Salt - A World History
Until about 100 years ago, when modern geology revealed its prevalence, salt was once of the world's most sought-after commodities. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires and...
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Until about 100 years ago, when modern geology revealed its prevalence, salt was once of the world's most sought-after commodities. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires and inspired revolutions. Populated by colorful characters and filled with fascinating details, Mark Kurlansky's kaleidoscopic and illuminating history is a multilayered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.
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Format: Paperback
ISBN:
8580001048499
ASIN: B0062VA0VK
Publish date: 2003
Publisher: Penguin Books , London
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
History,
Food And Drink,
Food,
Book Club,
Science,
Cooking,
Foodie,
World History,
Food Writing,
Food History
This is an interesting "world history" from the perspective of salt. The book includes everything from the manufacture, trade, geo-politics, socio-economic, revolutions, wars, science, cultural and culinary impact of salt in Asia, Europe, North America. This book is not only about salt, but include...
Writing a world history organized by the way everything connects back to salt was a surprisingly brilliant idea. Because salt was a strategic concern in the organization of many countries and their wars, it’s possible to touch on many of the most interesting periods in history by talking about salt....
The history of salt is a history of humanity in crystal form, in a lot of ways. Some of it's horrifying, some of it's funny, and much of it is just silly (grey salt used to be shunned because it wasn't pure, and now it's fashionable and more expensive than white!). Exhaustively researched and unfail...
I liked this book a lot. It was fun to find out about the importance of salt in history as well as the history of production methods. Kurlansky is an engaging writer and the stories he tells are entertaining. As the primary use of salt for most of it's history was food related, there's plenty of ...
Well, I'll be pickled! We say we'll take something with a grain of salt as if it's nothing, but much of the history of the world is tied up in the quest for salt. It's not nothing. We're fortunate to have it in such abundance that we can take it for granted and worry about getting too much of it in ...
14 years ago
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