Salt: A World History is just that - a meandering tome exploring the history of the world as it has been impacted by salt. Who would write such a book? (Mark Kurlansky - who's also written on such comestibles as cod and milk, as well as Paper - Salt > Paper, for what it's worth.) Who would reach such a book? (Me. Also, at least 751 people who bothered to rate it on Amazon.) And yet, these are fair questions, after all how one could read or write 500 pages on such a basic substance?
The answer is lies in Kurlansky's approach. Displaying the same snappy style and inquisitive nature that he used in Food of a Younger Land, Kurlansky explores trade, war, engineering, voyages of discovery, cuisine, and the evolution of mankind through the lens of our biological need for salt. (As a commodity, it was once so valuable that people were paid in salt - the origin of the word salary. Who knew?)
It's the rare book that can cohesively stitch together the preparation of mummies in ancient Egypt and the creation of Tabasco sauce, but that is what Kurlansky has done in Salt. The entire book is peppered with obscure facts, zingy wit, and first rate writing. Although long, Kurlansky doesn't make the mistake of getting too deep in the weeds, and the entire book is accessible even to those with no prior knowledge of Salt, all of which is to say that this book is far better than its title might imply. Clearly, I need to add Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World to my reading list.
Five stars.
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