Name: Salt
Rating: 3.464285714285714 (42 reviews)
ISBN: 9780142001615

Mark Kurlansky

Explores the role of salt in shaping history, discussing how one of the world's most sought-after commodities has influenced economics, science, politics, religion, and eating customs.

A World History

Salt

Patrick Book

Exhaustive, in a good way. Thoroughly fascinating!

Sarah Sammis

I can remember sitting in my car listening to a review of Salt: A World History and an interview with Mark Kurlansky. Four years later I have finally gotten around to reading the book. Perhaps I should have read it sooner because the book didn't live up to expectations. I think part of my disappointment stems from having just enjoyed The Zen of Fish by Trevor Corson.

Salt is broken into three parts: the first covering why we need salt and how that need affected early civilizations; the second part focuses on the fishing industry; and the final part looks at how salt continues to affect society. Kurlansky has also written The Basque History of the World and Cod and he's clearly still interested in both topics. Large portions of Salt focus on both the Basque use of salt and the history of cod and salt. I am not all the interested in Basque history and The Zen of Fish is a more interesting take on the history of fish (and salt).

There are some interesting bits of Salt. I liked best the chapters about Italy that discuss prosciutto and Parmesan. I also liked the discussion of salt in China post revolution and the bit about how sugar is traditionally thought to balance the taste of salt. I had never heard of this old wives tale but it helps to explain why salt is always an ingredient in dessert recipes.

Bouke van der Bijl

I like these sorts of books that try to explain the history of civilization through a single thing, but this author should’ve edited a lot out of this book. It’s a lot of accounts of random places on how they use salt and recipes with them. There’s only two paragraphs at the very end about the nutritional reasons we need salt. It’s just a dull book.

Nick Gracilla

SALT is an epic book. Reaching back to the Egyptian pharaohs, through Medieval and Renaissance Europe, across Asia, Africa, and more: there's nowhere humans have thrived where there wasn't also salt. Critical for food preservation, flavor, and indeed, life, the chart of human history is the chart of salt licks, ponds, mines, and springs. 

Having said that, I often lost the big picture narrative working through Kurlansky's text. It is extraordinary in its detail, sometimes approaching excruciating when that bigger narrative got lost in the weeds. I put this down and picked it up multiple times, which probably didn't help me as a reader make the connections. But this can be, at times, a bit lost in the facts. 

Loved the recipes, the connections, and coming to understand how essential salt has been for every civilization.

Jeannette Ordas

An enjoyable read. I love salt and I guess I like learning about the history of it too.

Anna Pinto

I learned a lot about salt from this book, but most of the time it felt like facts and interesting stories were thrown together without a cohesive structure.

Emma Bose

Diane Wang

S. R. Spencer

A. D. Knapp

“Kurlansky finds the world in a grain of salt.” - New York Times Book Review An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World Best-selling author Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions. Populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details, Salt is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.

Salt A World History

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