on trying out the recipes listed as they look utterly delightful.

[Lauren Cisneros · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, short but fun little book about exactly what the title said. As a huge coffee lover (and probably addict 😅) myself, I thought it was interesting to read about the little bit of history that was included in here. I also appreciated the recipes and will definitely be trying them out 👍🏽
Overall it was a cozy read but I do wish it was a little longer , I would’ve loved to see more of everything in here from more poems about coffee to more facts or history about coffee since the title gives off the impression it would be loaded with more information only to be under 100 pages, but I still think this an enjoyable read and great for a coffee table kind of book or one to keep by a coffee station ☕️

[Haley DelPlato · Rating 4 out of 5]

All Things Coffee was a quick read with beautiful photography. Personally, I would have liked to read more at length about the history & politics behind the coffee industry/Fair Trade certification, as well as health insights. It was clear that the author has a strong knowledge-base and love of the beverage, so I imagine this short format was intentional to coincide with its coffee-table-book structure. I love the recipes and can't wait to try them!! Definitely a book with something for every coffee lover. Could totally see this being available to browse in the main table space of local coffee shops. Worth a look but definitely know that it's a short book (written almost like articles) covering a span of genres (food/recipes, poetry, humor, history, health & nutrition). I hope the author will write a longer-form book for more informational purposes in the future! In the meantime, this is a great book for a quick dose of information, a little laugh, and some inspiration to start your day.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this in a Kindle format from Goodreads. This is a WONDERFUL little book that can read in 30 minutes or less. While it's awesome, I read it on my kindle and it had major printing flaws. Often the words "rantogether likethis" making it highly annoying to read. I suppose I won a kindle galley version. It did say it the book is $3.00. The kindle version is not worth $3 bucks because it had never made it past general proofreading. I'm sorry but if someone is going to write a book or put it in a kindle format do not put it out there unless the print setting is correct. It's just my opinion. Or I did do something incorrect on my kindle to make nearly impossible to read.
Most of the recipes in the end sound worth making. Any version of this book is going to make you want coffee and caffeine, either to make you less pissed off or because this little book is going to make you crave the elixir of coffee more than you already do. If that's possible.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book from GoodReads as part of the First Reads program

All Things Coffee is an entertaining little book with a short history of coffee, some trivia, some humor, some poetry and recipes. When looking at other reviews, I was puzzled by all the references to the small font, and wondered why people didn't just enlarge the font on their kindle. As it turns out, you can't do that, and for this reason I recommend that if you want to purchase this book, you get the print version, since the kindle version is almost impossible to read. It also won't work on all Kindle devices. It's a fun book, though, and if you like coffee, or know anyone who does, it would make a nice gift.

[Michelle Arredondo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic little treasure of a book. It makes for a lovely coffee table display which is where I have my copy now. Small and light. Not a lot of pages but just the right amount of content. Fun tidbits, interesting reads, poetry, pictures, and recipes all for the love of coffee and their coffee-loving humans. Perfect size...a great little display...quaint conversational piece.

I'm happy to have my book. Makes for a great gift as well.

Thanks to the good people of goodreads and to Author Farnaz Calafi for my copy won via giveaway. I received. I read. I reviewed this book honestly and voluntarily.

[Kerrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun, albeit short, musing on _all things coffee_. The photography is lovely and vibrant and adds visual interest throughout. There are fun little poems as well as quick history snippets on the origins of this delicious beverage. It ends with some delicious recipes for coffee fans to try out at home.

Ultimately, this is more of a coffee table (no pun intended?) style book than a detailed history of coffee. It's fun & fluffy & pretty to look at. However, if you're wanting a detailed book either on the history of coffee or a guide to coffee beans / roasts, you may want to look elsewhere.