Coffee Culture: Local Experiences, Global Connections (Routledge Series for Creative Teaching and Learning in Anthropology)
"Coffee Cultureis more than a compilation of great perspectives regarding the cultural anthropology and political ecology of the world's most popular drink. It is also the perfect lens through which to show students and activists alike the complexities of shifting the production and promotion of any commodity toward sustainability and food justice."—Gary Nabhan, Southwest Studies Center, University of Arizona"This book is an excellent overview of the world of coffee, and a perfect exemplar of the ideas of theAnthropology of Stuffseries. Coffee Culture is ideally suited for use in courses on 'stuff'—commodities in the modern globalized economy. Though designed for course use, it would be great reading just as a way of keeping up on one of the world's favorite drinks."—Eugene Anderson, Anthropology,University of California, Riverside"'Stuff' matters, especially in our increasingly material world, and few commodities matter quite as much as Coffee. Catherine Tucker’s Coffee Culture provides a brilliant, broad-ranging and engaging introduction to just why this is the case. She reveals the dark side of coffee (along with some rays of hope) and its complex interconnection with everything from world history, social class, and commodification, to the Internet, sex, and fair trade."—Gavin Fridell, Politics,Trent University"Professors of introductory cultural anthropology are always searching for ways to make anthropology stimulating and relevant for students....Routledge has embarked on a parallel series of short monographs ('Series for Creative Teaching and Learning in Anthropology') that takes a fresh approach, provocatively described as 'The Anthropology of Stuff.' These first two books provide promising beginnings to the series, affirming anthropology as the study of people and the everyday 'stuff' that surrounds us....given an undergraduate readership that consumes coffee in great quantities, thisbook will find an enthusiastic audience."—C. R. Yano, University of Hawaii,Recommended title, CHOICE"Overall,Coffee Cultureprovides an excellent combination of historical narrative, information about sustainable practices for growing and processing coffee beans, and a convincing argument that Americans need to recognize the damage that our coffee culture is causing to the individuals, economies, and environments of coffee-producing nations."  —Jan 2012 Contemporary Sociology: A Journal of Reviews Volume 41. Number 1 "Professor Catherine Tucker’sCoffee Cultureis a fascinating book because it reveals so many unnoticed dimensions about an apparently inoffensive commodity, which confirms why social sciences such as anthropology are relevant."—Yves Laberge, Centr'ERE, in Electronic Green Journal