by Constance L. Hays

 In The Real Thing, New York Times reporter Constance L. Hays examines a century of Coca-Cola history through deft portraits of the charismatic, driven men who used luck, spin, and the open door of enterprise to turn a beverage with no nutritional value into a remedy, a refreshment, and the world’s best-known brand. By examining relationships at all levels of the company, The Real Thing reveals the psyche of a great American corporation–and also tells a larger story about business and this nation’s culture.

 This is as much a story about America as it is the tale of a great American product, one recognized all over the world. Under the leadership of Roberto Goizueta and Doug Ivester, Coca-Cola reinvented itself for investors, spearheading trends such as lavish executive salaries and the wooing of Wall Street, but when Coke’s great global ambitions ran into trouble, it had difficulty getting back on track.

 Hays, a reporter who followed Coca-Cola for five years, tells the story of the soft drink company that has come to be viewed throughout the world as an American icon. The corporate giant had a modest start in 1886, serving its distinctive product only at soda fountains. The emergence of independent bottlers changed the business–and the world–forever as bottles and bright red dispensing machines made their way around the globe, from urban centers to dusty villages. Hays offers engaging profiles of the different powerful personalities who have run the company, also covering its spectacular successes and failures (the marketing debacle of New Coke is particularly noteworthy). But although this corporate history is very interesting, many will question the book’s objectivity: Coca-Cola is a master of public relations, and the book was written with the blessing of the company’s management. Mary Whaley

 The Real Thing brings the story of one of America’s oldest commercial and cultural icons up to date—a tale of power, ego, and money inside one of the world’s largest companies. With a journalist’s investigative skills and a strong narrative voice, Constance Hays puts the reader inside the minds of Coca-Cola’s top executives and fanatic consumers, showing how the modern, ever-changing global business world works through the simplest of products. Thoroughly researched and compellingly written, taking you through incredible triumphs and massive blunders, The Real Thing is a fascinating read.