Kellan's review
Salt: A World History
by Mark Kurlansky
Kellan's review
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
Kellan's review
rating:
For Kurlansky the history of the world is the history of salt (before that it was salted cod, and before that it was the salted cod fishermen, the Basque).
I've got a soft spot for popularized history that take in the whole sweeping scope of human history (see Jared Diamond), the subject matter and trivia is intriguing (oil mining rigs were invented for mining salt; Imperial England's "War on Drugs" was a war on salt, and Gandhi's great march to the sea was to collect salt in the traditional manner; those pink ponds near SFO *are* salt ponds, and consequently are pink for the same reason flamingos are, brine shrimp), and the writing is solid.
However Mark clearly read *a lot* of old cookbooks, and the flow can get bogged down by his need to share this or that Roman culinary tip.
Not to be read while laying on the couch recovering from a bout of stomach flu.
I've got a soft spot for popularized history that take in the whole sweeping scope of human history (see Jared Diamond), the subject matter and trivia is intriguing (oil mining rigs were invented for mining salt; Imperial England's "War on Drugs" was a war on salt, and Gandhi's great march to the sea was to collect salt in the traditional manner; those pink ponds near SFO *are* salt ponds, and consequently are pink for the same reason flamingos are, brine shrimp), and the writing is solid.
However Mark clearly read *a lot* of old cookbooks, and the flow can get bogged down by his need to share this or that Roman culinary tip.
Not to be read while laying on the couch recovering from a bout of stomach flu.
