Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism
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Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 153 ratings
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Coke's insatiable thirst for resources shapes the company and reshapes the globe in this absorbing history.

Coca-Cola's success in building a global empire out of sugary water drew on more than a secret formula and brilliant advertising. The real secret to Coke's success was its strategy, from the beginning, to offload production costs and risks onto suppliers and franchisees. Outsourcing and a trim corporate profile enabled Coke to scale up production of a low-price beverage and realize huge profits.

But the costs shed by Coke have fallen on the public at large. Coke now uses an annual 79 billion gallons of water, an increasingly precious global resource, and its reliance on corn syrup has helped fuel our obesity crisis. Bartow J. Elmore explores Coke through its ingredients, showing how the company secured massive quantities of coca leaf, caffeine, sugar, and other inputs. Citizen Coke became a giant in a world of abundance; in a world of scarcity, it is a strain on resources and all who depend on them.

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  1. Listening Length
    11 hours and 22 minutes
  2. Author
    Bartow J. Elmore
  3. Narrator
    William Hughes
  4. Audible release date
    November 3, 2014
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Blackstone Audio, Inc.
  7. ASIN
    B00P2QBNR6
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 11 hours and 22 minutes
Author Bartow J. Elmore
Narrator William Hughes
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date November 03, 2014
Publisher Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00P2QBNR6
Best Sellers Rank #135,551 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#29 in Environmental Economics (Audible Books & Originals)
#636 in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism (Books)
#1,044 in Company Business Profiles (Books)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
153 global ratings
Excellent
5 Stars
Excellent
I listened to the Audiobook of Citizen Coke; the male reader's voice was excellent and there were no issues with the audio form of the book. The writer spent a great amount of time and money (like traveling to India) to obtain his research. Although this book is titled "coke" its really about "corporate government," what corporations want they are likely to get and often to the detriment of the environment and one's health. Do you have an MBA? they certainly don't teach this stuff in graduate school. A must read (or listen in my case).
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Top reviews from the United States

Mike W
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating History
Reviewed in the United States on October 9, 2017
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A fascinating look at the surrounding political, environmental, and cultural context for Coke's growth and gives the reader an understanding of all of the moving parts that lifted Coke up from an obscure cocaine-laced wine to a global powerhouse. Elmore breaks up the book by ingredients and discusses how those ingredients have changed over time and helped play a role in increasing Coke's profitability and awareness. Each can almost be read as its own standalone history but the theme of the book that runs through it all is Coke itself and the particular type of business structure that has become so very popular with all of the biggest businesses and brands we see around us today which Elmore deems "Coca-Cola Capitalism."

Great read for anyone interested in a nuanced view of the ups and downs of a massive global business and the environmental and societal implications of that growth.
8 people found this helpful
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Jovani
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read about Coca-Cola’s history
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2023
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We’re all familiar with the brand - but we don’t know about their beginnings, and how this soft drink became a household name.

Coca-Cola is a company that needed a lot of help along the way to get their name heard. They needed much help from the government, needed other companies to sell their brand, needed other countries to make plantations for their ingredients, countless lobbying efforts for their own benefit, ultimately being a successful company today.

It remains to be seen how their success will be seen in the 21st century, life is very different than when they started, and our world today have access to more information than before - such as this book. More and more people will be amazed of the company’s upbringing, and ultimately decide their status as a Coca-Cola customer.
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Elmore examines every ingredient in the beverage and explained how the company could always lower its expenses by finding cheap
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015
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In Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism, Bartow Elmore examines the history of Coca-Cola from its modest beginnings until it became one of the most valuable trademarks in the world. Elmore examines every ingredient in the beverage and explained how the company could always lower its expenses by finding cheap substitutes as well as having a monopoly on the trade of some key ingredients like the coca leaf. Elmore argues that Coca cola became very successful company through marketing and outsourcing its operations to other entities. The book also analyzes the negative environmental consequences of coca cola's success. It shows how some areas ran out of water as a result of bottling plants usage of deep ground water. Also, the author suggests that Coca-Cola impacts our public health and our societies in general due to its beverages high content of sugar and other chemicals. Citizen Coke is a well written easy to read book with many details and interesting facts. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in the history of coca cola and its secrets to success.
One person found this helpful
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Robert
5.0 out of 5 stars Insight into one of America's trademarks
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2014
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A well crafted look at the effect and cost that the Coca-Cola corporation has had on america. Be ready to put your soft drink use aside after you read this insightful book. It really increases your awareness about how corporations manipulate you and me to get their way when they can't buy politicians. The myth has been that corporations have carried america, but this book shows how it is the other way around. A good educational read.
8 people found this helpful
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John G. Griffin
3.0 out of 5 stars Coca Cola is an Icon in American Business
Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2015
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Elmore set out to expose the soft underbelly of the Coca Cola Company and did reveal some interesting insights into the Company's history and its unique method of conducting business without investing much in the infrastructure to produce that business, but failed to achieve his goal of a true expose'.

The historical insight and the review of the business model were much more interesting than his initial goal of exposing the bad corporate capitalism of Coke.

But the history and the review of the business model were worth the read.
2 people found this helpful
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Raluca Moldovean
5.0 out of 5 stars illuminating and thought provoking
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2015
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Lots of data, ideas and facts tracing the history of coca cola and also a description of customs and events throughout 19th and 20th century. The author offers a wealth of data while it tries successfully to present a balanced view of this American icon. Most people are aware of the bad effects of drinking coca cola; however the book also presents this company's impact on water use, garbage generation, producing pollution through refrigeration and transport, supporting production of corn, coffee and tea to reach unsustainable levels. I was surprised at the reach of this beverage to profoundly impact not only the human body but our entire environment. In the end I am just amazed at the considerable resources, time, and money used to produce and consume such a nefarious product! The author correctly warns that getting rid of coca cola will be extremely hard;so many people depend on the revenues generated from its sale.
12 people found this helpful
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LSmith
5.0 out of 5 stars An eye-opener, to say the least
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2020
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While the Coca-Cola Company is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, the adventure of how it got there is not as well known. This book by Bartow J. Elmore paints a not-too-flattering picture of the corporate giant. Explaining how Coke was able to get others to invest heavily in their key ingredients such as sugar (later high-fructose corn syrup) and water, Elmore does a terrific job of exposing Coke as a giant conglomerate with conflicting values all in the name of profit. It isn’t completely a bashing of the company, but it will open the eyes of anyone who reads this
2 people found this helpful
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J. Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Citizen Coke
Reviewed in the United States on May 10, 2019
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Dear Readers,
the book titled Citizen Coke is a well researched and written book which I first became aware of through watching the TV documentary A Plastic Surgery: Coca Cola's Hidden Secret. The book traces the personal and product history since inception and makes a great case study for both management and organization development faculty and students.

John Barnes Bangkok
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Bernard
5.0 out of 5 stars quick delivery
Reviewed in Germany on December 4, 2022
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very detailed and informative
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Chris M.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 12, 2017
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bought as a gift - as described
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Rob
2.0 out of 5 stars Not a page turner......
Reviewed in Canada on April 22, 2015
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This book is very dry with very few interesting anecdotes about a fascinating company. Well researched but not a page turner at all. Forced myself to finish it and skipped some dull parts.
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Andrea Schaus
5.0 out of 5 stars Nachhaltigkeit ist ein Fremdwort, der Gewinn zählt
Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2021
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sehr strukturiertes Buch zur Erfolgsgeschichte von Coca-cola mit teils erschreckenden Erkenntnissen, welche der Käufer nicht kennt bzw. nicht bedenkt.
One person found this helpful
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Steen Fiil Christensen
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2016
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extra knowledge in a well explored field
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