Stewart Lee Allen's books on how food and drink shape human society have been translated into fifteen languages. He currently lives in Manhattan.
Praise for The Devil’s Cup
“Who knew that the story of coffee was such a fascinating saga of
cruelty, madness, obsession, and death? The Devil’s Cup is
absolutely riveting, alternating between the informative and the
hilarious. Essential reading for foodies, java-junkies,
anthropologists, and anyone else interested in funny, sardonically
told adventure stories.”
—Anthony Bourdain, author of Kitchen Confidential
“The Devil’s Cup is hugely entertaining and thoroughly
edifying.”
—Dave Eggers, author of The Monk of Mokha
"Stewart Lee Allen is the Hunter S. Thompson of coffee, offering a
wild, caffeinated, gonzo tour of the World of the Magic Bean. His
wry, adventurous prose delights, astonishes, amuses, and
informs."
—Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of
Coffee and How It Transformed Our World
“Great fun . . . I will never look at my morning brew the same way
again.”
—Jeff Greenwald, author of Shopping for Buddhas
“Funny as hell. Stewart Allen’s pursuit of the perfect coffee bean
whisks the amused reader past Ethiopian bandits, around Parisian
waiters, and into aromatic dens from Turkey to Brazil. Good to the
last drop.”
—Mort Rosenblum, author of Olives
“Allen's endless stream of coffee-related stories—from hunting down
the French coffee prophet De Clieu's sole living relative to seeing
the Whirling Dervishes perform in a Turkish basketball
stadium—makes for a fascinating read.”
—The Austin Chronicle
“Allen enjoys his cup to the last drop, and there’s nothing
decaffeinated about his wonderfully tasty brew. A must for both
Java junkies and travel lovers.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Appealingly offbeat . . . Made of equal parts inspired travel
writing and savvy cultural criticism . . . the work strikes just
the right balance between the frenetic praise of a bug-eyed
caffeine freak and the informed observations of a true
connoisseur.”
—Publishers Weekly
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