How many of us appreciate the extent to which coffee, first popularized during the fifteenth century, has changed the world? Coffee has circled the globe and is now consumed by billions of people who value it for the extraordinary benefits it bestows: its delicious flavors and frangrances, of course; plus its virtues as a physical and mental stimulant; and, above all, its admirable ability to inspire conviviality. From Asia to the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, coffee warms the soul and brings people together. Discovered in a remote corner of Abyssinia, coffee has its roots in a land where genies appear from magic lamps, and where seers use it to foretell the future. No wonder coffee began its history surrounded by an aura of mystery and legend. The Book of Coffee tells of famous coffee-lovers--such as Bach who dedicated a cantata to his favorite beverage, and Pope Clement VIII who refused to ban the allegedly "diabolical" drink--and reveals through an astonishing and beautiful collectio of images the importance of coffee in society from the London coffee-houses of the sevententh century to the Prohibition years in the United States when coffee consumption reached record levels. Filled with advice on how to achieve the perfect cup of coffee, the book also includes a Guide to the best coffee purveyors and coffee shops throughout the world--making The Book of Coffee and indispensable gift for the true coffee-lover.