This is a factual book on caffeine in three parts. The first part is about habits, the science of how caffeine works and its effects on the body. The second part looks at some of the more positive benefits and looking at what the optimal amount of caffeine might be for a person and how to see some of the symptoms when it is being consumed. The third part is about the negative effects of caffeine and the various illnesses and conditions that it is known to have an impact on or at least be partly responsible for as well as the addictive nature that it can have.

Given the content of the book, I felt it should be something I should read as I do like coffee and, as a result, have a caffeine consumption that is more than it should be. So it seemed like a prudent idea to have a look at this book and see what truths it contains and if it would give me any pause to reconsider. The book’s introduction starts with defining habits and how they affect us, and setting the stage for people who drink coffee regularly. It then leads neatly into what that habit means for a regular drinker. The science within the book is neatly laid out and does not go heavily into detail, but there is enough to look up more if you are so inclined or take what is said at face value. The science within the book is also mixed in with several personal thoughts and stories from the author about caffeine and their own coffee habit. When it comes to the side-effects, then it is worth reading, if only to remind that it does have side-effects whether we wish them or not.

The authors writing style is a relaxed mix of fact and thought and I found myself reading through this with more and more intent. What is missing is any kind of corroboration or citation for any of the details given, so how much of the content is completely true, I cannot say. But, the content is easy to understand even the more scientific parts and several sections are explained in more everyday terms. Finally, this book only offers details for better or worse and doesn’t say either way whether caffeine and coffee in general should be avoided. It’s up to the reader in question as to how much they decide to consume.

The book is well formatted and broken up, with several words actually in bold. Sometimes this makes sense when trying to highlight something important. In other places, it seems two have been done at random.

Overall, it was a far more interesting book to read than I thought it would be and provided some food for thought about caffeine.