Everything but the Coffee: Learning About America from Starbucks August 24, 2010

Join us for a talk and book signing for Bryant Simon's Everything but the Coffee. Simon spent five years visiting more than 400 Starbucks locations in 10 countries around the world while researching his book. Everything but the Coffee probes the company's psychological, emotional, political, and sociological power to discover how Starbucks' explosive success and rapid deflation exemplify American culture at this historical moment. Most importantly, it shows that Starbucks speaks to a deeply felt American need for predictability and class standing, community and authenticity, revealing that Starbucks' appeal lies not in its coffee but in the easily consumed identity it offers.