Clark, Taylor 1979-

PERSONAL:

Born December 12, 1979. Education: Graduated from Dartmouth College.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Portland, OR.

CAREER:

Writer. Willamette Week, Portland, OR, contributing writer and former staff writer.

WRITINGS:

Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture, Little, Brown and Company (New York, NY), 2007.

Contributor to Willamette Week.

SIDELIGHTS:

Although Taylor Clark is a native of the Pacific Northwest, he attended Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Clark was raised in Ashland, Oregon, and became a contributing writer for Portland's Willamette Week, a weekly news publication primarily featuring regional content. In 2007, Clark published his first book, titled Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture.

"In Starbucked, Clark explores the history of coffee and its culture. Before specialty coffee came along, American coffee consumption had been declining. This caused the Big Four coffee conglomerates to cut costs by buying the cheapest beans possible," explained reviewer Margaret Andrews in a contribution to Curled Up with a Good Book. Andrews also added that the "low-quality" of available coffee urged Americans to rely on their "local gourmet coffeehouse" for a decent beverage regardless of the additional cost, and these conditions led to the increase in demand for a superior coffee product. Andrews commented that through "investigative research and witty but objective prose" Clark explores the range of opinions and hypotheses regarding the Starbucks Coffee chain, and, "armed with statistics, he debunks many myths surrounding the" company. Clark answers accusations that have been levied against the chain, including the hedging out of small business competitors; the mass popularization and supply of a substance that has debatable health effects; and the exploitation of farmers in developing countries. With figures such as average store sales, average yearly consumption per individual, and market saturation, Clark charts the company's corporate history from the late twentieth century through the twenty-first century.

The economic success that Starbucks has enjoyed and how it has influenced not only American but world culture are prominent themes in the book. Julie Foster, in a review for the San Francisco Chronicle Online, thought that Clark ventures "a little deeper into the story of what has become essentially coffee theater, as conceived and delivered through the wonders of Starbucks' marketing and design department," by profiling corporate executives and the individuals responsible for the company's successful decisions throughout the years. Foster stated that "Clark wades into the issue of how Starbucks treats its employees," and "he uncovers the confusion over the little understood and guilt-driven policy of Fair Trade coffee that just might not be so fair after all." Moreover, Foster claimed that Clark offers an insight into the farming and distribution of coffee beans and how this process relates to the consumer. For example, Clark informs readers about the agribusiness surrounding the coffee bean, which has many economic and political impacts for the countries relying on it as a cash crop, and the profiteering of this resource, which is heavily influenced by consumer demand. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called Clark's narrative "an absorbing account bolstered by solid reporting" and observed that "in most chapters he insists on showing both sides of every coin." Doron Tassig found "Clark's research into Starbucks's painstaking marketplace maneuverings" a "product of able and enthusiastic reporting" and commented that it was "fascinating" in a review for Washington Monthly. The detailed "marketplace maneuverings" Tassig referred to consist of branding, advertising, and the "unique vernacular" that Starbucks uses in their enterprise; Tassig suggested that "names like ‘grande Valencia latte’ not only lend a patina of sophistication to a product, but also build brand loyalty." Furthermore, Clayton Collins, in an essay for the New Statesman, reflected that Starbucked is "is a breezily written business yarn with plenty of big-picture punch" and that Clark uses the success of the Starbucks Corporation "as an opportunity for a little sociological investigation." As Library Journal contributor Jennifer Zarr suggested, Clark puts forth "both history and balanced critique of a company that has become a cultural phenomenon."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, October 15, 2007, Mark Knoblauch, review of Starbucked: A Double Tall Tale of Caffeine, Commerce, and Culture, p. 30.

Christian Science Monitor, December 18, 2007, "It's a Starbucks World," p. 15.

Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007, review of Starbucked.

Library Journal, December 1, 2007, Jennifer Zarr, review of Starbucked, p. 140.

New Statesman, February 25, 2008, Martin O'Neill, "Trouble Brewing," p. 55.

New York Times Book Review, December 16, 2007, "Venti Capitalists," p. 10.

Publishers Weekly, September 3, 2007, review of Starbucked, p. 53.

Times Literary Supplement (TLS), February 29, 2008, Jakob Norberg, review of Starbucked, p. 35.

Washington Monthly, December 1, 2007, Doron Taussig, "Drip Grind: Taylor Clark's Weak Case against Starbucks," p. 70.

ONLINE

Curled Up with a Good Book Web site,http://www.curledup.com/ (July 31, 2008), Margaret Andrews, review of Starbucked.

Hachette Book Group Web site,http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/ (July 31, 2008), author profile.

San Francisco Chronicle Online,http://www.sfgate.com/ (July 31, 2008), Julie Foster, "Review: ‘Starbucked’ Author Taylor Clark Analyzes Coffee Empire."

Slate,http://www.slate.com/ (July 31, 2008), review of Starbucked.