Reviews

The Tea Book: All Things Tea by Nick Kilby, Louise Cheadle

timevictorious's review against another edition

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informative

4.0

cassie5489's review against another edition

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informative relaxing slow-paced

4.25

t_bun's review against another edition

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informative lighthearted

4.0

booksandbraids's review against another edition

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3.0

It took over a year, but I finally finished this book! I checked this book out of the library last year when I was visiting my parents briefly before a conference. I thought I would have downtime during the conference to read it, but that was not the case. I was unable to finish it before heading back to school, so I marked my place and planned to check it out the next time I was back in town. Sadly, it has taken me until NOW, over a year later, to finally do that!

This was a very informative book on tea- way more information than I will ever need on tea! Bring on the tea-themed trivia questions, haha!

The recipes at the back of the book all seem very delicious, as well.

katdowney's review against another edition

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5.0

I received this book free through Goodreads giveaways. This does not influence my review in any way.

First, I want to say that this book is huge. It is textbook or coffee table book size and it's gorgeous. As someone who drinks tea nearly every day(I was drinking tea when this package arrived!), I loved all the information on teas and their benefits. I really loved learning how different cultures take their tea. And the recipes! I can't wait to try the Earl Grey Hearts or the tea macarons.
This book is beautiful and informative and it would make a great addiction to your cook book collection or a lovely piece to add to your coffee table!

usualjellyfish's review against another edition

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3.0

I won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

This book is a nice introduction to tea. It talks about the various types of tea and where they are grown, the process of manufacturing (and brewing) different teas, and about tea culture throughout the world. It includes a brief history of tea in different regions, and the end is full of interesting recipes to try out. None of the information is terribly in-depth so do not pick this book up expecting to become an expert in any particular aspect of tea, but it is a nice and light-hearted overview.

The best part about the book is the illustrations. It is a coffee-table sized book and it is chock-full of lovely and charming infographics and beautiful photographs. I found it to be very beautifully designed.

All in all it's a nice, relatively short read but there's not a lot of information that goes beyond the basics. It did leave me wanting to read something more in-depth about the history of the tea-trade, so I suppose that is a bonus! It would make a nice gift, and it looks handsome on a shelf.

letitiaharmon's review against another edition

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4.0

Every aspiring tea nerd needs this book. If you already are a tea nerd, you may be aware of most of the information, but isn't it still fun to have it in a beautiful hardback form that you can reference? This book is so incredibly full of good information that I am glad my girlfriend got it for me as a gift. I will need to reference it often, since there's no way to absorb everything on the first go-through.

It's totally a matter of personal taste, but why 4 stars instead of 5? Just because I'm very interested in the economics, international relations, and the way tea has propelled politics throughout history, and while this book kind of teases you with it, it doesn't go into it much. It does have space where it explores the history of tea and the tea trade, but I'd like this section to be beefed up significantly.

Also, some of the little graphics are completely unhelpful or just silly, like the very last one that has you pick a tea based on mood. It doesn't mean anything, and is kind of a waste of space in an otherwise thoroughly researched and scholarly book.

This is an ideal gift for someone who is fascinated by the geographic specifics, the science and benefits, as well as the categorization of tea. I learned a ton about the process from plant to cup, and am newly dedicated to my (2nd after wine) favorite beverage.

pineapplesf's review against another edition

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1.0

It is a general introduction on tea trying too hard to be "hip" and "millennial." It emphasizes European (primarily British) tea customs while simultaneously stating "a query or Google and Wikipedia didn't come up with anything so we gave up." Not the best sign for book intended to inform. There are books much more worth the money and time if you want to learn about tea. However, if you are looking for something slightly more helpful than useless with pretty infographics... this is the book for you.
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