The Monk of Mokha

What a great story! I picked up this book, thinking it was similar to assignment Rosti book I just finished reading, which was more of a fable. I would still light it to learn that this was a true story. Having spent time in the Middle East, I know something of its gloried past. I loved learning more about Yemen. I had no idea the Yemini were the first to brew coffee. I’m so glad that there is someone making it worthwhile for the farmers to grow coffee again rather than qat. This is the type of tale that helps you understand why America is a land of immigrants. Yes, they came for a better life, but they also came, hoping to make life better for those they left behind. Moktar truly is able to do that Despite the fact that he seems worthless, once he found his dream, his passion, there was no stopping him from succeeding. I can’t wait to discuss the story with my book group. I’m eager to hear their insights into the tale.

Interesting story about it, young man without goals, who became a successful coffee importer from Yemen

This was sold as a used book but I don't think it was ever opened. My thanks to the seller! As for content, I'm half way through and absolutely love it. I've learned more than I knew there was to learn about the coffee industry, as well as about the political situation in Yemen and nearby coffee producing countries. The writing really grabs me making it hard to put down. Some parts read like a thriller. Thanks to the author and man the book is about, both admirable!

I love the way Dave Eggers tells a larger story through a personal lens. As with Valentino Dent (What is the What) and Abdulrahman Zeitoun, he has taken the life of Mokhtar Alkhanshali and crafted it into a book so readable and yet so informative and true it becomes a real page turner. His books are proof of his extraordinary empathy, and this one is no exception. Mokhtar is a young man of Yemeni heritage, who grew up on the mean streets of San Francisco's Tenderloin, but his family was supportive if puzzled by some of his choices. He held many low paying jobs, never giving up hope that he would discover his calling even when at his lowest. It was a chance text from a friend that sent him across the street from where he was a doorman (lobby ambassador) to the Hills Bros. building on the Embarcadero, where he saw the twenty-foot statue of a man in full Yemeni dress grasping a cup of coffee to his lips. Despite the flowers on the statue's thobe (no self respecting native would ever wear that), he was struck by the relationship to the coffee cup, which led him to study about the origin of history of coffee and the role Yemen played in its manufacture. I'm not giving anything away by revealing that he eventually finds success as an importer of coffee from Yemen, but it is that history, his experiences in discovery and marketing, and his reasons for developing the industry in his native land that make this book a real Eggers work. High recommend.

In 'The Monk of Mokha', Dave Eggers takes us on a modern-day swashbuckling adventure that starts almost uneventfully, in one of the roughest neighborhoods of San Francisco, before taking us to Yemen and the chaos that ensues therein. Our hero, aspiring coffee entrepreneur Mokhtar Alkhanshali, is a real-life Indiana Jones, always taking on his next task with gusto and bravado but ultimately getting backed into a corner at every turn. Like Indy, he uses his wits and sheer willpower (and a lot of luck!) to overcome every obstacle put in front of him. There were parts of this book that I just laughed out loud at and had to pause to regain my composure, and other parts where I just couldn't put the book down, wanting to know what happened next. Throughout I learned a lot about coffee but what I loved most is that the entire motivation of Mokhtar's journey is quite selfless - he wants a better life for Yemeni farmers, and Yemen in general. Like Mokhtar, I am a product of mixed identities, caught between East and West, and I appreciated how he leveraged his advantages and privilege to help people - his people - in Yemen. I think one of the great lessons of 'The Monk of Mokha' is not to be afraid to dream big, and not to give up on your dreams when things aren't going your way. In Mokhtar's story, you'll find a protagonist who is charming, determined, but ultimately, (and I hope he forgives me for saying this!) a little crazy. Not bad crazy. Good crazy. The kind of crazy that can change people's lives for the better. I believe that the people - like Mokhtar - who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who eventually do. In 'The Monk of Mokha', you'll find several cups of crazy. And it will leave you wanting more.

The first cup of coffee was made in Yemen in the 15th century. Coffee details I never knew, but the book is much more than just learning about coffee. It’s a true story intertwining the growing & selling of coffee and the turmoil of present day war in Yemen. Mokhtar, a young Yemeni American who overcoming obstacles in his youth and an entrepreneurial vision, now becomes embroiled in the fearful reality of war. It shines the light on the people of Yemen, the farmers, the hard workers and the horrors of what has and is going on in a country considered a hotbed of terrorism. Well written and informative. As is often the case with books like this, it takes me longer to read as I check out the details plus search for info and the current politics in Yemen as well as the increasing immigration hurdles for Mokhtar coming in & out of the USA. I now spend most of my life outside the US and found this book well worth reading!

Era para mi cuñado y quedo muy satisfecho, le encanto.

Basic information about how our hero Mokhtar accomplished bringing Yemeni coffee to America is well done. I don’t think Mokhtar is well fleshed out in terms of his motivation. Was he doing this for the farmers and the country of his heritage or for the money. As an ideal “American dream” of resilience, bravery, and doggedness it succeeds, but are we also so in love with the “entrepreneurial success” dream. I believe it colours the result in unfortunate ways, if only slightly. The author is writing about a friend and so there is a certain amount of love for him that shines through. It is a kindness to not dwell on any failings and show only occasional mistakes that we all could make. All in all, it is informative about the growing and processing of coffee that we could all benefit in knowing.

Mokhtar's story is extraordinary and the author's talent transformed it into a page-turner book. I learned so much about Yemen and the coffee trade and production. I loved it all along.

This is not just a story about getting some coffee beans from Yemen to Frisco. This is a story about how a man can fight against all odds to conquer the goal he has set for himself. I am absolutely sold by Mokhtar's Journey and what he has achieved in his life. A must read for anyone who is going through rough patches in life.

Well-written and interesting facts about coffee and Jemen, and a fascinating story of a capable young man who even pursues his idea when civil war interrupts his entrepreneurial activities. A great book for coffee lovers and those who love travelling.

This is an extraordinary true story that is more compelling and incredible than most fiction. I really thought it was a novel - and if it was, it would be an excellent one. Eggers' writing is so good and entertaining that the reading experience is much closer to a novel, although some parts are more fact-heavy than others. The subject of the book is Mokhtar, a young American who finds his calling in reviving the fortunes of Yemeni coffee. Unfortunately he chooses a time of great politic unrest to start his project, and finds himself caught up in the civil war. However despite his life being at risk, he remains determined to improve the lot of coffee farmers in the wartorn country and goes to unbelievable lengths to set up his export business. It would make a fantastic film - it's got all the excitement, and Hollywood would love the rags to riches story. Mokhtar is a wonderful character - both ordinary and extraordinary, and shows how an average person can achieve incredible things in the right circumstances. It's an inspiring story that shows sometimes real life can be better and stranger than fiction, and that happy endings can occur. Even in the midst of war and despair, hope and improvement are possible - and can be achieved by ordinary people. It's the most uplifting thing I've read in a long time, and I have nothing but admiration for the young man who set out to do something worthwhile, and wouldn't let anything stand in his way. I'd highly recommend this book, which is as pleasurable a read as any novel due to its fiction-like excitement and good writing,, especially if you're feeling down.

Eggers is a fantastic writer and this is an exciting, fascinating story that made me want to finish it in one sitting. It also exposed me to worlds I knew nothing about (Coffee, Yemen, and its culture). Highly recommended!