From trademark and branding to shipping and distribution, Coca-Cola has led the way in nearly every significant trend of twentieth-century business. Pendergrast offers up tidbits such as the drink's original formula and the fact that once, yes, it did contain cocaine (though company representatives will deny it up and down), as well as a detailed exegesis of the New Coke debacle. It's an enlightening and entertaining chronicle of the company and its products, and a great book for those who (like me) know nothing about business.

Peter Merholz