Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky, 484 pagesSalt is ubiquitous. It's paired up with pepper on every kitchen table in the country; it's sprinkled on every road that may get snow; it's a major part of the water that covers three quarters of the world. But until listening to this fascinating micro-history, I had no idea the role it has played in everything from the domestication of animals to the location of cities and roads to the creation of various words (including "soldier," which described someone paid in salt) to the creation and destruction of empires. Oh yeah, and I learned about food — everything from sauerkraut to cod to ketchup to soy sauce to Tabasco sauce. All of it ties back to salt. This was so interesting, and so so good. It's no wonder so many other micro-histories have popped up after this one (though I don't know that any offer as complete a world history as Salt). An excellent book.
No comments:
Post a Comment