Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce and Culture [Paperback]

I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. Starbucks was my entry point into the world of coffee culture - I have long since moved on, tired of the ubiquitousness, homogenousness and bland coffee - and I was intrigued to see how this mega-monster of a corporation came to be, and gain some insight as to how I got sucked into its ethos. I found this book entertaining, I liked the authorial asides, and I found it balanced, presenting starbucks' rise and rise,and acknowledging the phenomenal success and audaciousness of the company which has shaped the whole high street coffee culture, whilst it becoming abundantly apparent as the book goes on, how from starting out as a sparky well meaning enterprise it has developed into something of a corporate monster which is developing blind spots to itself. I wanted a book that would allow me to make my own mind up about the whole thing, not one with a heavy political agenda

Although Starbucked is primarily a detailed history of how the coffee giant invaded every corner in our cities, it is also a comprehensive descriptive analysis of human behaviour. It explains how Starbucks satisfies the desires of today's citizens. Moreover, the book tells us about how Howard Schultz defied all the odds to build this business empire. A very interesting read.

Starbucked really did catch me by surprise. I bought this in a shop, on impulse (very much like the coffee I used to order every morning!) and Taylor Clark's expose and personal accounts of the giant coffee chain left me longing for more (ditto... like the coffee I used to order every morning!). First, this is the most readable book. It is very well written and it is clear and sumarises key ideas really well (Clark is, I understand, a journalist). Clark fuses so many themes. There is the 'business biography' - showing how Starbucks grew and focusing on the key players that shaped the coffee shop market before Starbucks and explains how it has grown to the giant we know: inevitably, he focuses on Howard Schultz (though I'm not really sure how close Clark really got to Schultz). Clark's gift is his ability to 'make you salivate' - I especially liked devices like describing the perfect cup of coffee before embarking on a cultural history of coffee. I will not spoil things for you, the reader of this review, by describing Clark's position vis-a-via Starbucks, which appears at the end of the book but, needless to say, there are critiques on Starbucks' marketing and branding strategy, it's strategy for fast business growth (and, in the process getting really good accounts from some key people at Starbucks - both present and ex-employees), its blend of coffee (neatly comparing it to Illy of Italy), the plight of the coffee growers etc. Clark presents the findings some scientific and social science research, though these do not overwhelm the book: perhaps one criticism I have is how the emerging ideology of the Starbucks culture can be set against ideas put forward by Naomi Klein's No Logo or Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation.

Books are at their most powerful when they can make you change as you begin to see the world in a different way. I must admit, I didn't go to Starbucks that often before or after reading this book: going there wasn't a ritual for me as it is for others. The book has made me think again about how large companies affect local communities and businesses. It has made me yearn for the 'independent' coffee chain (which, as Clark demonstrates, has actually done quite well in spite of Satrbucks' success). It has made me understand the hardships faced by the coffee growers in the developing world and even make me appreciate what to buy in the supermarket and enjoy at home. Phew! It's not everyday, I write a review... off to brew a nice cup of coffee (medium roast and made with the finest arabica beans, in case you were wondering!)