Nielsen, Makayla
S00561651
Business 1050-042
3/12/2013
Assignment 16
Standard Six
1. The text The Universal Drink,or E Plurbis Coca-Colum is written by Ely Jaques Kahn,
Jr. Kahn was an American writer for The New Yorker for five decades. Some other
pieces that he wrote were: McNair: Educator of an Army, Harvard: Through Change and
Through Storm, and The Staffs of Life.
2. The text is about the Coca-Cola company and how it has spread from representing the
drink of Capitalism and America, to being a world refreshment that all can enjoy. It also
gives the brief history as to how Coca-Cola got its start.
3. The text was written in the year of 1959. Some major events going on at the time were:
Alaska was admitted as the 49th US state, Castro lead Cuba to victory, and the USSR
launched mechta (Luna 1) for the first lunar fly by.
4. The text was written in New York City, U.S.A. Some other ideas originating from New
York at this time were: the development of the Microchip, the opening of the Solomon R.
Guggenheim museum, and the birth of Free Jazz.
5. The text is relevant to the study of modern business because it depicts how influential a
business may be to other parts of the world. Coca-Cola started out simply as a Georgia
pharmaceutical to today where it is recognized all over the globe and as to how it can be
associated with the company that developed it. As well, with every great company there
will always be a challenger, or in this case Pepsi-Cola.
6. The text helped me to understand the history of Coca-Cola and understand as to why it
became a huge industry. I clearly understood the literature and felt that Critical Thinking
could have most likely helped a few people to earn more money rather than just settling
for the instant cash.
Questions 1-4
1. How is Coca-Cola a symbol of the essence of capitalism?
a. Coca-Cola was a symbol of the essence of capitalism because it was developed in
America. The Nazi’s were against it until after the war because it came from a
capitalist country. Yet, even though it was referred to as the essence of capitalism,
it was still spread around the world and eventually lost the face of being a
capitalist beverage.
2. What was a patent medicine?
a. A patent medicine was a “medical cure” that was sold about with a great amount
of promotion and advertisement, however, the cure typically didn’t work as it was
stated to. Thus they were more along the lines of hoax medicines.
3. Why was Coca-Cola syrup originally sold only by pharmacists?
a. Because it was used as a remedy to cure headaches and dyspepsia. Thus the
pharmacists would stir in a teaspoon of the syrup in water for a cure, but through
laziness discovered that mixing it with fizzy water worked best.
4. Explain why there would be so many stories about people rejecting a share of Coca-Cola
stock and demanding payment in cash? (Pg 175 top)
a. There may be many stories about people rejecting the share because they didn’t
see where the company was going. Also during that time period, money was tight
so people were preferring being paid instantly rather than waiting out a stock to
gain value.
10 Vocabulary
1. Apt
a. Very appropriate
2. Imperialism
a. The policy of extending the rule or influence of a country over other countries or
colonies.
3. Moustique
a. Mosquito.
4. Jowl
a. The lower jaw
5. Fervent
a. Showing ardent or extremely passionate enthusiasm.
6. Oenology
a. The study of wine, or wine making.
7. Chivied
a. The urge, pester, or harass somebody, usually in order to make them do
something more quickly.
8. Larruping
a. A blow, especially one delivered with a lot of force.
9. Bourgeois
a. According to Marxist theory, relating to the social class that owns the means of
producing wealth and is regarded as exploiting the working class.
10. Apocryphal
a. Believed by people but probably not true.
Works Cited

"Ely Jacques Kahn, Jr." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 13 Mar.
2013

"Historical Events for Year 1959." Today in History, Birthdays & History Articles. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013

"New York Magazine." NYMag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2013

Kahn, Ely J., Jr. "The Universal Drink, or E Plurbis Coca-Colum." Critical Thinking,
Readings from the Literature of Business and Society. By Edward G. Engh. N.p.: n.p.,
n.d. 163-75. Print