Book search #2: The History of Chocolate

The True History of Chocolate

by Sophie D. Coe  (Author), Michael D. Coe (Author)

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 3 edition (June 28, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500290687
• ISBN-13: 978-0500290682
• Review
• "This delightful tale of one of the world’s favorite foods draws on botany, archaeology, and culinary history to present a complete and accurate history of chocolate.
  
  It begins some 4,000 years ago in the jungles of Mexico and Central America with the chocolate tree, Theobroma Cacao, and the complex processes necessary to transform its bitter seeds into what is now known as chocolate. This was centuries before chocolate was consumed in generally unsweetened liquid form and used as currency by the Maya and the Aztecs after them. The Spanish conquest of Central America introduced chocolate to Europe, where it first became the drink of kings and aristocrats and then was popularized in coffeehouses. Industrialization in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made chocolate available to all, and now, in our own time, it has become once again a luxury item.
  
  The third edition includes new photographs and revisions throughout that reflect the latest scholarship. A new final chapter on a Guatemalan chocolate producer, located within the Pacific coastal area where chocolate was first invented, brings the volume up-to-date."
• 
  Great book

  By Jiri Nosal on June 3, 2014
  Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
  

  Very precisely given information about chocolate and not jus a chocolate on one place. Good source of information. Passion to read :-)
• I love chocolate, and I don't really know much about it's history, so when I found this book I was very intrigued by it. 

Book Search #1: The History of Tennis

Tennis: Origins and Mysteries

by Malcolm D. Whitman

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications; Dover Ed edition (June 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486433579
• ISBN-13: 978-0486433578
• Review
• "Dating from the time of the Crusades, beloved of both royalty and commons, tennis possesses a timeless appeal that's irresistible to players and spectators alike. Readers of all ages will likewise be enthralled by this fascinating compilation of tennis lore and legend. Author Malcolm D. Whitman was one of the great lawn tennis players at the turn of the twentieth century: an undefeated Davis Cup champion, he continued his longstanding study of tennis after his retirement from competition at age 25. His findings confirmed his conviction that tennis represents the ideal outdoor sport, promoting alertness, endurance, and self-control, as well as mental and physical health.
  Whitman's outstanding contribution to the history of tennis and lawn tennis is not only a book of absorbing interest to players and followers of the game but also a valuable reference and historical record. The author's painstaking and exhaustive research involved locating original documents — some in remote, difficult-to-access places — and a scrupulous authentication of facts. Yet there is nothing pedantic about his entertaining and informative text. Blending fact with humor and philosophy, he recounts the origins of the game, how it was named, uses of the terms and equipment, scoring methods, and other practical and historical elements. This handsome gift edition, ideal for any tennis buff, features 29 antique illustrations."
• 
  Outstanding

  By Tom Jones on July 6, 2013
  Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
  

  The pictures are great and loads of history of the origin of tennis. First book I have seen describing orign of tennis
• I chose this book, because tennis is one of my most favorite sports, and I would love to learn about the history of it.