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Caffeine
- How Caffeine Created the Modern World
- Narrated by: Michael Pollan
- Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
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Caffeine
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Summary
Michael Pollan, known for his best-selling nonfiction audio, including The Omnivores Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind, conceived and wrote Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World as an Audible Original. In this controversial and exciting listen, Pollan explores caffeine’s power as the most-used drug in the world - and the only one we give to children (in soda pop) as a treat.
Pollan takes us on a journey through the history of the drug, which was first discovered in a small part of East Africa and within a century became an addiction affecting most of the human species. Caffeine, it turns out, has changed the course of human history - won and lost wars, changed politics, dominated economies. What’s more, the author shows that the Industrial Revolution would have been impossible without it. The science of how the drug has evolved to addict us is no less fascinating. And caffeine has done all these things while hiding in plain sight! Percolated with Michael Pollan’s unique ability to entertain, inform, and perform, Caffeine is essential listening in a world where an estimated two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day.
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What listeners say about Caffeine
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 29-12-22
Great overview about coffee and the usage of the drink
Great summary, told in an interesting and engaging way! Right length to keep it interesting but still clear.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. N. C. Angel
- 06-09-21
More please
My only really complaint about this is that it feels like it should be much longer and that there’s so much more to say. But a real treat - small and perfectly formed. Thank you Michael Pollan and - I guess - thank you Amazon!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Renata
- 06-01-23
Good listen and interesting
Enjoyed listening. it was informative and well read. Will probably listen again with my coffee :)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Norma Miles
- 03-07-22
"Make mine a regular, please."
Simply delicious!
The author, who also narrates, mixes his personal experiment of giving up caffeine for the duration of writing the fascinating little book: how the plants, notably coffee and tea, have exploited us as we in turn have changed our world by their use.
An Audible Original, available for free from the Audible + programme, this is a witty, warm, and informative easy read, just right to hear over a prolonged (2 hour) coffee break
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 09-08-22
Well worth the listen, especially with Pollans Narration
This is a good short listen/read covering the punchlines of coffee culture, history and some science. Brewed around Michaels doubt about his ability to carry the subject to start with, he uses the dark drinks addictive nature to drive the narrative. He quits the stimulant at a time he needs it the most and uncovers the wheels running modern civilisation, then makes it back before his wheels run out. Well worth a pleasurable listen, all the more for Michael Pollans amazing narration and voice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alex Jenkins
- 06-09-22
A double espresso with sugar
It's short but sweet, packed with Michael Pollan's laudible energy and insight. He carefully combines his own experiences with coffee and his research with a few interviews and papers in non-spill cardboard packaging and a cardboard slip to-go.
Recommended for an entertaining, light listen that will deepen your appreciation of a morning brew. If you're looking for a deeper dive with timelines and more precise science and history, however, this isn't your cup of tea. Still, I drank this in an afternoon, and it went down like a cup of sunshine.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Mark Russell
- 06-07-21
interesting
very interesting short listen on caffeine, and the world's most common addiction. Worth a listen
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 06-12-20
A must, especially if you are a caffeine consumer
A very interesting book, rather short, that was my only disappointment. But its well structured and doesn't dwell much on either of its parts. The information is concise yet sufficient to cover a bit of history, science, personal opinions. Simply loved it.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Tim
- 12-01-21
Interesting but too short
interesting but too short and not worth a whole credit or £7. I liked his easy writing style and finished it easily in 2 days
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- pk
- 12-01-21
Brief and packed with flavour in Pollan's voice
I really enjoy Pollan's writing and particularly when he reads it himself. A staunch lover of coffee, this book was a lovely introduction to the discovery and evolution of caffeine. I particularly found the stories of how caffeine plants have evolved, concept of coffee community, paid coffee breaks and the excerpts from Pollan's interview with Walker on sleep very interesting!
I would happily listen to more but I also really like books like these, short and yet eye opening and full of juicy tidbits that set you off on your own exploration. MY actually do just that after my filter coffee!
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