Salt

A World History

By: Mark Kurlansky

Narrated by: Scott Brick

The author of Cod and The Basque History of the World takes an extraordinary look at an ordinary substance — salt, the only rock humans eat — and how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

©2006 Mark Kurlansky (P)2006 Phoenix Books, Inc.

Informative and Entertaining

If you enjoy books (and TV programs) like the "Connections" series by James Burke or are a Discovery Channel junkie, you'll enjoy this book. It is truly a cultural history of salt - possibly the most important chemical after water in human history. Highly recommended.

Less might be more

Although I enjoy non fiction books on history, this one was a bit flat. I think if only half the number of recipes were used and some of the details that really did not improve the story were eliminated it would be a better story. It became tedious to listen to after awhile. The readers voice was also not expressive or interesting.

Well Salted

"Salt" is the kind of history I wanted from "Catching Fire"; an anecdotal recounting of the uses and abuses of salt across history and around the world: its use a money, political fodder, tax-base and the cause and excuse for riot and revolution. I had no idea how varied the types of salt mining and the many different kinds of salt there were and are.

excellent and very entertaining

excellent and very entertaining. I love history and cooking. I never knew salt was so complex.

History buff read

I enjoyed the incredible journey of salt through the ages. Think if I I had retained more from my history classes it would have been a better read.