The Cola Conquest tells the story of Coca-Cola - the 'sublimated essence' of all that American stands for - and the century-long competition with its rival, Pepsi-Cola. Challenging, fast-paced, irreverent, serious and funny by turns, it explores the delicious paradox at the heart of Coke: How did an innocuous soft drink come to wield such enormous power and assume such significance in so many people's lives? What does it tell us about who we are and what we are becoming?