Caffeine is the world's most popular drug! Almost all of us start our day with a jolt of caffeine from coffee, tea or cola. And many of us crave chocolate when we're stressed or depressed. Without it we're lethargic, head-achy and miserable. Why? Why do we crave caffeine? How much do we really know about our number one drug of choice? Here is the first natural, cultural, and artistic history of our favorite mood enhancer--how it was discovered, its early uses, and the unexpected parts it has played in medicine, religion, painting, poetry, learning, and love. Weinberg and Bealer tell an intriguing story of a remarkable substance that has figured prominently in the exchanges of trade and intelligence among nations and whose most common sources, coffee, tea, and chocolate, have been both promoted as productive of health and creativity and banned as corrupters of the body and mind or subverters of social order. Some Highlights From the World of Caffeine Balzac's addiction to caffeine drove him to eat coffee, as some schizophrenic patients are observed to do today, and may have killed him Mary Tuke breaks the male monopoly on tea in England in 1725 The ways caffeine functions as a smart pill Goethe's responsibility for the discovery of caffeine Did a mini Ice Age help bring coffee, tea and chocolate to popularity in Europe? What is the mystery of coffee's origin? As good as gold: the stories of how caffeine, in its various forms, was used as cash in China, Africa, Central America and Egypt What does the civet cat have to do with the most costly coffee on earth today? The World of Caffeine is a captivating tale of art and society -- from India to Balzac to cybercafes -- and the ultimate caffeine resource.

First published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Alcohol and caffeine are deeply woven into the fabric of life for most of the world's population. Laced with anecdotes and lore, this book explains the effect of caffeine and alcohol, debunking old myths and misconceptions.

Author Reveals The Truth About CaffeineAuthor Marina Kushner explores history of caffeine and its effects NEW YORK, NY -- Marina Kushner, founder of the Caffeine Awareness Alliance, in her new book "The Truth About Caffeine-How Companies That Promote it Deceive Us And What We Can Do About It" reveals frightening evidence of the damage caffeine can cause over time. As the sponsor of National Caffeine Awareness Month, recognized in March via events staged across the country, Ms. Kushner is an authority on caffeine and the detrimental effects it has on the body and mind. The Truth About Caffeine, published by SCR Publications, explores the historical and social impact of the drug throughout the ages while offering healthy alternatives to its usage. ?Caffeine has been linked to serious health problems, as well as productivity issues,? says Kushner from her Brooklyn, New York home. ?We realize the importance of having healthy citizens, and how the effects of caffeine can hurt a person?s overall health and well-being.? Caffeine overdoses can lead to headaches, jitteriness, irritability, difficulties in concentration, and mood swings which drain productivity from business and industry. In addition, caffeine consumption is linked to heart disease, pancreas and bladder cancer, hypoglycemia and central nervous system disorders.Caffeine intoxication can produce mood swings and insomnia, increased muscle tension, impair digestion and nutrition, restrict blood circulation to the brain, raise blood pressure and accelerate the heart rate. Death can result in as little as 5 grams of caffeine. "The Truth About Caffeine" features numerous clinical studies by respected medical journals and healthy alternatives to caffeinated beverages..ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Marina Kushner is the founder of the Caffeine Awareness Alliance, the first non-profit organization dedicated solely to educating consumers about the dangers of caffeine intoxication. She is a reformed coffee drinker, leading investigative journalist and speaker. BOOK SUMMARY:Title: The Truth About Caffeine- How Companies That Promote it Deceive Us And What We Can Do About ItAuthor: Marina KushnerPublisher: SCR Publications2005 ISBN: 0-9747582-1-36 x 9 softcover, 192 pp., $14.95

“You’ll never think the same way about your morning cup of coffee.”—Mark McClusky, editor in chief of Wired.com and author of Faster, Higher, Stronger Journalist Murray Carpenter has been under the influence of a drug for nearly three decades. And he’s in good company, because chances are you’re hooked, too. Humans have used caffeine for thousands of years. A bitter white powder in its most essential form, a tablespoon of it would kill even the most habituated user. This addictive, largely unregulated substance is everywhere—in places you’d expect (like coffee and chocolate) and places you wouldn’t (like chewing gum and fruit juice), and Carpenter reveals its impact on soldiers, athletes, and even children. It can make you stronger, faster, and more alert, but it’s not perfect, and its role in health concerns like obesity and anxiety will surprise you. Making stops at the coffee farms of central Guatemala, a synthetic caffeine factory in China, and an energy shot bottler in New Jersey, among numerous other locales around the globe, Caffeinated exposes the high-stakes but murky world of caffeine, drawing on cutting-edge science and larger-than-life characters to offer an unprecedented understanding of America’s favorite drug.

The authors of the foremost reference book on the science and culture of caffeine have created a self-help guide to caffeine's little known practical secrets and benefits. In the process, they debunk common myths and misconceptions and show the many positive and life-changing effects of strategic caffeine use.

The definitive history of the world's most popular drug. Uncommon Grounds tells the story of coffee from its discovery on a hill in ancient Abyssinia to the advent of Starbucks. Mark Pendergrast reviews the dramatic changes in coffee culture over the past decade, from the disastrous "Coffee Crisis" that caused global prices to plummet to the rise of the Fair Trade movement and the "third-wave" of quality-obsessed coffee connoisseurs. As the scope of coffee culture continues to expand, Uncommon Grounds remains more than ever a brilliantly entertaining guide to the currents of one of the world's favorite beverages.