Cigarettes chronicles the controversies of a 350 billion dollar industry, telling the fast-paced business story of cigarettes--from seed to smoke--that surprises as it entertains. In a book Publishers Weekly calls "an absorbing and informative history of cigarettes," Parker-Pope provides "up-to-date coverage of the recent tobacco industry litigation that] is not only concise and accessible, but illuminating." The author, who follows the tobacco industry for the Wall Street Journal, offers a unique spin on a much-covered topic, examining the commercial aspect of an industry that became the biggest business success story of the twentieth century.
Human beings have always smoked, and they probably always will. Every culture in recorded history has smoked something, whether as a cure or for pleasure, whether as part of a ritual or as an aspect of popular culture. It is curious, then, that no history of smoking has been written based on the assumption that smoking - in all of its forms and products - is a cultural phenomenon common to all human societies.
Smoke: A Global History of Smoking examines the culture of smoking in different traditions and locations around the world. From opium dens in Victorian England to tobacco in Edo period Japan, and from ganja and cocaine to Havana cigars, Smoke encompasses the subject as no book has before. Based in cultural history, it employs a large number of images as part of its evidence: around 300 illustrations document smoking and smokers of many substances including tobacco, scented cigarettes, marijuana, opium and cocaine. The various essays examine the changing role of smoking in high and popular culture, ranging from images used in advertising to the legal and moral critiques of smoking, and from opera to the internet. Smoke will appeal to all those who smoke, all those who used to smoke, and all those who have tried, and failed, to give it up.
A fascinating foray into the realm of tobacco, which was first cultivated and used for medicinal, religious, and social purposes, traces its evolution from a neccessity to a coveted commodity that would forever change the economy by documenting the history of this illustrious plant, from its use as the sacred calumet of the Plains Indians to the controversy surrounding it today. Reprint.
This copy has two instances of text pasted down and one black box of text- still readable and a bit curious.
- Learning the different types of tobacco
- Which cigar best suits you
- How to taste luxury tobacco
- Making the perfect cut
- Setting up a humidor
- And much more
Great cigars and pipes help us ruminate, decompress, gather our thoughts and emotions, revitalize ourselves, and savor our time. Furthermore, through education you will learn that luxury tobacco products are used by choice and not out of habit. They are products created by great craftsmen and women who honor thousands of years of traditions and history. Whether you're a seasoned smoker or someone looking to learn more about the history and becoming a cigar aficionado, The Tobacconist Handbook is the perfect place to start.
