89. Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce and Culture

My name is Stacy and I'm a Starbucks-aholic.

Yes, I can admit my fondness for their beverages, as overpriced as they may be. So of course, this book caught my attention on the shelves of Barnes & Noble. But I think it is safe to say even those who hate the 'bucks or don't really care either way would find this book interesting. Part one looks at the rise of the coffee industry and Starbucks in particular and part two looks at all of the reasons people hate Starbucks and whether or not they are valid. On top of that, the author is pretty witty and filled the books with fun footnotes and interesting stories.

Here's the description from B&N:

STARBUCKED will be the first book to explore the incredible rise of the Starbucks Corporation and the caffeine-crazy culture that fueled its success. Part Fast Food Nation, part Bobos in Paradise, STARBUCKED combines investigative heft with witty cultural observation in telling the story of how the coffeehouse movement changed our everyday lives, from our evolving neighborhoods and workplaces to the ways we shop, socialize, and self-medicate.

In STARBUCKED, Taylor Clark provides an objective, meticulously reported look at the volatile issues like gentrification and fair trade that distress activists and coffee zealots alike. Through a cast of characters that includes coffee-wild hippies, business sharks, slackers, Hollywood trendsetters and more, STARBUCKED explores how America transformed into a nation of coffee gourmets in only a few years, how Starbucks manipulates psyches and social habits to snare loyal customers, and why many of the things we think we know about the coffee commodity chain are false.