Coffee, the World, and Jesus, but Not Necessarily in That Order

In this brief debut memoir, DeMiglio, former president of reusable coffee filter maker Eko Brands, reflects on 25 years in the coffee trade, drawing spiritual lessons from scripture and international travel. Whether in Saudi Arabia to train employees or Costa Rica to source coffee, he’s always learned from others’ experiences. In Guatemala, for instance, he observed that Christian missions functioned like a handout but did not actually better lives; for that, interest-free loans and cooperatives would be necessary. To meet people’s true needs we must avoid religious jargon and acknowledge our own privilege and hypocrisy, DeMiglio asserts. Other central messages of the book are thus about humility and overcoming failure. DeMiglio, a frequent speaker on corporate ethics and sustainable practices, also insists that Christians should be leading the way in environmental efforts. The overall tone is informal—sometimes too much so, with multiple jokey, self-deprecatory statements in a row. Though the book is a somewhat disconnected set of musings grouped by location, it contains plenty of valuable aphorisms: “Apathy is not a calling. Cynicism is not a virtue.” DeMiglio’s slim book might prove most useful to global entrepreneurs, and is also likely to speak to any Christian pondering life’s purpose. (June)