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.

John Nettles

Neat book. Sometimes feels like a machine gun of facts right at your brain. Not earth-shattering but good book.

This book takes a look at an ordinary substance--salt, the only rock humans eat--and how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning.

a world history

Laura Mauler

This book changed my life. I picked it up because fiction novels were all looking the same to me, and because it was thick enough to last the long train ride from Dusseldorf to Maastricht. School textbooks were the only non-fiction I'd ever read, and they had not prepared me for the vibrant and engaging writing found in Salt. Since reading this book I have become a devoted fan of non-fiction writing, which has exposed me to a whole new world of literature.

Alan

When I picked up Salt: A World history, I expected it (i) not to get basic historical facts wrong, (ii) have a cohesive narrative, and (ii) have something mildly interesting to say about salt.

The writer describes the Chinese making first contact, or hearing about the Roman empire in 139BC through Zhang Qian's adventure to the west.

This is despite:
- The Roman Empire not existing in 139 BC
- The Roman Republic at that time was limited to the western Mediterranean
- Zhang Qian first made contact with Hellenistic kingdoms in western Asia
- There is no record of Zhang Qian mentioning anything about Romans

He also mentions a battle between the Chinese and captive Roman soldiers in 102BC, which I can't find any record for and is highly unlikely given that it is 5000km from the Roman Republic.

If he gets so basic facts wrong so early in the book, I feel unable to trust the author on anything further. 

So then it is just about the narrative and science and recipes. Only the latter was mildly interesting.

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.

Cindy Lieberman

A savory book on the not-so-insignificant contributions (or should i say consequences) of salt in the world's economic development.

Bryan Maniotakis

Personally, this felt like a deep dive into a Wikipedia article. It has lots of great reviews, but boy is it not for me.

Kerry Gibbons

For a book that’s ostensibly a world history, it contains an AWFUL lot of recipes. Especially kind of ancient ones that make little sense. It’s also a book that could do with a sense of humor.

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.

Salt A World History

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