Two from WNYC: Coca-Cola + How Soda Works

Two radio segments from the WNYC. The first comes from the Leonard Lopate Show, where journalist and author Michael Blanding discusses the history of Coke, the marketing of Coke from its invention just before the turn of the century (1880s) to the present, and the corporate structure and questionable business practices of The Coca-Cola Company. Where is Coca-Cola made and who makes it? What is the environmental impact of world Coca-Cola production? What exactly are we funding and participating in when we pick up a frosty bottle of Coke? Hear Blandings discuss these questions and more in this brief radio interview (28 minutes), which draws on his new book The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World's Favorite Soft Drink.

Then hear Dr. Kelly Brownell, co-founder and director of the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and author Darcy O'Neil discuss the history of soda from the 1800s to the present in this brief radio interview (30 minutes) from the Please Explain series. Along the way, the pair note the historical relationships between soda, patent medicines, and addictive drugs; the technologies that led to the widespread consumption of soda at the turn of the last century; the relationship between obesity and soda today; and more.