The Taste of Many Mountains

“Both a personal voyage of discovery and a description of how researchers have come to understand Fair Trade, The Taste of Many Mountains sheds light on the long journey that coffee makes from small holder farms in Guatemala to the barista. The story captures key elements of our research on the impact of fair trade coffee and addresses profound questions about global poverty.”

Craig McIntosh

“Coffee lovers are on a continual quest for the great cup of coffee. Dr. Bruce Wydick is on a simultaneous quest to understand how some of those great coffees are nurtured and grown by some of the world’s poorest farmers. And that begins the story, the mystery, and the twists in The Taste of Many Mountains. The noble lives of the growers he portrays who farm the hillsides of Guatemala could only be developed by the heartfelt, firsthand knowledge of a researcher who has lived in their midst, agonized with their struggles, and admired their characters. Anybody who wants to ‘do good’ needs to read The Taste of Many Mountains! An excellent novel in its own right—it also explodes the illusion of easy answers and cliché responses to the challenges of globalization and alleviating poverty. Dr. Wydick’s first novel is brewed perfectly for his readers—full of rich body with double-shots of insight.”

Santiago Jimmy Mellado

“Pack your bags, join a colorful international research team of graduate students, and head to the Guatemalan highlands as an economic sleuth—or read this book. It will transport you into the world of cutting edge economics and into the lives of people far away whose stories are surprisingly interwoven with our own. This book is a wonder: simultaneously thought-provoking and educational, entertaining and gripping, and deeply moving.”

Chris Ahlin

“What actually works to reduce poverty in poor countries? A distinguished development economist uses the unusual format of a well-written, emotion-packed novel, weaving together careful history and sophisticated economics, to show the ordinary reader what works and what does not. Gripping, enlightening, and very readable. A must read.”

Ron Sider

“Bruce Wydick’s story is a tale of discovery, a quest to Central America to find out how the coffee trade really works. While sympathetically portraying a range of perspectives about international economics, wealth, and poverty, the book is also a meditation on how we know anything about the workings of the economy.”

Dean Scrimgeour

“The Taste of Many Mountains will amuse, confuse, and perhaps displease its readers. While a novel about economics graduate students would seem to many to be, at best, an effective treatment for insomnia, this book is both engaging and thought-provoking. Anyone who is interested in reducing poverty in developing countries would learn much from this book, and those who think they already know how to achieve this goal are likely to learn the most.”

Paul Glewwe

“Bruce Wydick takes us to the coffee plantations of rural Guatemala, traces the production path to the lattes we sip each day, and asks some penetrating questions: Why do coffee growers’ children remain shoeless despite the success of the Fair Trade scheme? Why does a bout of bad weather profit these impoverished farmers more? What can we truly do to ensure they’re paid a living wage? A detective story and an economics lesson in one, The Taste of Many Mountains is an engaging read on one of today’s critical justice issues.”

Sheridan Voysey

“Bruce Wydick successfully mixes adventure, mystery, and economic analysis in his novel. His book will generate great discussions in an introductory Economic Development class or a Latin American studies course. Students with little or no exposure to life in a developing country will get a compassionate view of the origins of something we often take for granted: a cup of coffee.”

Emily Conover