The scope of this book is epic in that it starts at the beginning of recorded world history and ends at roughly present day times. From the Bestselling Author of Cod and The Basque History of the World. It was hard to pick just three lessons, as there’s a lot more to learn, for example about Japan, the Great Wall and Gandhi’s role in the story of salt.

In his fifth work of nonfiction, Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. It's one of those books you never forget. Salt is certainly a worthy successor to Kurlansky's phenomenally successful Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.

Salt is the history of the world told from the point of view of the only rock that we eat, which is salt. The modern world takes salt for granted. It was only relatively recent that it was discovered is available all over the world. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. After reading Salt: A World History, you'll no doubt respond to "Please pass the salt" with a new measure of respect for the substance, since every one of us would perish without it. Whether it was drying or pickling, salt made it all possible. In his fifth work of nonfiction, Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt.

Entire civilizations grew and fell based on access to salt.

An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World. The salt industry proudly boasts that its product has some 14,000 uses in hundreds of industries. Salt is responsible for the growth of food storage and the resulting expansion of humans to every corner of the world.

The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind.

This is a fascinating, illuminating read, very well written and generously illustrated. 5.0 out of 5 stars Familiar phrases such as “salt of the earth” and “working in a salt mine” trivialize the significance of salt in the history of the earth and all of its inhabitants (animal, vegetable and mineral) for millions of years. But for most of mankind's history, salt cultivation and transport was a massive enterprise across every civilization. Author Mark Kurlansky has compiled a remarkable book in which he explores every aspect of the mineral that for centuries …

The first several chapters in the first section of the book deal with the procurement and use of salt in the ancient world. A substan.

Salt: A World History Review Mark Kurlansky does a great job of “seasoning” what might be a boring narrative about a common, everyday product, and turn it into a delicious read.