Rating: 
Summary: A divine substance and a marvelous read!
Review: Mark Kurlansky has done it again! Never will you look at the ordinary salt shaker in quite the same way. Not only does he give a wonderful overview of how salt has changed the world and been a war commodity, he also tells charming tales of folklore and legend. I particularly love the story of a princess who tells her father the king that she loves him like salt.....read the book to get the rest of the story. Not just for foodies, this is an entertaining book on the fascinating history of the not so ordinary substance we all take for granted. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: *A Pinch of Salt, and a Heaping Tablespoon of World History*
Review: Mark Kurlansky might qualify as popular as far as readers of history are concerned. He has written diverse historical works focusing on cod fish, the Basque people, and most recently the history of Rock and Roll. His work is more effective when he reports on the individual segments that make up history, than when he tries to tie together and interpret those threads of time. The history of salt is thus a perfect subject for Kurlansky's talents. Salt is found all over the world, is critical to all animal life, and has been the object of many separate struggles for survival. You have to appreciate studying history to really enjoy this book. If you do, "Salt" is a wonderfully written modern historical narrative. Twenty-six separate chapters take you all over the world and throughout time, showing salt as a simple material necessary for survival, to a commodity controlled by the powerful, to the chemical that allows for better food storage and preservation, thus helping to feed more and more of civilization. Some chapters demonstrate how important different commodities are on culture. Until I read this book, I had no idea that the 20th Century Gandhi-inspired revolution in India was rooted in protest over British ownership of Indian salt rights. Each section averages fifteen pages bringing an interesting collection of salt related facts and reports. Lots of salt history revolves around food. When you studied history as a youngster, you didn't think about how feeding civilization was the critical factor is what happened out in the world. If food could be preserved longer when abundant, if it tasted better when eaten, and had all the nutrients needed for survival, the quality of life improved and civilization would likely expand. When armies moved forth, they had to be fed too, so more food was needed as human expansion continued. Time and time again salt played a large role in what peoples went where, what they did, and why they stayed or moved on. The book seems long, but reads quickly; it is easy to pick up and put down at frequent intervals. The chapters are short and each one weaves smaller story segments into the chapter's theme. There are opportunities to learn new facts, as well as different interpretations of familiar historical events to be absorbed. I most accurately rate this book at 4.20 stars out of 5.00, rounded down to 4 stars; it was an enjoyable and fun book.
Rating:
Summary: *A Pinch of Salt, and a Heaping Tablespoon of World History*
Review: Mark Kurlansky might qualify as popular as far as readers of history are concerned. He has written diverse historical works focusing on cod fish, the Basque people, and most recently the history of Rock and Roll. His work is more effective when he reports on the individual segments that make up history, than when he tries to tie together and interpret those threads of time. The history of salt is thus a perfect subject for Kurlansky's talents. Salt is found all over the world, is critical to all animal life, and has been the object of many separate struggles for survival. You have to appreciate studying history to really enjoy this book. If you do, "Salt" is a wonderfully written modern historical narrative. Twenty-six separate chapters take you all over the world and throughout time, showing salt as a simple material necessary for survival, to a commodity controlled by the powerful, to the chemical that allows for better food storage and preservation, thus helping to feed more and more of civilization. Some chapters demonstrate how important different commodities are on culture. Until I read this book, I had no idea that the 20th Century Gandhi-inspired revolution in India was rooted in protest over British ownership of Indian salt rights. Each section averages fifteen pages bringing an interesting collection of salt related facts and reports. Lots of salt history revolves around food. When you studied history as a youngster, you didn't think about how feeding civilization was the critical factor is what happened out in the world. If food could be preserved longer when abundant, if it tasted better when eaten, and had all the nutrients needed for survival, the quality of life improved and civilization would likely expand. When armies moved forth, they had to be fed too, so more food was needed as human expansion continued. Time and time again salt played a large role in what peoples went where, what they did, and why they stayed or moved on. The book seems long, but reads quickly; it is easy to pick up and put down at frequent intervals. The chapters are short and each one weaves smaller story segments into the chapter's theme. There are opportunities to learn new facts, as well as different interpretations of familiar historical events to be absorbed. I most accurately rate this book at 4.20 stars out of 5.00, rounded down to 4 stars; it was an enjoyable and fun book.
Rating:
Summary: A Thorough Treatment of a Common Substance
Review: Mark Kurlansky takes the reader on an extensive journey through history to chronicle the life of salt. All the way from Ancient China to today, the amount of information presented is quite impressive. I never would have thought there could have been so much information or history regarding such a humble seasoning. Not only has salt sustained many economies throughout the world, not only has it been battled over, but it has also, quite literally, changed the face of the earth, through collapsing salt mines and brine wells. Mark also includes many recipes throughout the book, representative of the times in which the text is exploring. A couple of the more notable recipes include one for a Salt Cod Apple Pie, and a recipe for ham that was used by Thomas Jefferson's family. The most intriguing thing I learned, though, is that even today, salt is made basically the exact same way it was made thousands of years ago....either by mining solid salt, or by boiling brine or seawater. While the book can be a bit slow in parts, overall, it was interesting, and definitely worthwhile reading for any foodie or history buff.
Rating:
Summary: A Thorough Treatment of a Common Substance
Review: Mark Kurlansky takes the reader on an extensive journey through history to chronicle the life of salt. All the way from Ancient China to today, the amount of information presented is quite impressive. I never would have thought there could have been so much information or history regarding such a humble seasoning. Not only has salt sustained many economies throughout the world, not only has it been battled over, but it has also, quite literally, changed the face of the earth, through collapsing salt mines and brine wells. Mark also includes many recipes throughout the book, representative of the times in which the text is exploring. A couple of the more notable recipes include one for a Salt Cod Apple Pie, and a recipe for ham that was used by Thomas Jefferson's family. The most intriguing thing I learned, though, is that even today, salt is made basically the exact same way it was made thousands of years ago....either by mining solid salt, or by boiling brine or seawater. While the book can be a bit slow in parts, overall, it was interesting, and definitely worthwhile reading for any foodie or history buff.
Rating:
Summary: Salt shook up my thinking...
Review: Mark Kurlansky's SALT: A World History shook up the way I viewed this seemingly ordinary condiment. Incredibly well researched and at times, quite humorous, SALT took me on a wild journey from the ancient brine wells of China to cheese-making in France and Italy. I encountered early Celtic salt miners in Austria and accompanied Gandhi on his historic "salt march" to India's independence. Mr. Kurlansky sprinkles this delightful narrative with customs, folklore, even some ancient recipes. SALT is terrific and lots of fun to read!
Rating:
Summary: A History of Salt?
Review: No it is not the SALT II talks. It is a history of salt the seasoning. This is a very well written book about the world's most common seasoning--and one man needs to live. You will learn all about how salt was mined or gathered in different areas of the world and how salt was used as a preservative before refrigeration. Kurlansky has a very interesting way of looking at history through food. The book is sprinkled (pun intended) with recipes. For the most part they are not ones you would want to try, but they give you a historical insight into cooking through the ages. I am just sorry that the author has died so we cannot look forward to any more well written books by him.
Rating:
Summary: Spice up your reading with a large helping of Salt!
Review: On a macro level world history'that is, human history-concerns four basic forces which'separately or in combination'have shaped human behavior: the forces of nature, the force of a dominate personality, the force of ideas, and covetousness, for land, power, weathh'whatever. The subtitle of this book is A World History. The title is deserved for the history of mans quest for salt is in many ways a wonderful mechanism of microcosm for the greater spectrum of world history. This is by no means to only major 'commodity' history around'there have been other recent books about the potato, sugar, coffee, gold, jade, porcelain, various dyes (mauve, indigo), nutmeg and sundry other spices over the past several years.. At their worst, these commodity histories are complacent annals of consumption; at their best, they up-end our ideas of history's motive forces. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky ranks among the very best. Salt isn't just a seasoning, it's a life substance, vital to the proper functioning of the human body. For as long as there have been humans, they've had to find or create salt to live. The history of salt is the history of humanity. This is, in actuality, several books in one: a food history, a recipe book, a travelogue and a cultural history. It contains images which will long stay with you: the body of a Bavarian salt miner prized from collapsed salt caves centuries after his death, for instance, perfectly preserved right down to the bright colors of his clothes. It is also stylishly written and wonderfully learned, covering a vast geographical and historical span. William Blake famously suggested that the world was to be seen in a grain of sand; Kurlansky has seen it in a grain of salt. Every piece of evidence in this book is arranged to point to salt as an agency of enormous power. It has determined the geography of warfare, urban growth (almost all Italian cities were built near a saltworks) and most of the world's trade routes. Kurlansky even links the 'whimsical, non-geometric' pattern of North America's secondary roads to salt: 'The roads are simply widened footpaths and trails... originally cut by animals looking for salt.' These are the salt-lines of history, invisible on a map but brought beautifully to light by Kurlansky. The book is broadly chronological. We begin at a salt works in ancient China and end nearly 500 pages later amid the health wars over salt in the twenty-first century. Along the way, the reader is rewarded with superb thumbnail histories of the world's main civilizations; digressions into ketchup, chilli pepper, olives, embalming techniques, pickling and mustard gas; dozens of salty recipes; a beautiful little essay on Matisse, fauvism and anchovy fishermen. This is a truly wonderful book. However, it shoulkd be noted that it is not as good as Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World. Cod was an ecological novel. Infused with a sadness for the passing of the cod, that book was a heartfelt elegy for that wonderful creature. Salt is a mineral. The previous work was both an emotional and intellectual triumph. This is an intellectual triumph. This is a function of the subject matter rather than any deficiency on Kurlansky's part. However, there is a distinct difference in the reading experience between the two books readers of Cod ought to be cognizant of. Moreover, Kurlansky's latest lacks this unifying attitude and occasionally lapses into a rather boring occasional recital of statistics and factoids. But those are quibbles'this is a great book. Spice up your life'take on this giant size helping of salt!
Rating:
Summary: A great, sweeping book
Review: SALT follows in the tradition of COD and THE BASQUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD in bringing the history of peoples and things to life. Kurlansky takes SALT, the commodity that has defined civilizations, travels, and commerce for centuries as his cornerstone, and his writing flows from there. Fascinating, insightful, and a pleasure to read.
It's a big book, a big idea, and a great read that spans centuries of fascinating history, peoples, and events. Bravo!
Rating: 
Summary: Salt
Review: Salt is an amazing compilation of the uses of the most sought after commodity ever. Kurlansky speaks with great eloquence about every detail and use. Although it is great the book drags on and on while repeating what has already been said about ten times. For instance, salted fish is mentioned as a great trade commodity for many ancient european cultures. Despite the fact that the information about salted fish is interesting and well written it seems as though it is mentioned about ten times every five pages. I could not bring myself to complete this book.
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