A History of the World in 6 Glasses Study Questions
Introduction- “Vital Fluids” 1. The author’s main thesis in setting up this book is that many drinks have built and brought together human history in to what we know about it. 2. The fluids that are mentioned in the book are vital because each one played a role in many areas of history and they are a crucial part of creating a certain period of history.
“Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt” 1. The discovery of beer is linked to the growth of the first civilizations because in both cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt, beer was the main drink. It was consumed by everyone and was known as the defining drink of both of the first great civilizations. 2. The history of beer tells us that those people were intelligent enough to understand that they needed another beverage to consume rather than water. They most likely knew that some of the water that was available to them wasn’t all that safe and good enough to drink. 3. The author uses history records, writings and pictures as sources used to gather information about the use of beer. 4. Beer was used as a form of payment or trade for some of the workers who built the pyramids; they were paid in loaves of bread along with beer. It was also used in religious forms such as prayers. 5. According to Standage beer “civilized” man because it was an important beverage that helped them become modern. Beer is linked to farming since cereal grains are required to make beer which started a certain lifestyle.
“Wine in Greece and Rome” 1. The use of wine is different than that of beer because the ancient civilizations drank beer as just a social drink while the Greek culture drank wine in a religious manner. 2. Wine was used as a way to show their social status by the Greeks. 3. Wine developed into a form of a status symbol when they found out supposedly how wine was made, through the gods. After that they suggested only people worthy of the gods should be able to drink wine. 4. Wine was
“Beer in Mesopotamia and Egypt” 1. The discovery of beer is linked to the growth of the first civilizations because in both cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt, beer was the main drink. It was consumed by everyone and was known as the defining drink of both of the first great civilizations. 2. The history of beer tells us that those people were intelligent enough to understand that they needed another beverage to consume rather than water. They most likely knew that some of the water that was available to them wasn’t all that safe and good enough to drink. 3. The author uses history records, writings and pictures as sources used to gather information about the use of beer. 4. Beer was used as a form of payment or trade for some of the workers who built the pyramids; they were paid in loaves of bread along with beer. It was also used in religious forms such as prayers. 5. According to Standage beer “civilized” man because it was an important beverage that helped them become modern. Beer is linked to farming since cereal grains are required to make beer which started a certain lifestyle.
“Wine in Greece and Rome” 1. The use of wine is different than that of beer because the ancient civilizations drank beer as just a social drink while the Greek culture drank wine in a religious manner. 2. Wine was used as a way to show their social status by the Greeks. 3. Wine developed into a form of a status symbol when they found out supposedly how wine was made, through the gods. After that they suggested only people worthy of the gods should be able to drink wine. 4. Wine was