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Salt: A World History Paperback – January 28, 2003

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Mark Kurlansky (Author)
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Mark Kurlansky (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 562 customer reviews
#1 Best Sellerin Mineralogy
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 496 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books (January 28, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0142001619
  • ISBN-13: 978-0142001615
  • Product Dimensions: 5.1 x 0.9 x 7.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (562 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 starsDefinitely worth his salt . . .
By Stephen A. Haines HALL OF FAME on April 6, 2004
Format: Paperback
It's become a party cliche to comment on our need for the results of combining a poisonous gas [chlorine] and a volatile metal [sodium]. Kurlansky passes quickly over such levity to seriously relate the role of sodium chloride in human society. While at first glance his account may seem overdone, a bit of reflection reveals that something so common in our lives is easily overlooked. Salt is essential to our existence. Our need is so strong and enduring that we tend to take its availability for granted. As a global history, this book is an ambitious attempt to re-introduce us to something we think common and uninteresting. It's immensely successful through Kurlansky's multi-faceted approach. He combines economics, politics, culinary practices, tradition and myth in making his presentation. About the only aspect ignored is the detailed biological one explaining why this compound is so necessary to our existence.
Because our need for salt is so fundamental, its history encompasses that of humanity. Salt was basic to many economies, Kurlansky notes. It's acted as the basis of exchange between traders, was the target of empire builders and even paid out to soldiers as a form of "salary" - hence the term. Venice, a coastal city tucked away from the main tracks of Mediterranean trade, bloomed into prominence when it discovered it could garner more profit by trading in salt than by manufacturing it. The Venetian empire and later renaissance was founded on the salt trade.
Empires may be built on salt, but can be felled by misguided policies on its trade and consumption. One element leading to the downfall of the French monarchy was the hated "gabelle", or salt tax, which imposed a heavier burden on farming peasants than it did on the aristocracy.Read more ›
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3.0 out of 5 starsTaking a love of Salt to its logical extreme
By Keith Smith on December 6, 2003
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Salt is one of those things that turned up all over the place in my high school studies. It turned up in chemisty (sodium chloride), in biology (the amount of salt in our bodies and what we do with it), in history and English (check out the root of the word: "salary"). So sure, salt's important. But does it merit its own entire book about its history? Turns out the answer is both yes and no...
I like these small, focused histories (as you've probably guessed if you've read any of the other reviews I've written). I've read many of them, including another one by Mark Kurlansky, Cod (which I rather enjoyed). So when I ran across Salt, I was certain I wanted to read it. I liked Kurlansky's style, and I already knew that the subject matter would be interesting.
And it was. In Salt, Kurlansky walks through both the history of salt and the influence of salt on history, presenting a wide and varied picture of one of the [now] most common elements in our modern world. And he does this in the same engaging fashion that he used in Cod; although, with fewer recipes. So why not give it five stars? Well, it has a couple of noticable flaws that tended to detract a bit from the overall presentation.
The first flaw was in the sheer number of historical snippets that were included. While I'm certain that salt has been important in the broad span of human history, there are a number of these historical anecdotes where he was clearly reaching to demonstrate the influence of salt. Salt may have been involved in these incidents, but it was peripheral at best, and the overall tone sounds too much like cheerleading. Cutting a few of these out would have shortened the book without detracting from the presentation at all.
The second flaw was the meandering path that he takes through the history of salt.Read more ›
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4.0 out of 5 starsWorth his Salt
By Amazon Customer on February 1, 2002
Format: Hardcover
Yes, Kurlansky is worth his salt as a writer, researcher and uncoverer of unknown facts about odd subjects. As he did with his previous non fiction books he has woven strands of information into an interesting tapestry, equal parts - enthralling history lesson and cultural voyage. The only problem is - at 450 pages and 26 chapters, with numerous visits to different cultures, countries, eras and rulers in an attempt to cover as many of the 14,000 uses that salt is known for - finishing SALT: A WORLD HISTORY leaves you in a brine of facts, but also very thirsty for a unifying theme or story and a more memorable read.
Certainly my knowledge of historical trivia is now seasoned with tidbits such as: the Anglo-Saxon word for saltworks being 'wich' means that places such as Norwich, Greenwich, etc, in England were once ancient salt mines; Ghandi's independence movement in India began with his defying the British salt laws, and the French levied taxes on salt until as recently as 1946.
A common theme in Kurlansky's books is that food is seen as a topic of historical interest. Here we learn about the role salt played in preserving cod, whale, ham, herring, caviar, pastrami, salami and sausage, and as it was with COD and THE BASQUE HISTORY OF THE WORLD this book is sprinkled throughout with recipes.
Salt is certainly an interesting subject; cultural history buffs will love this book and Kurlansky still has a humorous, easy, and very readable writing style; it's just that he probably could have salted away some of the facts without us missing much and he should have developed a flowing theme rather than one that was so saltatory.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 starsSalt: A World History

Where is David McCullough when you need him?

I respect Kurlansky's research, but this was a VERY dry read. I did not enjoy reading this book. Read more

Published 3 days ago by SMB
3.0 out of 5 starsAlso I am taking into consideration that I read this for a challenge...

I finished this book, finally. Before I start my review I have to note: I am giving it three stars because the author knows his salt. Read more

Published 3 days ago by Michelle
2.0 out of 5 starsToo Fishy

I've wanted to read this book for quite some time as I love salt. However, I feel like the author had a page requirement and thus wrote about salt and anything remotely related to... Read more

Published 6 days ago by Matt Rosenberg
5.0 out of 5 starsFive Stars

Very Interesting !

Published 7 days ago by Carolyn M Mahoney
5.0 out of 5 starsFascinating History of Salt

Fascinating book on the role salt has played in nations all over the world.

Published 9 days ago by Millicent Conklin
5.0 out of 5 starsWonderful book, of the type that leaves you with ...

Wonderful book, of the type that leaves you with much more knowledge than you were expecting by the end. Absolutely a top recommendation.

Published 13 days ago by Rick Desulis
5.0 out of 5 starsquintessential

A great quick read and a great starter for history of commerce and commodity. It will change your trip to the grocery store forever, but be warned you become a know it all.

Published 16 days ago by W. Eilers
2.0 out of 5 stars" The author did good research on how to use salt in preparing...

This is one of the disappointing history books I have ever read. It should be entitled: "The History of Salt, With Numerous Accompanying Recipes Down Through All The... Read more

Published 18 days ago by Bryant Martin
5.0 out of 5 starsGreat read!

great read! full of fun, interesting information. If you like food, history and a good read, you will love this book!

Published 20 days ago by TKD
5.0 out of 5 starsWe need salt to live!

One of my Husbands favorite books. Salt is an essence of life, not to much OR too little. Jesus' Blessings and Peace

Published 23 days ago by Mary S. Dickson

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