1. Do you drink coffee? How much? Have you ever tried to abstain from drinking it; how long did you go without? What effects did you notice as a non-drinker; what effects did you notice when you drank your first cup? Did it have an effect on your concentration levels? Were you functional?
2. Could you talk about a cup of coffee for fifteen minutes?
3. Watch video here: Coffee Video
What is your reaction? What surprised you the most?
4. At approximately 1min 50s, Michael Pollan states that a lot of people are in a caffeinated state most of the time - a state of some form of addiction. Is this a good thing? If it isn't, should we look to return to a non-caffeinated state?
5. How do you feel about coffee's socio-cultural importance? Pollan mentions the arrival of tea/coffee in Europe as being the trigger for the Enlightenment in France, and the Age of Reason in England - he also mentions coffee's earlier arrival in Arabia as a driver for science and literature as well as maths and astronomy. Do you think this is plausible? Do you know of any other periods of time associated with the consumption of a substance (good or bad)?
6. If caffeine can bring about a 'golden age' for a civilisation, can it also do so for an individual? Did you have a golden age when you started to drink tea/coffee?
7. Do you think Pollan's characterisation of the pre-1600s as being a time of 'drunkenness' is fair? Having cider for breakfast and 'beer breaks' while working seems to suggest a society prone to debauchery. What do you think was the then justification for giving alcohol to children? Do you think we became healthier as a result of the switch to coffee? When did coffee drinking become widespread in your country? Were there any noticeable changes associated with its consumption?
8. Do you think that caffeine is the fuel for capitalism? Pollan cites the examples of 'escaping the sun's rhythm', allowing night work, and the coffee break, a period of time given to employees, so that they might consume this 'productivity drug'. Do we need a modern alternative to caffeine - something that increases our creativity/productivity without worrying about 'addiction'?
9. When you are at work, when is your break timed for? Do you notice any peaks/dips in your performance in relation to your break times? If you could customise them, when and how long would you have them for? Would you share this information with your boss?
10. As far as I know, there aren't any serious health concerns regarding moderate use of coffee, but if we wanted to be cautious in its use, could we look to do as Pollan mentioned, and have something like 'coffee only on Saturdays'? Could you do that? Would it be easy?
..........
Situation
It is 1651, you are a trader in sugar, spice, and tobacco. You have just accepted your first shipment of this new drink, coffee. Convince your trading partner, your teacher, who is the owner of several inns in London, of the benefits of this new elixir.
.........
Discuss quotes
“Coffee is a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to your older self.”
― Terry Pratchett
“Police work wouldn't be possible without coffee," Wallander said.
"No work would be possible without coffee."
They pondered the importance of coffee in silence.”
― Henning Mankell
“The powers of a man's mind are directly proportioned to the quantity of coffee he drinks.”
― Sir James Mackintosh
"Science may never come up with a better office communication system than the coffee break."
--- Earl Wilson
"Our culture runs on coffee and gasoline, the first often tasting like the second."
--- Edward Abbey
Student Handout PDF: Where Would We Coffee
Photo: Stas Knop
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