Gald you're enjoying the book, Robbo. Personally, I admired the way Allen could pack a tremendous amount of data into a narrative style that reads like a slightly more laid-back Hunter Thompson. But I don't think Allen himself takes most of his crack-brained theories too seriously.

Probably just as well. The Joffe Coffee Theory of Militarism, which claims an inverse relationship between military prowess and the ability to make a decent cup of coffee, would bode ill for our current Middle East policy.

You might also enjoy Aaron Elkins' book Twenty Blue Devils. It is mostly a mystery novel, but there is some good coffee knowledge, and probably more forensic anthropology than you need.

While you're reading, try listening to J.S. Bach's "Coffee Cantata".

"Hat man nicht mit seinen Kindern
Hunderttausend Hudelei!"

Just remember that our dark master, when drip-brewed, isn't a cholesterol problem. Not to mention that it has four-and-a-half times the antioxidants of its closest competitor, tea. Keep up your habits and you will be positively glowing with health. And waxing the neighbors' floors at four a.m.

Vade retro, indeed.