Like fine wine, savoring a cup of tea involves more than expertise. In this charming anthology, freelance journalist and blogger Munichiello provides a refreshing reminder of the days when tea parties evoked thoughts of friendship rather than political differences. In one passage, a British journalist describes an exquisite Japanese tea ceremony he witnessed in 1897. While Chinese and Japanese drink delicately flavored green tea, in mountainous regions of Pakistan, tea-drinking is an entirely different affair. In 2006, Kirsten Kristensen traveled to Tibet where drinking tea is not only a ritual of friendship, but a diet staple. Perhaps most surprising is an excerpt from a 1931 memoir by Thomas Lipton. His recipe for quality tea--blended specially to take account of regional differences in water--is nothing like the tea bags on supermarket shelves. (Oct.)