 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?