Synopses & Reviews
Mark Kurlansky, the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World, here turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. 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. 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 an unending series of fascinating details, Kurlansky's kaleidoscopic history is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.
Review
"Throughout his engaging, well-researched history, Kurlansky sprinkles witty asides and amusing anecdotes. A piquant blend of the historic, political, commercial, scientific and culinary, the book is sure to entertain as well as educate." Publishers Weekly
Review
"Kurlansky thinks big....This is the big story Kurlansky unfolds in chapters that proceed from time immemorial to the present and cover such specific topics as 'Salt's Salad Days' in ancient Rome....Tasty, very tasty!" Ray Olson, Booklist (Starred Review)
Review
"Kurlansky exhaustively documents every salt-related twist and turn of world history, but that becomes problematic....History's cyclical repetitions can be worth investigating, but much of Salt's timeline-marking activity could have been collapsed into one lengthy chapter and spiked with more analysis." Noel Murray, The Onion A.V. Club
Review
"[A] remarkable book....While homemakers and master chefs alike should enjoy this book, it's also likely to consume the interest of those who survive on TV dinners." Alan Prince, BookPage
About the Author
Mark Kurlansky is the author of Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World and The Basque History of the World. Cod received a James Beard Award for Excellence in Food Writing and was a New York Times bestseller.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION The Rock 1
PART ONE A Discourse on Salt, Cadavers, and Pungent Sources
CHAPTER ONE A Mandate of Salt 17
CHAPTER TWO Fish, Fowl, and Pharoahs 36
CHAPTER THREE Saltmen Hard as Codfish 52
CHAPTER FOUR Salt's Salad Days 61
CHAPTER FIVE Salting It Away in the Adriatic 80
CHAPTER SIX Two Ports and the Prosciutto in Between 91
PART TWO The Glow of Herring and the Scent of Conquest
CHAPTER SEVEN Friday's Salt 109
CHAPTER EIGHT A Nordic Dream 129
CHAPTER NINE A Well-Salted Hexagon 144
CHAPTER TEN The Hapsburg Pickle 162
CHAPTER ELEVEN The Leaving of Liverpool 179
CHAPTER TWELVE American Salt Wars 200
CHAPTER THIRTEEN Salt and Independence 214
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Liberté, Egalité, Tax Breaks 225
CHAPTER FIFTEEN Preserving Independence 238
CHAPTER SIXTEEN The War Between the Salts 257
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Red Salt 276
PART THREE Sodium's Perfect Marriage
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN The Odium of Sodium 291
CHAPTER NINETEEN The Mythology of Geology 303
CHAPTER TWENTY The Soil Never Sets On 318
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Salt and the Great Soul 333
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Not Looking Back 355
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE The Last Salt Days of Zigong 369
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Ma, La, and Mao 388
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE More Salt than Fish 399
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX Big Salt, Little Salt 426
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 451
BIBLIOGRAPHY 453
INDEX 467