This is a fascinating book about how former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz "took two cheap and simple ingredients, coffee and milk, and used them to spark a national craze, develop a powerful brand, [and] twist Wall Street around his little finger[.]" Though Clark does seem to have a slight anti-Starbucks bias, he does an excellent job of exploring Starbucks' marketing and employment strategies, its impact on globalization, and examining the actual coffee (which, I agree, is made from charred and overroasted beans - hence the very bitter taste and the nickname "Charbucks").One thing Clark examines is how Starbucks became so trendy. Apparently, Starbucks' R&D now goes so far as to anticipate what colors will be hot in the fashion world the next season so that Frappuccino flavors will match the outfits of trendy customers. Starbucks is also now "a place with awesome potential for romance, an ideal environment in which to absentmindedly flaunt your battered copy of Ulysses while showing off your taste in the finer things."
A couple of other random interesting tidbits: some critics of Starbucks call it a "glorified McDonald's" due to the company's high volume and focus on efficiency. Clark talks a lot about this, but distinguishes Starbucks because its drinks are never discounted (Schultz wanted the customer to view Starbucks as "the epitome of opulence, and would you ever see a 'buy one, get one free' deal at a Jaguar dealership?"). Starbucks is also always coming out with new flavors that God never intended to see paired with coffee ("As of a decade ago, no coffee drinker in history had ever looked down at his mug and said to himself, ''You know what would make this so much better? Banana puree and coconut flakes!'").
**Sidenote: As a Minnesotan, I am a staunch supporter of my home-grown Caribou Coffee. I've even thought seriously about putting a "Friends Don't Let Friends Drink Starbucks" bumper sticker on my car. Nonetheless, I had to go sit in Starbucks while I read this book. While reading the chapter explaining how Starbucks managed to get Americans to pay the same amount for a whole bunch of steamed milk with a bit of espresso as they do for an extra value meal, I glanced outside and saw a homeless man digging in a trash can. He pulled out three paper Starbucks cups, consolidated the leftover drops of coffee and whipped cream into one cup, and turned and walked down Peachtree in the rain, sipping his ... whatever drink he created for himself. Can we say "ironic"?!
This was a fantastic book - slightly biased, but very thorough, well-written, and absolutely hilarious!!!
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