If you’re reading this, you must like to learn about coffee. Turns out you’re not alone. This common regional interest has led to dozens of books written by and for Northwest coffee enthusiasts. Here’s a selection of some of the finest: find them at your local library or bookstore, give them as a wedding gift, or lend them to your coffee-loving friend. Best enjoyed with mug in hand, of course.
Brewing Justice: Fair Trade Coffee, Sustainability and Survival by Daniel Jaffee — Washington State University, Vancouver professor Daniel Jaffee takes a sociological look at the evolution and implications of the “fair trade” label in the specialty coffee world. Winner of the prestigious C. Wright Mills award, Brewing Justice is a thought-provoking read. $28.
Coffee – Philosophy For Everyone: Grounds For Debate by Scott F. Parker and Michael W. Austin, editors — Portlander by birth, Scott F. Parker joins forces with Michael W. Austin to bring readers a compilation of the most complex discussion topics in the coffee world today. $14.
Driven to Espresso: Drive-through coffee stands in the Northwest by Ray Weisgerber — Few fields of business breed as many oddly-shaped establishments as the world of drive-thru espresso stands. From giant coffee pots to windmills to covered wagons, Driven to Espresso is a photographic road trip around our espresso-crazed region. $15.
The Infinite Emotions of Coffee by Dr. Alon Halevy — Dr. Halevy, a past University of Washington professor and Seattle resident, brings 30 countries’ and six continents’ worth of vignettes that profile coffee and its culture around the world. $20.
Left Coast Roast: A Guide to the Best Coffee and Roasters from San Francisco to Seattle by Hanna Neuschwander — A current, comprehensive overview of the best of the west. In the difficult process of picking out the 55 top cafés and roasteries in the region, Portland resident and Extracto barista Neuschwander has done her homework. Neuschwander also partners with Ben Blake for the pleasantly illustrated tome The Craft of Espresso. $12.
Pour Your Heart Into It: How Starbucks Built a Company One Cup at a Time by Howard Schultz — However you feel about Starbucks, this one is an interesting read, straight from the source himself. Schultz also expands on the Starbucks journey in Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life Without Losing Its Soul. $12.
Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture by Taylor Clark — Native Northwesterner and Portland resident Taylor Clark gives us a fresh, funny outsider’s perspective on our locally-born, love-or-hate megacorporation. $11.
