Sara Byala PhD (Harvard) is Senior Lecturer in Critical Writing, University of Pennsylvania. South African by birth, Byala has also lectured on African history in Penn’s History department, Wharton School, and Lauder Institute. She is the author of 'A Place That Matters Yet: John Gubbins’s MuseumAfrica in the Postcolonial World.'
"‘Byala asks a question for our time: does Coca-Cola's generative work offset the human and planetary costs associated with its growth in the twenty-first century?’ -- Campaign for the American Reader blog 'Brilliantly conceived, entertaining, and important, ""Bottled"" will unquestionably take its places as one of the most important social histories of Africa. With Byala's storytelling gift and eye for narrative detail, this account is a masterclass in how to integrate individual stories from around the continent with broader socio-economic and political events.' -- Caroline Elkins, Professor of History and African and African American Studies, Harvard University 'The tension between Africa's interests and Coke's is a fascinating social and philosophical narrative, and Sara Byala's research and knowledge of the subject are impressive. There are not many books which give such extensive and highly entertaining first-hand examples from the field. An important contribution.' -- Mary Martin, Senior Research Fellow at the Department of International Relations, London School of Economics, and Director of the UN Business and Human Security Initiative, LSE IDEAS '""Bottled"" examines the history of Coca Cola in Africa as a window onto the whirlwind of events across the continent over the past century. The detail on individual stories is outstanding.' -- Elisa Gambino, Lecturer in Global Development, University of Manchester"