Coffee is no exception. At first, it was known as wine of Araby and today we’re calling it “Coffee”. While it is one of the most drunk liquid on earth, the story of coffee starts vaguely from African continent. Then, it spreads through Europe and eventually find its way to Asia. Today, while some countries in African continent is known for a coffee producer but in their development, South America & South East Asia eventually become the power house of coffee producers. There are many reasons as to why places like Brazil and Vietnam became the biggest producer of coffee in the region. The reasons aren’t always optimistic veils as there is dark stories behind a cup that powers through industrialization era to globalization today. Coffee: A Dark History by Anthony Wild attempts to comb through the hazy origin of Coffee to the modern day slavery and problematic coffee industry that are not known by many of us.

The book is 327 pages filled with illuminating facts and offers different perspective on the way we see coffee. Anthony Wild himself is pretty much involved in the coffee industry as he was a director of purchasing for specialty coffee roaster as much as he is also a journalist and consultant specializing in colonialism and its history. With such background, it is no doubt that this book perspective is quite intriguing. Though there are quite a few criticism towards the book but reading this, offers a perspective that the cup of Joe that we drink isn’t always sourced ethically and behind it, there was also modern slavery at play.

Since pretty much in the 21th century, Starbucks becomes the go-to coffee all around America and pretty much the world. Even though it was a new player around early 2000s, according to the book it is already reaping huge profit. They are really good at positioning themselves as well as getting all the best quality of coffee beans for themselves and leaving a little for the rest of the coffee industry. But behind that, the book also presents a statement that the third world farmers are suffering. There are many critiques aimed at Starbucks that this book presents which is a fair questioning considering the milk, sugar, and the health related that they might come with it.

Although half of the book might sound very boring as it’s filled with history but for anyone who call themselves coffee lovers, it is quite an intriguing book that adds more information as well as stimulating new perspective.

Since the book is quite niche, but it also has an insight if you’re into economics of coffee as there are many lessons for it scattered all around in the book itself. The book is also available as an e-reader ready to borrow at open library or achive.org.

This book is one of the book that I wish to find its physical copy since it's wildly illuminating as well as entertaining. Since I enjoy reading history book, the extensive history and well-sourced of this book was also intriguing to me. I spend the week reading this and next, I am currently reading Americanah by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie. Stay tuned for my review on that.