Michael Blanding

An exposé on the rise of Coca-Cola to become one of the world's most profitable and recognized brands shares unsettling reports on franchise deals in adversarial nations, the role of company products in obesity rates, and the environmental impact of its bottling practices.

Ever since its "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" commercials from the 1970s, Coca-Cola has billed itself as the world's beverage, uniting all colors and cultures in a mutual love of its caramel-sweet sugar water. The formula has worked incredibly well, making it one of the most profitable companies on the planet and Coca-Cola the world's second-most-recognized word after hello. However, as the company expands its reach into both domestic and foreign...