Cannedcoffee.com reaches back to the 1830s for this week's dose of coffee lit. French novelist Honore de Balzac's essay is a must-read for all who crave caffeine.

Coffee is a great power in my life; I have observed its effects on an epic scale. Coffee roasts your insides. Many people claim coffee inspires them, but, as everybody knows, coffee only makes boring people even more boring. Think about it: although more grocery stores in Paris are staying open until midnight, few writers are actually becoming more spiritual.

Keep reading Balzac's The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee here.