Coffee Books – 2010 Holiday Shopping Guide

I’m the type of person that’s always reading at least one book, sometimes two. On my bookshelf, there’s more than a few books about coffee. Reading about coffee probably isn’t as exciting as drinking coffee, but books make great presents.

Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability, and Survival by Daniel Jaffee
$24.95 at Amazon

I read this book earlier this year and while it was a little on the text book side of things, I couldn’t put it down. It was an informative, yet depressing look at the conditions coffee farmers live and work in.

Fair trade is a fast-growing alternative market intended to bring better prices and greater social justice to small farmers around the world. But is it working? This vivid study of coffee farmers in Mexico offers the first thorough investigation of the social, economic, and environmental benefits of fair trade. Based on extensive research in Zapotec indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Brewing Justice follows the members of the cooperative Michiza, whose organic coffee is sold on the international fair trade market. It compares these families to conventional farming families in the same region, who depend on local middlemen and are vulnerable to the fluctuations of the world coffee market.

I Love Coffee!: Over 100 Easy and Delicious Coffee Drinks by Susan Zimmer
On sale at Amazon for $11.55

This is the only book on this year’s list that I haven’t tried, but it sounds delicious.

In I Love Coffee! coffee connoisseur Susan Zimmer shares expert advice and techniques, from how to brew the perfect cup and how to make a basic cappuccino without a machine to a World Barista Latte Art Champion’s tips for making masterful latte art designs. It is brimful with a wealth of coffee understanding from the “ground” up, from bean to cup, including international coffees and brewing techniques best suited to a variety of preferences, all topped off with plenty of problem-solving tips and delectable full-color photographs.

The Art and Craft of Coffee: An Enthusiast’s Guide to Selecting, Roasting, and Brewing Exquisite Coffee by Kevin Sinnott
On sale at Amazon for $16.49.

Everything you wanted to know about making the perfect cup of coffee. Perfect book for the person on your shopping list that wants to improve the quality of their coffee or learn more about the hobby of coffee.

Sinnott’s guide to primo coffee enables readers to fill their cups to the rim… with greatness. Readers will learn the differing qualities of producing countries (good acidity but light body from Peru; the distinctive Liberica espresso from Laos), the particulars of roasting, and even the best times to buy and brew. Sinnott deftly navigates the thorny issues of production, preferring to focus on the enjoyment of the product. Even readers who don’t know their Arabica from their Robusta or a French Press from a percolator will appreciate Sinnott’s informative and egalitarian approach; suggestions are the order of the day, not mandates. Whether the barista-to-be prefers to create custom blends to roast at home in the hopes of an ultimate cup, or simply wants to get a better pot from the auto drip she bought for $20, Sinnott’s guide will result in a better cup of joe.

Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World by Mark Pendergrast
On sale for $13.57 at Amazon.

Sure it’s 480 pages, but it was a quick, enjoyable and informative.  If the person on your Christmas loves coffee and wants to know about their favorite beverage, this is a must read.

Caffeinated beverage enthusiast Pendergrast (For God, Country and Coca-Cola) approaches this history of the green bean with the zeal of an addict. His wide-ranging narrative takes readers from the legends about coffee’s discovery, the most appealing of which, Pendergast writes, concerns an Ethiopian goatherd who wonders why his goats are dancing on their hind legs and butting one anotherAto the corporatization of the specialty cafe. Pendergrast focuses on the influence of the American coffee trade on the world’s economies and cultures, further zeroing in on the political and economic history of Latin America.

Are there any books that I’m missing that you would add to the list?