Starbucked

In Starbucked, Tavior Clark tells the story of how a modest Seattle coffeehouse spawned a chain serving cappuccinos in Guantánamo Bay, Beirut and in Beijing’s Forbidden City.

Love it or loathe it – the advent of the skinny-mocha-decaf-latte with extra cream changed the way we shop, socialise and self-medicate.

More than 40 million customers visit a Starbucks every week, while others firebomb their stores in protest.

So, is the Corporation evil, responsible for swindling the coffee-growers and homogenising our high streets or are they simply purveyors of a daily treat? And just how did they persuade us to pay so much for flavourings and froth?