Home › Forums › General History Chat › Book Review: A History of the Wolrd in Six Glasses- Tom Standage
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January 13, 2010 at 11:27 am #1879
scout1067
ParticipantI just finished readin this book as textbook for a class I am taking. It is actually pretty decent. The authro manages to keep his political bias at bay most of the time although it shows through in places. It is an interesting thesis and an entertaining read at least.Tom Stanage is an editor for The Economist and not a historian and it shows somewhat in the way he makes claims without proof. There are no citations although he does provide a bibliography of sorts at the end of the text.My biggest complaint would be his occasional biased remarks. To read this book and take everyhting at face value you would think that everythin goo that has happened in the west since the end of the Roman Empire either came from China or the Middle East. He presents the story as though Europeans were a bunch of grubs who stole all the ideas and never came up with anything on their own that wasnt somehow bad.Still a pretty decent book and I would imagine his history of the drinks is pretty correct. it agrees with other work I have read on the origins of these drinks.I would reccomend this book but it is definitely not a necessary read, only if you have the time and are inclined. The edition I got was from Amazn and cost $15.95, so not too expensive for a history book.
January 13, 2010 at 4:46 pm #18051Phidippides
KeymasterWhat is the point of the book (sounds like a general world history book from the title)? I mean, why did the professor use a non-historian's text for a history class?
January 13, 2010 at 7:36 pm #18052scout1067
ParticipantYes, it is a general world history book. I have no idea why it is a textbook, even less why it would be a textbook in a graduate level world history survey course. I continually thought while reading it that if I made so many assertions of fact in a paper without providing citations I would fail. I figure this guy gets a pass because he is a journalist and not strictly an academic historian. I guess the standards of evidence are lower when you are just going after the lucre instead of a seat in the Ivory Tower; if that is the case, I dont want to be an academic historian I would rather be rich.
January 14, 2010 at 1:09 am #18053Wally
ParticipantMe too and while that may happen the main thing I see is a book like this getting lots of people to take an interest in history. Might be a stretch but I think lots of folks might look deeper into the field after a teaser like this one. It is to hope.
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