I purchsed this book used, and that's just what I got: a used book. Some of the pages were bent and the cover a little worn, but other than that it was ok. It looked as if it had been read more than once. But that's what I ordered...so it was ok.

"Salt: A World History" is exactly what the title advertises: stories about the production, trade, and use of salt from our earliest archaeological and written records through to modern times.

Kurlansky's writing is serviceable at best and more often rather clunky,repetitious, and tin-eared -- no one will ever accuse him of being a great prose stylist or a master storyteller. He doesn't have the most developed historical sense, which means that bits of information float in discreet units, bereft of context or full interpretation. And he has a *thing* about the Basques, which I have noticed turning up in his other work as well -- I think he tends to insert information he knows well (such as Basque history) into historical moments he's less sure of, so as to sound more knowledgeable than he perhaps truly is.

Nevertheless, the stories Kurlansky has to tell are fascinating enough to mostly overcome those difficulties. As a bonus, each chapter can more or less stand on its own, so you can space your reading in bite-sized chunks, as it were -- "Salt" is a great book to bring to a waiting room or on a bus ride.

In summary, "Salt" is an interesting book, but with too many flaws for me to recommend buying it. Borrow a copy from the library instead.

This book took an item we take for granted today, salt, and discussed its history. Some have criticized the author for including so many recipes. I disagree. Salt is used in cooking after all, and to put salt into a proper context we need to witness how it was used.

I enjoyed how the author wove the various aspects of the salt trade into a coherent history. For instance, that salt was so important in wartime never struck me before, though it seems obvious now.

A good, hard to put down read, Salt: A World History is a good book for people who like history, economics or the culinary arts.

Man, this didn't work at all for me. Here's why:

- It zipped past the ancient history (which is what I like) and spent most of its time on European and (white) American history (which I usually already know and don't care about anyway).

- You know how in college you would find some weird tangent to write your paper on so it would seem somewhat original? This book feels like a whole bunch of those essays. I get it, salt was important, but it still feels forced sometimes.

- After a while, you start to get that dreaded "I'm reading history" feeling, where it all starts to look like a list of names and dates. It's totally possible to write history without writing lists; I just don't think this book pulled it off.

Here's the impression I came away from this book with: "15th-century Germans really liked salt. Here's how they made it. You know who else liked salt? 16th-century French people. Here's a recipe that uses salt. Guess who else liked salt?" Ad infinitum.

Meh.

Remembering 2nd semester of Western Civ with a dynamic prof who loved to use the "spectrum of history" to link events...food, religion, war, hobbies, work. That is how this book is read and you must eat the whole salty pretzel to get the flavor. You must try not to quibble with a few sweeping generalizations and dwell on the great facts that link this history together. A great prequel or sequel to "COD"

well written and fun

This book is a relatively light look at how SALT has played a major roll in shaping our world and even the very language we use. The author has deeply researched the subject, compiling a very quick and fun read. While some of the historical ties might be overstated in parts, the roll of SALT really is undeniably important to both human survival and our culture.

One unexpected benefit of reading this book is that you can be the only "expert" on SALT around almost any table, a great way to fill those awkward long silences at company gatherings :-) I also recommend Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World for the same reasons.

Recommended!

This book earned me the UberDork rating from anyone I told about it, but they are the ones who missed out. The writing is clear and makes for fun snippet reading. (Got 10 minutes? Pick it up!) The useless but fun facts mentioned by another reviewer are a big part of what kept me reading, but I have to admit that the real attraction was how Kurlansky connected salt to so many locations through the centuries. I disagree that SALT wasn't organized; it simply takes a "global" approach, something which many people can't appreciate because they perceive history as a linear concept. Linear history is neat and clean, but misses the point that events evolve, appear and disappear no matter where you drop in on the so-called "timeline". It is more a bubbling stew than a piece of string, in my estimation, and explains the "repetitiveness" mentioned in other reviews. SALT has the kind of circular information that comes in so handy for teaching History, which I happen to do. It is also great for getting a deeper understanding in the broad sense of how something we take for granted is integral to how humanity developed. Yes, very geekish on the one hand, but on the other...cool information to annoy your friends with. Read SALT and consider its curious, circuitous route to your mouth.

Salt Crystal Lamps from The Black Tai Salt Company
Black Tai Salt Crystal Lamps have a similar effect to the ionizer. However, the natural ionization of a crystal lamp cannot be compared to an ionizer. A salt crystal lamp can only have an ionization effect. However, salt crystal lamps have many advantages in many aspects and improve the general atmosphere of a room. If the lamp is next to a television or computer monitor, it's effect, through its electromagnetic field, of the device is in approximately the 100-160Hz zone. Our brain waves however, produce only 8Hz according to the Schuman resonance frequency. Therefore, the body is exposed to up to 20 times higher frequency patterns than it is generally used to. The consequences of this exposure result in nervousness, insomnia, and lack of concentration or concentration weaknesses. In addition, there will be an accumulation of more free radicals in the body, known to be a cause of cancer.
The salt crystal lamp binds the negative ions with the excess positive ions. When the lamp becomes warm, it absorbs moisture and the crystal will be damp on the surface. This builds up the ion field. Through the lamp, the positively charged atmosphere of a room can be neutralized. In addition to this, the colors of the salt crystal stones have a healing effect. The therapeutic value of the colored crystals can reorganize the epidermal layer of our skin. Tests made with kids having ADHD symptoms have shown that after only one week of exposure to crystal salt lamps, their symptoms subsided. After removing the lamps, the symptoms returned.
Research results
It's a well know fact that, through scientific and empirical research, salt crystal lamps exhibit biophysical characteristics, which demonstrate a positive effect on our well-being. From a scientific view there are three natural action principles at play: ionization, the electromagnetic oscillation and the transparent-crystalline structure developing the light waves.
Before we discuss the above mentioned characteristics of the salt crystal lamps in detail, we would like to point out that salt is a primal element, like water and air and its natural minerals and trace element have unique biophysical and biochemical characteristics. Salt is to be regarded as neutral, chemically as well as physically, without its own polarity, always balancing and neutralizing. Exactly like our planet earth's makeup, human beings consist of about 70% water; brine water more specifically. This enormous potential on enclosed brine solution transmits the cosmic oscillation (vibration) energy, not only evenly over our planets, but also reaches deep into our most minute cells and nerves. It is not only the salt from chemical view that the body needs salt in order to maintain our entire bodily functions, but the salt, from biophysical view, will always be able to bring the body back into its natural energy vibration rhythm.

I. Salt Crystal Lamps and Ionization
World-wide laboratory tests with the most diverse kinds of measuring methodology furnished the proof that the lit salt crystal lamps deliver ions to our environment. Primarily, the research points to an increased number of negative ions. The emission of ions is primarily caused by the alternating actions of the salt's ability to first absorb water, then evaporate it. To explain this more precisely, the heated salt crystal attracts the water molecules from the ambient air to its surface. The salt goes into a solution as it mixes with the water molecules. Sodium, as the positively charged ion, and chloride, as a negatively charged ion, becomes neutral and are emitted back into the environment. The uniqueness of this ion emission interrelation is only possible with the mineral salt, since salt possesses this transformation ability with water due to it's electrically neutral atomic structure. Scientific investigations of the last decades proved clearly that a balanced ion relationship with a little surplus of negative ions, can have extremely positive affects on our entire physical condition and our health. The heated salt crystal lamps can be referred to, according to research, as natural ion generators. Here however it is pointed out that the emission of ions by heated salt crystal lamps, should not be regarded as the primary characteristic, because from scientific standpoint, the surplus of negative ions is negligible. More important is its ability to clean the ambient air.
Depending upon size and surface area of the salt crystal used for the lamp, the ambient air surrounding it is measurably cleaned by the transformation cycle of hydrogen and oxygen, as well as sodium and chloride ions. This characteristic is especially helpful for relieving the symptoms associated with asthma and allergies in general. The research of the characteristics of pure, or cleaned air through the action of the salt crystal lamps, is based on a medical therapy called Spelaeotherapy, a treatment where the patient enters an underground salt mine and is exposed to the concentrated atmosphere of negative ions. Further scientific research has not taken place yet under medical guidance, since scientific investigations are still at the beginning stages. One cannot compare the therapeutic effect of a singular salt crystal lamp to the effects found in a salt cave (mine), when conducted according to medical guidelines. However, there have been a great variety of holistic and positive self-therapy results, which can be classified as scientifically subjective, and should be recognized and considered.

II. Salt Crystal Lamps and Electromagnetic Oscillation
The Earth is surrounded by an electromagnetic belt, and within this belt every form of life comes and goes. Therefore, every form of life on this planet earth depends on the power of this electromagnetic field of vibration, known as the Schuman resonance frequency, which states that the given frequency of this electromagnetic field is at 7.83 Hz (cycles) per second . This value in known to be the resonant frequency of our earth. The resonant frequency is the most often frequency of measurement applied to mammals and can be measured as the resonant frequency of our brains with an EEG. Also, a salt crystal, in its neutral state, exhibits this exact frequency oscillation value. But due to our industrialized and technical way of life, the human organism is being affected, particularly in our homes and offices, to artificial electromagnetic wavelengths with the most diverse frequency values, caused by electronics devices. These frequencies have been proven not only to disturb our human organism, but also to promote illness, since they constantly overlap our natural resonant frequency. As a result of this constant exposure to various frequencies, our own electromagnetic energy field becomes imprinted by the frequencies forced upon it, which upsets the natural development of our cells. Because of the atomic structure of the salt, which is already neutral, it is most likely that the artificial frequencies can be harmonized or balanced by the lit salt lamp as it works as a natural amplifier for the resonant frequency of 8-10 cycles per second, which is so necessary for our life. With the use of a salt crystal lamp we can adjust and neutralize electromagnetic wavelengths caused by electronic devices in natural way.

III. Salt Crystal Lamps and Light Waves
When we talk about light we mean, for the most part, the oscillation energies, or electromagnetic wavelengths, which lie in a nanometer range visible to our human eye. From the color therapy it is well-known that the human organism needs the light waves of the rainbow spectrum (300-700 nanometers) for the health and preservation of the body. Our body's cells are supplied by light with new energy in the form of electromagnetic wavelengths. Thus the atomic structure of each individual cell vibrates in its own given order and can radiate bio photons as the cell's own electromagnetic energy field.
The specific oscillation values of salt crystal lamps depend upon crystalline color structure in the so-called warm clay/tone range of 600-700 nanometers. For decades, the field of medicine has been using irradiation with monochromatic light, since these color vibration areas exert direct influence on our cell producing functions. To what extent a salt crystal lamp can be employed for natural irradiation therapy, is yet to be seen without further research. However, salt crystal lamps have been used therapeutically for years.
© 1999 - Institutes of Biophysical Research
The Black Tai Salt Company and Katen TransLogic

Overall, I have enjoyed reading this book for its interesting historical facts. However, no where in the book does Kurlansky mention the biggest salt deposit in the United States that was discovered in Hutchinson, Kansas, the Salt City. Today along with a working salt mine, there is an underground salt museum there, one of the few in the world and, correct me if I am wrong, the only one in North America. This museum gives a unique perspective on how salt is mined. Not mentioning the significance of the Hutchinson salt mines is the one downside of the book.

Well grouped...easy reading...a realistic look at human history seldom considered. Many of the culinary descriptions turned me into a complete vegetarian, but the unique education on human behavior was well worth that price.

This book was a fascinating read. The facts inside were amazing and gave me a greater appreciation, and different perspective, of how the outer reaches of the world at that time, centuries ago, were discovered. This is one author I'll keep a look out for regarding buying any other of his publications. 5 star rating very well deserved.

This book was a fascinating read. The facts inside were amazing and gave me a greater appreciation, and different perspective, of how the outer reaches of the world at that time, centuries ago, were discovered. This is one author I'll keep a look out for regarding buying any other of his publications. 5 star rating very well deserved.

i bought this because i really like reading different takes on world history ("a history of the world in 6 glasses" by tom standage, for example). the best way to describe this book is to compare it to my 'history of the south' professor from college. he took a what has the potential to be a fascinating subject and made it b-o-r-i-n-g. despite the fact that it was poorly written--i'm sorry but a published author should be able to find more interesting prepositional introductions than "in fact"--it jumps from place to place. i think it was supposed to be following a rough timeline, but it didn't do it very well. and, there are far too many recipes. are we actually supposed to try them? like the ones for preserving human bodies?

This book is quite fascinating and informative. Kurlansky does a very good job of presenting the facts in an interesting and approachable way. His tone is relaxed enough that you never feel like you are being lectured while reading. An excellent choice for foodies and history buffs alike!

This book is great because you can either read many chapters or a few lines and learn something new every time. The historical value, the value to wordsmiths and economic insight into the world of food is fascinating and the recipes sprinkled throughout make for delightful and enlightening read. I definitely recommend and have recommended this book to anyone who has an interest in the events that shape our world and why something that seems necessary, but generally insignificant turns out to have had a tremendous impact on world events past and present.

This is a whirlwind historial tour of one of civilizations most important products!

A sustance so valuable, salt has served as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions.

The United States is both the largest producer of salt in the world and the largest consumer. It produceds more than 40 million metric tons, earning more than $1 billion in sales revenues.

Author Mark Kurlansky writes that fashionable people are divided into two camps. The first is passionate about staying healthy and eating less salt. The second is pasionate about salt.

Like all his books, Kurlansky's "Salt" is endlessly interesting and informative.

I read very little non-fiction, but this book was so full of interesting facts that it was almost impossible to put down. Kurlansky's account of mankind's quest for salt and the commerce it created is indeed a mini-history of civilization. The book is well written, easy to read, and holds the reader's interest from first page to last. I found myself reaching for it again and again to find out what happens next. Who would have dreamed that a common every-day product that we take for granted could have such a rich, varied history? Kurlansky did a wonderful job!

Salt is a great subject for a book. Everyone is familiar with salt. It complements the flavor of food (as with French fries). It can be used to preserve foods (salted fish for example). It can be used to process foods (such as cheeses). It can be found in salt mines and in the evaporation of salt water. It is a commodity that can be bought and sold. It can be taxed by the government. And it can be exaggerated.

I'll give just one example. Midway through the book, the author states, "The history of the Americas is one of constant warfare over salt. Whoever controlled salt was in power." Think about that! The Declaration of Independence? -- Salt. The American Revolution? -- Salt. The Whiskey Rebellion? -- Salt. The War of 1812? -- Salt. The Mexican War? -- Salt. At least he did not say, "Give me liberty or give me salt!" Nonetheless, continued overreaching and exaggeration render the author's opinions unreliable and completely undercut the appearance of meticulous research. It is not long before the reader hears a voice in the back of his/her mind repeatedly saying, "I wonder if that is true?"

The book recites many interesting stories and presents novel perspectives of the role of salt in human society. However, as noted by many prior reviewers, the deficiencies of lack of organization, statements that are scientifically suspect and lack of historical reliability greatly detract from the potential of the subject matter. It is not a waste of time but there are better books out there.

Among the most thought-provoking books I have read...the impact of salt upon history is extraordinary.

I bought this book after it was recommended to me by a professor in a food-writing course. It sat on the shelf for more than a semester, as I had a full stack of books to get through for class. Then this summer a chef friend of mine finished it in about a day and started raving to me about it, so I figured it was time to crack it open.

It is one of the few books in the last year that I could not put down. I normally read several books at a time, skipping from one to another as my interest waxes and wanes. I finished this book in three days, and would have done so much faster if not for classes. Kurlansky's style is attention grabbing and well structured, and he kept me wondering where his narrative history of salt was headed next.

This book is an epicurean's history of the world, and as the title of my review states, I would recommend it to just about any fan of good food. It may not match up to the exhaustive standards of the work of strictly academic historians: but if it did, it would not be nearly as fun a read.

Kurlansky's research into Chinese salt practices was especially fascinating to me, and I have the feeling that with his skill he could devote an entire volume to that topic. I look forward to reading his book 'Cod', and anything else he writes.

The history of salt sounds less than amazing until you realize it shadows all human development and you learn why. Civilization depended on the ability to find, eat, process, secure and sell it. About 1/3 of the way through the book that is pretty fully explained and it is quite fascinatin and then the story moves on to the more mundane aspects of the industrial revoloution and salt used mroe and more in food etc etc.
Overall a good read and quite informative.

If you like history from an unusual angle, this book is for you. If you like to know what's behind history, this book is for you. If you like a good read with history thrown in, this book is for you. Fascinating stuff!

The historical, political and social aspects are interesting and, at times, make you say, "Wow, I didn't know that."

The detailed descriptions of how various civilizations made salt (only about 4-5 different ways)should be skipped after the first episode and the recipes ignored altogether.

All and all, probably worth the time

An informative and entertaining book that is just chuck full of facts and anecdotal items that either provoked "Gee, I never knew that!" or, "so, that's why there is a town in that spot!" Writers who make me open a dictionary, map case, or encyclopedia are the cats who help me learn.Salt: A World History

When I first saw this book, I thought "how could someone write an entire book on the history of salt?" I thought, "maybe it was a general history book that brought up how salt played a part". I was way off. The book is really about salt, every chapter, every paragraph, almost every sentence is about salt.

In some strange, amazing way, the book works. It took a few chapters to get used to the author's writing style (lots of talk of salt). By the third night of reading, I really got into it, and I could not believe how much I learned. While salt does not drive world events, it was interesting to see how much of history was impacted by something that is now so cheap and common.

The only down side was that I annoyed people over the next few weeks with endless stories about salt.

If you plan on watching Jeopardy or wish to accumulate a pile of factoids on salt, this volume is for you. Entertaining but best read in small amounts.

Salt is one of those things we never think about, except when we don't have it. In a way, that sums up what Kurlansky's book is all about--control of a substance that is ubiquitous. (Somewhat like oil, eh?)

As a historical compendium, Kurlansky's book excels. He covers all major empires, from Maya to Morton, and traces the various economic struggles over this essential mineral with an expert hand. The section on the Chinese was perhaps the most interesting of all in that it explains the economic basis of the world's first mercantile empire. But equally fascinating were the accounts of the ancient Maya (for whom the question "Whatever happened to the Maya?" is finally answered--the Toltecs showed up with cheap salt and broke their monopoly), the ancient Celts, who mined salt as far as Asia, and last but not least (considering that Morton is the world's #1 producer of salt), the U.S. Reading about the 19th century conversion of Syracuse, New York from "A place so desolate, it would make an owl weep to fly over it," into the premier salt mining hub of the country kept me on the edge of my seat, for I already knew how that sad story would end. (The beautiful salt-built Victorian mansions were torn down as part of the misguided Urban Renewal of the 60s; and the historic Erie Canal was transformed into a ten-mile strip of KFCs and dilapidated businesses.)

My sole critique of this book is the one I make of most journalists who attempt to write books--it lacks cohesion. While academics strive to organize their books around a central argument, journalists rarely feel that they need to make a point. The result is a book which has lots of interesting tidbits of information--even recipes!--but fails to structure them conceptually. As a result, some of the chapters are jumpy, moving from topic to topic without any defining idea.

But, taken as a whole, Salt is an excellent resource to anyone interested in following the economic history of one of the world's most facinating substances.

After reading "Salt: A History" by Mark Kurlansky, I have a greater appreciation of the everyday items around me. I had never would have imagined that salt (which I try to avoid, personally) brought nations to war over and over again and was even partially responsible for the discovery of America.

"Salt" is well-written and easy to follow, and covers world history (as related to salt) from Ancient China and Egypt to modern times (the part about Ghandi really intrigued me). "Salt" is also written by a man who clearly appreciates food and seems to be a food writer. You will find numerous recipes from the Middle Ages, etc. in this nonfiction work.

Examples of some topics in salt include how the ancient Chinese created saltworks well ahead of the time, the Basques secret explorations across the Atlantic (thanks to salted fish), how salt affected the French Revolution, European cuisine before and after salt became available, saltmines in Europe that became underground Disneylands for the time period, and other interesting tidbits. You WILL NOT find anything about modern desalination practices or how salinity affects the environment, if that is what you are looking for.

Anyway, reading "Salt" inspired me to purchase his book called "Cod." I am definitely a fan of his work.

After reading "Salt: A History" by Mark Kurlansky, I have a greater appreciation of the everyday items around me. I had never would have imagined that salt (which I try to avoid, personally) brought nations to war over and over again and was even partially responsible for the discovery of America.

"Salt" is well-written and easy to follow, and covers world history (as related to salt) from Ancient China and Egypt to modern times (the part about Ghandi really intrigued me). "Salt" is also written by a man who clearly appreciates food and seems to be a food writer. You will find numerous recipes from the Middle Ages, etc. in this nonfiction work.

Examples of some topics in salt include how the ancient Chinese created saltworks well ahead of the time, the Basques secret explorations across the Atlantic (thanks to salted fish), how salt affected the French Revolution, European cuisine before and after salt became available, saltmines in Europe that became underground Disneylands for the time period, and other interesting tidbits. You WILL NOT find anything about modern desalination practices or how salinity affects the environment, if that is what you are looking for.

Anyway, reading "Salt" inspired me to purchase his book called "Cod." I am definitely a fan of his work.

Kurlansky's effort here is informative but not as engaging as his earlier effort in the history of COD. Having finished this book I am still not sure whether it was written for those of us generally interested in arcane history or just a romp through history for "foodies".
Reading this was not a complete waste of time but SALT is not the author's best writing.

The book is too lenghty (450 pages). The author describes how different societies valued and used salt but he wanders off the topic at too many occassions. For example, the inclusion of a number of recipes where salt plays a very minor part is totally unnecessary. Overall, the book is still relatively interesting even though I would not really consider it a must read.

Well-versed, thorough work, the second pillar in the new history curriculum on the everydays of civilisiation evolving. Contains original recipes!

A little known fact, but an important one that marks the undercurrent of this book. Salt was the first precious white powder; men killed for it, communities relied on it, trade routes were founded on it. This and many other facts are expounded upon by historian Mark Kurlansky. Written as a story as much as a standard history book, the author describes how the search for this compound, and the need to control its sources, determined much politics in the ancient world. Whether it was North Africa, Europe, the Middle East, or East Asia, the need to make food taste better and to preserve it, drove humans to great lengths to acquire salt. As such, salt was money in many places; hence the origin of the world salary, and the phrase "a man worth his salt". But alas, times change, and the book also shows how technological advances in the past 200 years have reduced the importance of this material. Now, man can even make his own salt using different elements of th Periodic Table. All in all, a great book, an interesting read, and a good lesson in history.

Who knew that the everday kitchen compound we call salt was once a form of currency?

Mark Kurlansky did, and he painstakenly documented that and many other random facts in Salt: A World History. The book is detailed look at the crystalline compound we all know and love, from its early days as a form of high-value currency, to its present place in our kitchens, yards, and vocabulary.

I picked up the book because it, like its sister work Cod, was met with rave reviews and spent some time on the NYTimes best sellers list. Some of the highlights:

It's true that before it became commonplace in the home, salt was a highly-valued commodity, often used as currency. In a time before refrigeration and processed foods, salt was a critical component in food preservation, and was a high-priced luxury. In fact, salt cellars on the table were the sign of a wealthy home; they often took elaborate forms that today are considered valuable works of art.

Salt mines were so elaborate during the 1600s that royalty would descend t0 the mine's core where they would dine in rooms carved entirely from salt, view chapels carved out of salt rock, and use chandeliers carved from salt crystals.

In time, developments in agriculture and canning meant food could be produced and stored throughout the year, decreasing man's reliance on salt for preservation. And while it is no longer considered a high-priced or scarce resource, salt is still ingrained (ha) in our daily lives.

The human body needs salt to function; it helps muscles and nerves work, and regulates blood pressure.

Many common words in our vocabulary are derived from the word salt (or, the Latin sal, to be exact); among them:

* salad (originally, salted greens)
* salary (money given to Roman soldiers to buy salt)
* salacious (for years, salt was thought to be associated with fertility, and thus "salacious" and "salty" became synonyms for lustful)
* salami (seasoned sausage)

Anglo Saxons called a saltwork a wich, so many of the salt-producing towns in England earned names with the -wich suffix (e.g., Sandwich). (I'm not sure if our present day towns with this suffix trace their histories to salt-production, or are simply carry-overs of European names).

And there are thousands of other uses for the compound, like de-icing roads, cleaning tarnished silver, and relieving tired feed, to name a few.

So salt is a pretty fascinating substance. And while Kurlansky does a good job of bringing these things to light, I found his book tedious at times, and a bit unfocused. Mention of a particular salt-based cuisine, for example, spiralled into a discourse about the region of the world in which it was created, or a related crop or food product (e.g., talk of its early use in Chinese soy sauce led to a lengthy discussion about the soy bean, and Marco Polo's visit to Kublai Khan in China). No doubt intended to amplify the lowly compound's place in history, I found these tangents distracting from the story at hand.

I had to buy this book for my AP-World History class and it was quite informative. Some chapters were really interesting and held lots of interest, but others became tedious with paragraphs of information after information. Although I didn't buy this book on my own free will, I have to admit it was interesting and I learned several intriguing things. If you're interested in history or just a foodie, this may be the book for you, but either than that, it can get boring and slow at some parts.

Read Kurlansky's Cod first, it serves as a preamble to this book and this book is a great joy to read. It is easily my favorite book I read last year. Well written, well researched, wonderful tale of salt and what it did to shape our history. If you're reading this review just buy the book, you will be very happy you did.

As someone who enjoys general knowledge, I have no regrets about the small investment of time required by Salt. Usually superficial in explanation, many sections leave an interested reader with more questions than answers. as many of the foods described in this book sound very disgusting, I recommend not reading this before a meal.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky is a great book that unloads a huge amount of major and minor facts about salt. It seems salt was a major ingredient to world history. And, frankly, I don't know why some of these facts were not talked about in MY history classes.
The Roman Empire, the Chinese Empire, the powers of the Mediterranean all needed salt. Salt was used as money, it was taxed and traded. It was used to cure skins, mine for silver and preserve meats. Without salt farmers would have died out, many early wars would rarely have happened and many navies would have no reason to have existed. Without salt fish could not have been turned into wealth, many explorers would not have even bothered to leave port and many a King would still be in power. Salt was a major item, a rock as important as gold, giving and taking away wealth and power.

Kurlansky's text is fragmentary and spotty, jumping from notion to notion without deeply examining any of them. For example, he has a chapter purporting to be about the geology of salt, but it actually covers petroleum and preservation; the bits on geology are scattered everywhere else.

Worse is the regular occurance of factual errors, half-truths, and pure mistakes, appearing on nearly every page of the book. If an author wants to write about a chemical compound, he ought at least to know a little chemistry. Kurlansky claims that no one knows why the sea is salty; suggests that water can be 'cooked' out of salt; does not understand hygroscopy; cannot reliably identify which ions are reponsible for basic and which for acidic properties; and may not know what a redox reaction is.

The 'salt' article on Wikipedia is better.

Kurlansky makes odd topics interesting and he does not fail with salt. Salt is truly one of the most important items in the history of the world. It has been essential in the development of civilization and has been fought over for centuries. The Middle East economy was built upon it and the fishing industries of Europe were essential. For those who are interested in how this vital commodity shaped the world this is a must read.

This is a history of the value of salt throughout the world. The book is very informative however it drifts sometimes. A very informative volume.

This was not a gripping page turner, but I thought Kurlansky provided a very good overview of a substance that has been with us for thousands of years and has had a profound impact on humankind. I recommend it.

I wish I had been taught world history through a device such as this. Instead of learning the names of kings and battles and related dates, this kind of perspective really helps the reader understand the 'why' of so much behind what ultimately happened in western civilization. Once you can grasp that conceptual overview, all else follows with profound logic.

Here's another one of those non-fiction books meant for non-scholars which I like to refer to as "history lite". There have been many others: the history of nutmeg, the history of the Oxford English Dictionary, the history of mistresses(!) etc. Interesting enough for passing the time but not a reference work to refer to if you're doing research for a scholarly essay.

These "history lite" books are really the literary equivalent of reality television. They do not concern important, relevant topics. I mean salt? Huh?

Sometimes I think the way one of these books is conceived goes like this: the author wakes up one morning and opens his eyes and the first thing he happens to see is the doorknob on the closet door. He thinks "I'll write a book about the history of doorknobs! I can write about how some English explorer used to go to the Far East and bring back fancy doorknobs and how these fancy doorknobs had an impact on English society! People can take a break from washing the car or waxing the floors and sit back and be entertained by my book!"

Here's another one of those non-fiction books meant for non-scholars which I like to refer to as "history lite". There have been many others: the history of nutmeg, the history of the Oxford English Dictionary, etc. Interesting enough for passing the time but not a reference work to refer to if you're working on your dissertation.

While the book does not follow a "narrative" format, and occasionally changes places and times without warning, I none the less give it an unreserved recomendation! More wars, trades, and other history shaping events have happened because of salt than almost any other substance, and salt has been crtical in trade, and warfare, throughout history. I learned more about places and events I *thought* I was familiar with than I would have thought possible.
If you are a history fan, a trivia fan, or a socialogy buff, then this book will delight you. If you are a student of the dark or middle ages, or the Renaisance, then consider this book on the "must buy" list. Naturally any cooks will find this a fascinating insight into one of the most widely used ingredients in the world.
The author's other books are also excellent, and if you like *this* book then the book "Women's Work, the First 20,000 Years" will be of interest as well, since they mention many of the same places and events.

One of the most fascinating aspects of salt is that it is hygroscopic. That is due to its chemical nature, it is slightly cooler than "room temperature". Consequently, water will form on the surface of salt from the atmosphere if it is even moderately humid (hence the reason why most of us put rice in our salt shakers - to absorb the water salt collects). You do not have to be a brain surgeon to understand the process. Imagine my surprise when I found in the very first chapter, Kurlansky waxing on whimsically about how he tried to "cook" all of the water out of his pet salt crystal so that water would not come out of it and dissolve the surface. I figure that he knows that salt is made up of NaCl (although I now have my doubts) and there is not much room for water in its crystal structure (almost zero water in it). Here is a guy that has written an entire book on the subject salt. I presumed when I purchased the book that he would be somewhat of an authority on the subject. To say the least, I have to question his abilities to write a book on salt based on the fact that he does not have the foggiest idea about one of the most interesting properties of his subject. Wow. This is a case of a good writer attempting to write on a subject he forgot to read about. By the way, a casual search of salt properties on the internet would have given him the correct information.

He lost his touch with this one. He's gotten tired of writing or it's just not as compelling a subject.

Marc Kurlansky provides one of the best comprehensive social, economic and political reviews of a substance that at one time was as vital and fought over as oil is today. Salt: A World History gives spice to the global history of something that in modern times we take for granted. Mr. Kurlansky manages to show how Empires rose and fell over the substance with the book citing amazing examples from the Venetian salt merchants monopolistic manipulation of the salt market to the loss of the confederacy during the American civil war due to lack of adequate salt sources. Although one step away from an academic text, Mr. Kurlansky's writing style makes this book as accessible as a New York Times article.

Mr. Kurlansky manages to bring his strong interest in food to his work (he was a professional chef and food writer). Just don't expect a food network level presentation. This book is solid and far more erudite than your everyday celebrity chef commentary. But the absolute detail is what makes it better than your average read. Expect to learn about all the wonderful technology and political intrigue involved in salt production. For the foodie, there are also some interesting historical recipes scattered through the web of interesting facts and events. This book is not a casual read and fans of his other books such as Cod and The Big Oyster will find this book longer and perhaps a bit slower than his other titles.

If you have a love of food network's Elton Brown's accessible scientific explanations and Malcom Gladwell's ability to shift people's perceptions, then this is the perfect fusion of their two styles.

I ordered this book for my nephew. He likes to cook and is interested in history. This was a great gift, and my nephew said he found it very interesting. He is enjoying the book.