The Coffee Visionary: The Life and Legacy of Alfred Peet

As Julie Child is recognized as the person who introduced more sophisticated cooking to Americans, Alfred Peet is acclaimed as the father of the superior coffee culture. The Coffee Visionary by Jasper Houtman is mostly a detailed biography of Peet but also an account of the business of the chain of high-end coffee houses, particularly of Peet’s and Starbucks. The story goes back to Peet, a Dutch immigrant, arriving in America in the 1950s and opening his first coffee shop in Berkeley, California, in 1966. This book tells us of the success of his undertaking through Peet’s constant search for the world’s best coffee beans and his unique blending and roasting to provide his customers coffees they never tasted before. The details extend to his early life, including his family’s. He became known as the top authority in high-end coffees, and was a teacher and mentor for the three founders of Starbucks, who opened their first Seattle shop just five years after Peet’s. The book is beautifully designed without illustration except for many inbound, mostly historic photos in the middle of the book. Numerous quotes are scattered through the text. Though a beautiful book, the fine details may overwhelm many readers.