This was a really interesting story. Not only fascinating to read, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was non-fiction. Chock full of great coffee nerd information too. ( )

This is a wild story about ambition, coffee, and war.

It almost seems too impossible to be true but I enjoyed the ride and I just ordered the coffee so we shall see if it’s as good as described!



( )

A wonderful story of coffee, my favourite drink, combined with the success story of a young man of Yemeni origin living in San Francisco, my favourite city. Mokhtar Alkhanshali's success story recounts how he improved the quality of coffee grown in Yemen by working directly with Yemeni farmers as well as enabling export in the middle of a civil war. Very enjoyable. ( )

Mixture of several books: “immigrant kid become entrepreneur ,” “everything you ever wanted to know about coffee,” and “adventures in war torn Yemen.” ( )

A 24 year old Yemeni-American man discovers the significance of his native Yemen in coffee history. This inspires him on a long journey to learn about coffee, meet Yemeni coffee growers and ultimately begin a coffee export company.

This all takes place against the backdrop of on-going civil wars in Yemen in 2014-2015 (and beyond). Reading the book, I'm reminded of headlines of the time involving Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP - with the "Arabina Peninsula" essentially meaning Yemen), the rise of ISIS, the Yemeni Houti rebels, and bombing from Saudi Arabia.

He regularly risks life and limb to accomplish his goals, surviving bombings, a brief stint as a hostage, and related, virtually insane war related obstacles to overcome.

This is a work of non-fiction. And seriously, no one would believe this if it were fiction - only real people are this stubborn!

In spite of some of the wild interactions, this was a very slow read. Imagine spending a long afternoon in a coffee shop. That's how this book felt to me as I read it. A clear love of Yemen and family shines through the book, and it was a wonderfully calming read. ( )