Thanking a Global Supply Chain: Times of Israel

A lot of trade goes into a cup of coffee, and at the urging of his son, authur A.J. Jacobs wanted to express his gratitude. So he set out to research the individuals who helped make the routine of a morning cup of coffee possible and wrote a book. “During his quest, which took him from a farm in Colombia to a steel plant in Indiana, he discovered how interconnected the world is,” explains Cindy Sher for the Times of Israel. “So many more people than he could have imagined contribute to his morning cup of coffee. Obviously there are baristas and farmers, but also unsung heroes like artists (think coffee lid and sleeve designer), chemists, biologists, truckers and miners.” He thanked 1,000 individuals, conceding the list could have been longer. To reduce anxiety, he recommends focusing on the hundreds of daily activities that go right rather than the few that go wrong. Jacobs points out that many amazing luxuries transform into routines, many taken for granted, due to modern supply chains. – YaleGlobal