The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World's Favorite Soft Drink
"Blanding roots his tale in the birth of the advertising era, and he is particularly effective in telling the story of how Coke fought to monopolize the sale of soft drinks to school children." --Salon.com"Like Morgan Spurlock'sSuper Size Meand Eric Schlosser'sFast Food Nation,The Coke Machineembeds current issues with history, policy, and interviews to reveal the wizard behind the curtain." --Suite101.com"An eye opening expose which blows the plastic lids off a company known to associate itself with love and happiness... The book lays out the case against Coke in startling clarity." --TowerReview.com"The book's sixty-three pages of notes attest to [Blanding's] careful research, and lend a vital legitimacy to his allegations--this is much more than an activist's polemic." --[tk] review"Important and readable... Blanding's painstakingly reported book reminds us that Coke's global success--perhaps like all spectacular global success--came at a price"  --The Atlantic"Every company has a dark side, and you won't believe how dark Coca-Cola's is. After reading this book, good luck having a Coke and smile." --Morgan Spurlock, director of Super Size Me"Coca-Cola wants to teach the world to sing, but in the process they've trashed water supplies, peddled sugar to generations of kids, and undermined worker rights around the world. Put down your soda, readThe Coke Machineand join the global movement to rein in unaccountable corporations." --Barbara Ehrenreich, author ofNickel and DimedandBrightsided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America"InThe Coke Machine, Michael Blanding takes a tough, unsweetened look at the business practices of this iconic American company.  His investigations reveal the costs--in ethics, health, public resources, and sometimes even human life--of Coca-Cola's relentless pressure to expand sales of its products.  This book is a terrific introduction to the inner workings of corporate capitalism as it plays out on a global scale." --Marion Nestle, Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University, and author ofFood PoliticsandWhat to Eat"In shocking detail, Blanding uncovers Coke's numerous transgressions against humanity and nature... Blanding's thoroughly detailed, stimulating and challenging study will have many readers saying, 'Give me a Pepsi.'" --BookPage, September 2010"By this account, Coke's domination of the market begins to look less like a triumph of advertising and more like a symptom of the dark side of globalisation."  --The Financial Times, September 20, 2010