A little over 10 years ago it seemed Starbucks took over the world. Stores popped up on every corner, and it was not uncommon to wonder what made the company so expansive and what kept customers coming back.

Bryant Simon was curious too. In his book, Everything but the Coffee: Learning about America from Starbucks, Simon explored the deeper implications behind Starbucks’s success. In not just another business article about high rates of return and stock prices, Simon investigated what the company promises and what the company delivers. The book’s strength is his insightful look at what Starbucks tells us about American culture.