This fascinating book examines coffee, from it's origins to its current status in our daily lives as an essential part of Western European and American culture. Coffee is a dynamic product, evoking mystery and passion, and these play out in the disputes this book narrates, such as the story of a man compelled to return again and again to coffee plantations in Africa against the wishes of his employer; the story of men lusting for power over markets and the profits from coffee to the disadvantage of growers, workers, and investors; the story of men compelled by the desire for profits to engage in smuggling coffee beans. You'll discover how law and the trade in coffee have evolved together including cases involving free trade, contracts in the global coffee economy, insurance and commodities futures in the growth of coffee imports, and the commercialization of the coffee business. Interspersed throughout the book are coffee breaks--short pieces that provide a background into the world of coffee: coffee customs, coffee brewing methods, as well as the legal world in which coffee is grown, produced, shipped, marketed, sold, and consumed. So pour yourself a nice hot cup of coffee, sit back, breathe in the aroma, and enjoy.