The subject of salt can apparently be made fascinating because this book was readable and enjoyable and I wish I could remember half what it said.
Salt is looked at from all sides and given adequate treatment on every level. History is interwoven with food trends and necessities in food production. Recipes are given for salty food throughout history and around the world. Advances in technology and the subsequent changes in salt production are given equal treatment while not forgetting the use of salt in food in the modern day.
I would suggest this book to anyone that likes to read, eat, or just know trivial facts about random subjects.
Just noted this book is in the Science category, I feel so smart!


I found this such an interesting subject that I looked around and found these websites. Take a look at SaltBook.com
or the website of the Salt Manufacturers Association

Just received from jennyscott. Who'd have thought you could write a whole book about salt? Of course, Kurlansky also wrote a whole book about cod. Fact is, though, both had a tremendous impact on our world. More after I've read it.

I was a bit disappointed with this book. It's a fascinating subject, because salt is so important in our lives. We literally cannot live without it, so the mining and manufacture of salt has affected history in myriad ways.

Perhaps that's the problem. The topic is so vast that it is difficult to maintain a cohesive, focused narrative. The book jumps around in time and place, and (dare I say it) needed some seasoning! But I'm glad I read it, nonetheless.

Released on Tuesday, April 22, 2003 at Controlled Release in Chicago, Illinois USA.

Mailed to from-the-coast in Canada.

I'm going to take the comments about this book with a grain of salt (groan!). Looking forward to this read after the 4 books I'm currently reading...my tbr pile could do with a little seasoning!
Thanks mojosmom!

Finally finished this book and will post for a trade shortly. I enjoyed it.... taking a break from my summer fiction pile. I think I will try the book the author wrote about cod. It has also inspired me to read a book I bought called, "The true history of chocolate."

Thought I would start this on a bookray, so it's going to those who take an interest in historical nonfiction.........here's the list:

1. seferim-Maryland
2. kernow8-Virginia
3. booksnbeer-Virginia
4. marciNYC-New Jersey
5. daidy- Michigan
6. mellion108- Michigan
7. mlbish- Illinois
8. rubi-J-Utah
9. tootshelling-Arizona
10. handblarney-Alaska
11. pokpok-California
12. jamesmum-California
13. caligula03-California
14. witchie-Portugal
15. solimano-Italy
16. hathyia-Malaysia


Please journal the book when you receive it and when you finish so we can all see where it's at and what you thought of it. Also e-mail the next person on the list when you finish to get the address...if no response after 3 days, go on to the next person and send me an e-mail (I can change the order of the list). Please try to read the book within a month of receiving it so others aren't waiting for eternity that means...please..no bookHOGGING (not meaning to sound offensive)..pass on the book to the next person if you can't read it in a month....the last person in the ray should release the book into the wild.....happy reading......oh....this list isn't the best geographical fit, but I tried to accomodate most posting preferences. Let me know if there are any grievances.....

Released on Wednesday, November 19, 2003 at mailed at post office in Saanich, British Columbia Canada.

gone to seferim in Maryland.........

I have wanted to read this for a long time! Thanks so much, I will read and pass on very soon.

DECEMBER 8th UPDATE:
I was really looking forward to this book, and it did not disappoint! Amazing research and great historical facts. Kurlansky sounds like he had a great time traveling the world for this book's research. What a great job!

Salt is something that we take for granted now, but in the past it is amazing to learn that it was so precious it was actually used as a currency. Whomever had the salt had power. Some of the most interesting parts of the book were when the preservation powers of salt were mentioned: The ancient Celts that were found in Hellein, Austria thousands of years later in the underground salt mine, preserved down to their brightly-colored kilts!

My other favorite part was Chapter 22, about the Dead Sea. I really enjoyed reading about this because I was there in 2000 and was amazed and mystified by the awesome lake, and the areas surrounding it. Unfortunately, the Dead Sea is evaporating at such a rapid rate that geologists are predicting that it may not be around in thirty years, and may even dry up before then. I am glad I was able to see this natural wonder before it was too late.

Kurlansky's writing style was great, and I am looking forward to reading his other books... one of them is on my shelf, and this book served as the impetus to pick that one up very soon!

Thank you From-the-Coast for passing this one around.

Picture credits: Yours truly snapped these kids floating in the Dead Sea (July 2000). What an experience--your whole life you are used to gravity in water, here, you could not put your feet on the bottom! Once you got up to your knees, you are up-ended and it is hard to get back out!

Just received this lovely looking book in the mail - I love the salt cellar window on the front cover. Have slotted it into my reading plan and will be get it to booksnbeer within a month, so no book hogging here! I'll update this journal entry when I start reading... Thanks!

Update January 9, 2004 - I'm starting the book now!

I finished reading this last night - it was a very interesting read. I especially enjoyed the chapter about Sichuan seasonings - that got my stomach rumbling! Actually it was fascinating reading about the different approaches used by the different civilisations, and I had no idea that salt has been of so much strategic political importance over the centuries. I'm looking forward to reading "Cod" one day (although there must be some duplication with "Salt"), and I just found out that the author has published a new book about 1968 which should also be interesting...

This photo came from a website selling Guerande sea salt . It shows a present-day paludier harvesting Guerande sea salt "using traditional Celtic methods".

Thanks for sharing. I'm still waiting for booksnbeer's address and will send it to her straight away when I get it.

I've mailed this to marciNYC today - still no response from booksnbeer. Please can you change the order, from-the-coast, so that booksnbeer gets another chance later on? Thanks!

Oh no it's not! After packaging it, putting it in the mailbox and letting everyone know what I was doing I got the PM I was waiting for from booksnbeer! She had been on vacation last week. From-the-coast, I'm afriad you're going to have to change the list back again (sorry!) as I'm going to pop it round to booksnbeer's house this afternoon on my way back from my daughters' preschool - it turns out that she lives a stone's throw away from my normal route home.

Thanks, and hopefully this will be my last journal entry for this book!

This arrived at my door last night. By special hand delivery. It looks very interesting. I am a salt person - I put it on everything, and extra if it still doesn't taste great.

I do have to confess that I have a few books in front of it. I am compelled to read them in the order they come in. But, I promise I will read it as soon as possible.

Started reading this today. It seems to be more than I ever wanted to know about Salt. I'm on page 70 and I'm thinking a salt rimmed Margarita would go great with this book.

Finished reading this last night, while drinking a big glass of water. Everything I ever wanted to know about “Salt” and was afraid to ask. I did find it interesting. A lot of interesting bits of information, which I hope I can remember for the next time I play a Trivia game. The chapter with Gandhi was interesting. A common household commodity, which I did not think about and definitely did not understand how important it was/is. Refrigeration, not until the 1900’s?? One funny thing, is that as I was reading the book, I found myself using a lot more salt. By the end of the book I was back to my normal consumption. One of the few books I have ever read that made me retain water. :-)

This will be on it's way to MarciNYC toworrow. Anybody see a pepper book in the forum. ;-)

It's here! I am just finishing up "Paris to the Moon" so I will be starting on this very shortly. Thank you for including me in this BookRay - I will have it out the door to the next victim *g* by the end of April, most likely sooner!

I'm finished! What an entertaining read - I now know more about salt than I ever wanted. :) Thankfully, my salt consumption didn't increase - I'm one of those odd balls who doesn't like salt, so the stories of the preserving foods in salt sort of grossed me out. Needless to say, anchovies, salt cod, proscuitto are NOT at the top of the list of my favourite foods - and soy sauce is the most vile thing on earth; next to Vegemite, that is. *g*

Seriously, I really enjoyed this book like those before. I find Kuransky takes what could be a dull subject and really brings it alive. His writing is not verbose and things are explained in layman's terms. Many times I read non-fiction and I feel like I need a PhD to understand it! Fortunately, not the case with "Salt" - I look forward to finding me a copy of "Cod" to read.

My favourite bits were on the Dead Sea - that's the best use for salt, in my opinion. I'll admit to digging out my Dead Sea Salts and having a long soak while reading this book. I was caught a little off-guard at Herzl's prediction in his 1902 novel, Old New Land, that Israel would be a German-speaking nation and that Arabs would eagerly welcome the Jews for the economic development they would bring to the region. It didn't quite turn out that way, did it?

I also enjoyed the section on Gandhi - learnt more about him and India than I had known before. I found that chapter quite interesting and it'll serve as some lunch discussion with a co-worker of mine from Delhi.

Before I read this, I didn't realise salt was made all over the world -- guess I was sort of naive about that. I did see a program on the salt production in the South of France on PBS a while back and this book reinforced some of what I had learnt then. I do want to hop on a plane and visit several of the places Kuransky mentioned - Salt Cay in the Turks & Caicos is near the top of the list just for the "interesting" factor.

Anyhow, I've nattered on long enough here - in short, a great book, enjoyable and educational read. I'll be sending it on to daidy in the next few days.

"Salt" is heading out the door to Daidy. I have to go to the post office to mail my NJ tax return, so at least I might as well do something 'less painful' at the same time.

I'm about half way through this one already, and it's very interesting with my current addiction to soy sauce going on.

Didn't know there were salt mines beneath Detroit!

I'll most likely see mellion108 at the next meetup, so I'll pass this on there.

Mea culpa! I am so very sorry about taking such an incredibly long time to journal this book. I actually thought I had journaled it (hallucinating again) until daidy kindly sent me a message asking about it. I'm so glad she did. I know I've had this book in my possession for *shudder* at least a month (maybe even a bit longer). I've been reading it on lunchbreaks at work, and I really like it. I think I have about 130 more pages left, so I'll try to get it finished and send it on its way.

Thanks so much for sharing!

---

Paperback, 484 pages

From the back cover:
Salt--the only rock we eat--has made a glittering, often surprising contribution to the history of humankind.

Until about 100 years ago, when modern geology revealed its prevalence, salt was one of the world's most sought-after commodities. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establisment 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 kaleidosopic and illuminating history is a multilayered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

Who knew that those little crystals held such a fascinating history? I honestly never really thought about salt very much except to realize that I consume far too much of it. In fact, I read this book on lunch breaks at work, mostly at my favorite (quiet) little Thai restaurant munching on chips and eating salty dishes!

I started out trying to note passages on which I wanted to comment, but I ended up with far too many. I was fascinated by the images of salt miners working so far underground. Having many coal miners in my family, I was much too horrified by the thoughts of people having to work in such harsh conditions, and even more horrified by the thought of pack animals lowered underground and never seeing daylight again. And camels released in the American west? Who knew?

I especially appreciated the word and phrase origins such as salad, salami, sterling, "red herring," etc. One of my favorite passages is the Confederate advice for keeping meat from spoiling in the summer:

Eat it in the early spring.

Since I am a lover of hot, spicy foods, and I use numerous hot sauces in my house, I was really interested in the origins of Tabasco sauce. My tummy growled throughout the passages discussing Sichuan food. *yum* I have to say that I chuckled and shook my head over the Englishman creating the flag for the Turks and Caicos colony, mistaking the salt domes for igloos, and painting on little doors.

And another use for salt? Why, it's a wonderful way to seal in your nuclear waste. *yikes*

All in all, I have to say that this book has changed my career goals. I now want to be the big bastard and swim with the fishes.

Did I like this book? For the most part. I don't eat seafood, so all of the fish recipes and preserving tips really made me a bit queasy. There were long passages that were a bit tedious, but the book is wonderful about providing little gems of information that made me stop and say, "Well, huh!" I know I'll never forget this book because within 5 minutes of finishing it (once I left my lunch place for that day), I was in a car accident. I think I must have forgotten to throw some salt over my shoulder for good luck, eh?

Thanks for sharing this one, from-the-coast. I apologize again for keeping it so long. I have mlbish's address, and I'll mail this out in the next few days.

Caught. Thanks from-the-coast and mellion108! I have been wanting to read this book for a LONG TIME, so I was so excited when it arrived today. I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll read it and pass it along as soon as I can.

Finally finished!

What an interesting book. It never would have occurred to me to write an entire book about salt. Not surprisingly, considering its ubiquity, there is a lot to say about it. And I think Mr. Kurlansky got it all. Man, there was a lot of stuff packed into this book.

I gather from the author's title that his intention was to teach his reader a great deal of history from a 'salt angle'. And I think he did that. Unfortunately, though, sometimes I found myself wishing he'd just tell the history and leave salt out of it. I wouild be interested to read a history of the same times, places, and people from a different point of view, just to discover someone else's opinion of the actual importance of salt.

There was really a lot of information stuffed into this book. So much, in fact, that I think the author had some trouble organizing it. I never really got into the groove of his organizational scheme, and I wonder if it was because he didn't really have one. There was a great deal of jumping around in time and space, and I think I would have internalized more of the interesting facts had they been presented a little more cohesively. In fact, I think he probably could have taken SOME stuff out, spent a little more time on the rest, and ended up with happier readers that would take more away from the book.

The writing style was a little too dry for my taste. I picked this book up as a pleasure read, hoping to learn some things about maybe history and science. That is probably the mindset of most readers, and I think the author made his prose just a little too dense. I found myself skimming some chapters because I had really just had my fill of their particular topic. He probably could have inserted a little more lightness into his writing. I did see some, but if there had been a tiny bit more, it would have been a much more enjoyable read.

All in all, this was a really interesting topic, and not a bad book. I'm glad I was able to read it. Thank you so much for sharing, from-the-coast!

I mailed it last night from the Pittsburgh airport. Had to improvise on the tape for the envelope, but whatever works, right? :)

Received in the mail from a fellow book-crosser. Thank you!

I'm suffering from a case of TMI -- too much information! Although what I did read was interesting, I just don't think I'll make it through the entire history of this amazing little yummy rock. I did look up what was written about the Great Salt Lake (since I'm from Salt Lake City), but apparantly our contribution to salt's overall history is rather miniscule! Oh, well. PMing the next person in line. Thank you for sharing!