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Compare and Contrast for the History of the World in Six Glasses.

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AP World History Summer Reading Essay Only one thing matters more than a liquid refreshment, getting a fresh breath of air. But liquids, unlike air, are more than just necessities for life. A simple drink that was used just to quench a thirst had the possibilities of being a political stimulant, economic sparker, and a cultural infuser. Tom Standage decides to magnify the microscopic drops of history that had seemed to slip our minds so easily as just a thirst quencher. Whenever someone picks up a nice cold glass of one of these drinks, they should know the history of it. These drinks seemed to have done more than refresh us, they have served as economic sparkers and signatures for countries. What have these drinks done alike to have …show more content…

Beer, for example, was a drink that affected the lifestyle of humans; the humans who had made the switch between being nomads to building more permanent homes. Coke, on the other hand, had made its mark on the American culture and then had spread itself to other cultures all around the world. Coffee had formed a new type of franchise, coffee houses, an internet hub; coffee houses had even become a staple in some people’s daily lives. It’s the differences in each drink that can determine the way they affect our culture. Beer, the first beverage appeared as a result of changed lifestyle for the early humans. Before, humans were nomads, who would follow their food (pg. 9). But starting about 12,000 years ago humans had picked up on a new lifestyle (pg. 9). These small bands of about 30 people were now settling down in more permanent areas and had abandoned their old ways of constantly traveling (pg. 9). This drastic turning point in human history seemed to primarily come from one reason, the discovery of beer (pg.11). As beer was basically formed from the gathering of barley and wheat, humans had to form some type of permanent residency, and abandon their old nomadic lifestyle (pg.11). The Drink of reason, coffee, seems to not have changed much culturally to this day, as when it is brought to the table over 250 years ago (pg. 170). Coffee remains to be the drink over which people meet

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