Murray Carpenter has reported caffeine-related stories for the New York Times, Wired, National Geographic, NPR, and PRI’s The World. He has also written for the Boston Globe, the Christian Science Monitor, and other media outlets. He holds a degree in psychology from the University of Colorado and a master of science in environmental studies from the University of Montana, and has worked as a medical lab assistant in Ohio, a cowboy in Colombia, a farmhand in Virginia, and an oil-exploring “juggie” in Wyoming. He lives in Belfast, Maine.
"A fascinating, often disturbing look at America's favorite
recreational drug. The book is another reminder that some
people will do just about anything to make money—at the expense of
our health."—Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food
Nation and Command and Control
"In his quest to understand our unique relationship with caffeine,
Murray Carpenter leads us on a romp through history and tours of
Colombian coffee fields, Chinese tea lounges, and a factory that
pumps out synthetic caffeine for soft drinks."—Mother Jones
"The book is anything but preachy, yet along with acknowledging
caffeine's benefits, Carpenter bluntly addresses its dangers, which
can include anxiety, panic attacks, disrupted sleep and, if taken
in large doses, even death. Caffeinated highlights not just
the physiological downsides of caffeine but the problems that
regulators face in trying to curb what he calls 'an industry
running wild."—Scientific American
"A tenaciously researched look into the physiology, psychology and
commerce of caffeine."—The New York Post
“I don’t even drink coffee, but I
found Caffeinated enlivening, with just the right
overtones of sweet and bitter. Weaving together history, law and
science, Carpenter makes a compelling case that most of us are
addicted to a brilliantly marketed drug disguised as a mellow
morning ritual. Fascinating, disturbing, to be savored.”—Florence
Williams, author of Breasts
"As Murray Carpenter makes clear in his methodical review, our
society's metrics are no match for this substance's nuances,
whether among athletes, teenagers, experimental subjects or the
average dependent Joe."—New York Times
“Riding a buzz clearly generated by its subject, Murray
Carpenter's Caffeinated takes readers around the world on
a journey that brings humanity's favorite drug to life, in all its
glory and grime. You'll never think the same way about your morning
cup of coffee again.”—Mark McClusky, author of Faster, Higher,
Stronger and editor in chief, Wired.com
“Carpenter sheds new light on an old standby.”—Bangor Daily
News
“A surprising exposé of the 'caffeine industrial complex,' the
industry that markets this substance in every form it can. This
book compellingly argues that the health hazards of excessive
caffeine intake need more attention and better regulation. I’m
convinced. You will be too.”—Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition,
food studies, and public health, New York University, and author
of What to Eat
“A readable guide to this ubiquitous but misunderstood
substance."—Concord Monitor
"Carpenter's entertaining narrative dissects caffeine's circuitous
route into consumer culture and its tenacious hold on the human
mind and body."—Kirkus Reviews
"I'm not sure if Murray Carpenter's splendid book, Caffeinated,
will lead you to drink more coffee, or less. But it will certainly
make you think about your next cup of joe (or tea or Red Bull) in
new and startling ways. Carpenter makes a mighty mountain out of a
milligram, weaving together a story of history, science, lore and
slick marketing in ways that offer surprising vistas at every
turn."—Wayne Curtis, author of And a Bottle of Rum
“Carpenter…leaves no aspect of caffeine unexplored…[He] offers a
glimpse of a world where the science behind the chemical fascinates
as much as its history enlightens, its regulation (or lack thereof)
startles, and its ubiquity in beverages, foods, and supplements
disquiets…Eye-opening.”—The Scientist
“The world's most popular stimulant now has a book to match. A
double espresso shot of java
journalism, Caffeinated brews up a masterly combination
of page-turning narrative with deeply researched history and news.
From professional athletes to industry insiders, from the coffee
plantations of Colombia to the world's largest, most secretive
caffeine manufacturing plant in the hinterlands of China, Carpenter
spill the beans on America's drug of choice. More eye-opening than
a case of Red Bull!”—Dan Hurley, author of Smarter
“Caffeinated might be more of a jolt than your morning
cup.”—Examiner.com
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