A good cup of tea is an integral component of working at a library.  Whether it be black tea, green tea, white tea, rooibos, oolong, herbal, chai, breakfast tea, tea containing toasted rice, loose leaf tea, bagged tea, or some combination thereof—the LBPH staff appreciates the wonders of tea.

Here are some books that express love for tea and other caffeinated beverages:

DB60366
Roy Moxham
Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire
The author describes his five-year stint managing a tea plantation in Nyasaland (now Malawi) and explains how England’s love of tea and its desire for an empire led to devastating repercussions around the world. Some violence. 2003.

DB61242
Tom Standage
A History of the World in Six Glasses
Author of “The Victorian Internet” (DB 47958) explores the historical impact of six beverages. Documents the role of beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt, wine in Greece and Rome, spirits in colonial times, coffee in the Age of Reason, tea in Britain, and Coca-Cola in America. 2005.

DB53161
Bennett A. Weinberg
The World of Caffeine: The Science and Culture of the World’s Most Popular Drug
Traces the cultural history of caffeine from its origin and introduction into Western Europe to its pervasive popularity in modern society. Discusses the consumption of caffeine derived from coffee, cola, tea, and chocolate and its effects on the human body. Examines caffeine’s impact on social customs and the arts. 2001.