Standage's bright idea really is bright: a book that divides world history into beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea and Coca-Cola Ages. His book is loaded with the kind of data that get talked about at the figurative water cooler . . . Incisive, illuminating and swift.

Janet Maslin, New York Times

A zippy narrative . . . [Standage] uses something mundane and everyday to tell vivid and accessible stories about the changing textures of human life.

Steven Shapin, The New Yorker

Tom Standage's highly enjoyable chronicle of six beverages that have shaped human destiny is as refreshing as a cool glass of beer on a hot day and as stimulating as that first cup of coffee in the morning . . . There aren't many books this entertaining that also provide a cogent crash course in ancient, classical and modern history . . . In breezy, but unfailingly intelligent prose . . . the author underpins provocative cultural commentary with solid economic and political information.

Wendy Smith, Los Angeles Times

Spirited arguments-mixed with more than a splash of historical evidence-present a cogent case for how civilization has evolved through millennia of sippage . . . Standage stirs up a fun and engaging romp without spilling a drop.

Wired

A clever, tight retelling of human history . . . Standage's writing flows like water: crisp, clear, and deceptively simple. Foodies and readers fond of quirky cultural histories will enjoy this book.

The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

An easy and agreeable read, never seeming discursive or unwieldy, despite the vast amount of ground it covers. I'll happily raise my glass to that.

Yiling Chen-Josephson, Newsday