In our age, tea and beer are considered by some to be staple, ordinary beverages and the remarkable impact of these beverages on early civilization is often overlooked. Brewed tea supposedly contributed to London’s population growth by providing a source of sterile water that helped to ward off waterborne disease. The popularity of tea in the general population helped to prevent dysentery and child mortality. Beer served a similar role in an earlier period by providing a liquid which was free from pathogens. The author states that “it is a great testimony to the connectedness of life on earth that the fates of the largest and the tiniest life should be so closely dependent on each other.” These two beverages alone have forever altered the civilization genetically and socially. One can only wonder what other foods and beverages that we consider to be ordinary staples today, have had huge impacts on the development of modern society.