A celebration of beer-its science, its history, and its impact on human culture What can beer teach us about biology, history, and the normal world? From historic Mesopotamian fermentation procedures to the resurgent American craft brewery, Rob DeSalle and Ian Tattersall peruse the historical record and traverse the world for engaging and frequently surprising stories about ale. They explain how exactly we came to beverage beer, what ingredients combine to provide beers their exclusive flavors, how beer’s chemistry functions on the molecular level, and exactly how various societies possess regulated the production and usage of beer. Sketching from such diverse subject matter as pet behavior, ecology, history, archaeology, chemistry, sociology, regulation, genetics, physiology, neurobiology, and more, DeSalle and Tattersall entertain and inform using their participating stories of beverage throughout human history and the technology behind everything. Readers are invited to grab a beer and explore the interesting background of its creation.