The Coffee Compass

Your Guide for Craft Coffee

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

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Dave Eggers has always been connected with specialty coffee in my mind. I purchased my first Eggers’s novel from Quills Coffee and Books on Kentucky St. in Louisville’s Paristown neighborhood. (Due to a bad landlord situation the shop closed. When it reopened on nearby Baxter Avenue, the “and Books” was dropped from everything but legal documents). The book was What is the What, a novel based on the true story of a Sudanese refugee who barely escapes his village being slaughtered by rebels and eventually gets to America, where he encounters hardships of a different kind. To this day, whenever someone mentions Eggers I’m transported back to that small corner café, with Quills’s distinctive red mug and a coffee-stained book.

It turns out the association between Eggers and coffee was misguided but strangely prescient. Eggers latest book, The Monk of Mokha, chronicles the true story of Mokhtar Alkhanshali, the founder of …

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Five Things I Learned From Scott Rao’s The Coffee Roaster’s Companion

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There are few things as humbling as trying to learn how to roast coffee. It might seem simple enough, but it’s a complex skill that very few people have mastered. Thankfully, coffee legend Scott Rao has finally published his magnum opus, The Coffee Roaster’s Companion. The book is the culmination of over 20 years of coffee roasting experience. Don’t be misled by the slim profile, the content is dense enough to engage a seasoned professional while the style is approachable enough for hobbyists. Over the last 9 months, I’ve read and re-read this book. Sometimes with eager curiosity, other times with frustrated desperation. The book is nicely balanced between technical theory and practical advice. Years ago, Rao’s The Professional Barista’s Handbook was formative for my  barista career.  The Coffee Roaster’s Companion has already proved to be as influential.

Coffee Roaster's Companion

Unequivocally, if you have any interest in roasting your own coffee, you should buy this book. You may not agree with everything Rao has to say, but you will find your own opinions sharpened and informed by Rao’s careful thinking. Here are the top five things I learned from Scott Rao about coffee roasting….

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James Hoffmann Announces World Atlas of Coffee

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World Atlas of Coffee HoffmannAt The Compass we have a simple approach to coffee: do whatever James Hoffmann says. Thankfully, that’s about to get a lot easier now. Today on his blog Hoffmann announced he’s publishing his first book, The World Atlas of Coffee. Considering the burgeoning growth of specialty coffee, there’s a surprising dearth of reliable books on coffee. With Hoffmann’s new book, we’re optimistic we’ve finally found a single authoritative tome on coffee. Hoffmann comments,

The book isn’t about me, or about Square Mile Coffee, but just about coffee. The book is divided into three sections: an introduction to coffee in general, a section on brewing techniques (aimed at making professional standards accessible and worthwhile to home users) and then the atlas section, with individual countries divided by continent.

We already pre-ordered our copy, and we intend to read every word. If you find yourself unable to wait until October, you can check out our list of 3 Coffee Books Every Barista Should Read .

3 Coffee Books Every Barista Needs to Read

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Although baristas at craft coffee shops tend to be inordinately educated for a service industry job, last time we checked there’s no Coffee Preparation and Extraction Theory major at your local state university. Which means if you want to be a competent barista or home brewer, you need to do your own research. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a list of coffee books to supplement your coffee education.

Espresso Extraction: Measurement and Mastery 

Scott Rao

Coffee books Scott RaoScott Rao’s latest book builds on the foundation laid in his classic books The Professional Barista’s Handbook and Everything But Espresso. Whether it be extraction percentages, pressure profiling, or portafilter design, Rao leaves no stone unturned in this concise but weighty volume. Perhaps James Hoffmann’s endorsement says it best….

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