Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World
Written and Narrated By: Michael Pollan
Length: 2 hrs and 2 mins
Full of the enthusiasm and inspired ideas that fuel a single cup o’ joe’s rush
Back in pre-Retirement Days/Nights, yeeeears of working the graveyard shift, this is how my work “day” would start: A concentrated shot o’ energy drink, and then I’d follow up with two cups of coffee during my shift. Necessary? AbsoLUTEly!
Here’s where I am these days: Get up at 6:10 a.m. (Do NOT ask me how a Night Owl became an Early Bird as I haven’t the faintest notion…), and what’s the first thing I do after m’ morning ablutions? Why, even BEFORE I dole out snackies to impatient felines who’ve been jumping on my head overnight, there’s my one and only cup of coffee (Instant, 4 spoonfuls!!!).
It’s necessary, and I make zip zero nada apologies for it. Okay okay okay, I dooo offer a sheepish glance to famished and woefully peeved-off cats.
Turns out? Michael Pollan’s little ditty, Caffeine, is just about that: This maaaaassive, national, nay: GLOBAL! addiction to the substance that none of us think twice about. So accepted, so unquestioned, that we offer it to kids in the form of soda pop, and do they gleeeefully imbibe, or what?!
Pollan begins his story by offering that, as part of participatory journalism, he’ll be quitting caffeine and then hitting it again at the end to see what effects each aspect of this journey has on him. Once starting his day by a saunter to a local coffee shop, then following up with several cups o’ tea throughout his day, Pollan goes Cold Turkey… and oy! how he suffers. He discovers that he’s lost his way during the writing, questions the concept of it, is lacking motivation, and Desire? Whazzaaa?!
Drat you, Lack Of Caffeine!
Who KNEW you gave Life Purpose… and Meaning… and JOY?!
Fortunately for this Listener at least, Pollan sucks it up and carries on.
Do NOT expect much depth, but do expect a wide ranging variety of anecdotes and surmises. My only sliiiiiight problem is how much, how very much, Pollan interviews one subject then makes a grand and sweeping declaration as tho’ it is now the End All, Be All of a posited Fact. Example? Were it not for the Union supplying coffee to troops, p’raps the Civil War might’ve had a different outcome. Kinda HORRIFYING, and exceedingly interesting to kinda sorta kick around, but still: A rather sweeping statement no matter how Thought Provoking. Another? That p’raps it’s no coincidence that the clock’s Minute Hand came into being the same time caffeine became de rigueur. That the Industrial Revolution mighta been an almighty fizzzzzle without caffeine consumption bringing more energy to those who worked and toiled.
All that said, at only 2-hours, there are enough anecdotes and studies cited, enough individuals interviewed from many and varied fields, to make this engaging. Which does NOT mean, however, that I didn’t (Somewhat Ironically!!!) fall asleep during it. Fortunately, with no great length to it, ‘twas simple to wake up, slam a mug o’ joe, and come back to find m’ spot. And PLENTY of wry observations, enough humor, to keep me interested for the entirety to the rest of it. And Pollan as narrator of his own words is awesome. All those pithy little remarks are given a healthy planting of a Tongue In The Cheek, and they cause smiles and chuckles galore.
Not that this is all laughs, by any stretch of the imagination. What would this be without delving into Caffeine’s Gross Underbelly? From studies that vindicated caffeine from being the Cause Of All Diseases, it then morphs into what-all is NOT nice about it: Think loss! Loss! LOSS! of sleep and early death. Think: Flooding China with opium all whilst bringing tea back, all in order to increase pliability and profits. Slavery? Yup. Farmers earning $1, if they’re lucky, from every $10 bag of coffee we purchase at Starbucks? You betcha.
I can go on because Caffeine is endlessly quotable, but dude! This is only 2-hours, and you might wanna give it a listen yourself.
Me?
Off for a nap…
My coffee high has done Vanished, and I do NOT wanna grab another mug.
Even I know that’s not quite The Thing if I don’t wanna drop dead, like, any time soon from abusing the World’s Most Available Drug…
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