A biography of the fish that changed the world, could woo readers. When a publishing company agrees to produce an authors first book, it will often try to stake a claim to his or her second. Discussions on salt had been occurring for about twoand a half years, but with little progress. Then the book moves on around the world talking about salt. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history.
Just be warned the book has little internal flow, and if you want the history and details, youre going to have to research further yourself. This is a fascinating, illuminating read, very well written and generously. In the tradition of the mundane, mark kurlansky, author of cod. A world history by mark kurlansky, paperback barnes. Mark kurlansky this book takes a look at an ordinary substance salt, the only rock humans eatand how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. A world history by mark kurlansky reading guidebook. Kurlansky blends political, commercial, scientific, religious and culinary records into this history of the substance which he claims shaped civilization from the beginning. A world history from the worlds largest community of readers.
Jan, 2014 the fascinating early history of salt january, 2014 melissa 2 comments there are a lot of different salts like potassium nitrate for gunpowder and sodium bicarbonate for baking but only one that truly meets our dietary needs and satisfies our craving for that salty taste sodium chloride nacl. A world history one of the gabelles most irritating inventions was the sel du devoir, the salt duty. However, as mark kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world encompassing new book, salt the only rock we eathas shaped civilization from the very beginning. When a publishing company agrees to produce an authors first book, it will often try to stake a claim to his or her second by writing a first refusal clause into the contract. It focuses on the uses of salt, especially in different societies, as well as the production of salt. A world history, a 5000year odyssey that shows how sodium chloride has profoundly influenced. The author never treats you like an idiot and the story moves along through to recent times. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 484 pages and is available in paperback format. I think the book is intended for popular reading to educate people about salt and its history with the world. Topics about this book topics that mention this book. Its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of mankind. A world history, author mark kurlansky delves into the history of salt, as well as its impact on empires, wars, and economies, in a text that is lively, comprehensive, and surprising.
If youre looking for a free download links of salt. Well written book about the history of salt and its contribution to the world. Mark kurlansky made his one and only appearance on the program to discuss his fascinating study of a substance that seems ubiquitous to us in salt. The glow of herring and the scent of conquest part 2, chapter 7 summary. An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. Salt is a good book to read in bits and pieces the chapters are fairly selfcontained, between other things, or as a leavening of nonfiction when you dont feel like continuing the novel youre working on. The sources come from numerous kinds of books, and i think that they are reliable because why would people publish a book with false information to misinform people. Salt world history abebooks abebooks shop for books. I had no idea that so much of what we consider important history was influenced by the universal need for salt or salted products. Mark kurlansky is the author of many books including cod, the basque history of the world, 1968, and the big oyster. A world history is a critically acclaimed overview of salt throughout history.
The salt industry proudly boasts that its product has some 14,000 uses in hundreds of industries. The book is a natural outgrowth of kurlanskys previous exhaustive study of cod, which of course was preserved with salt and also affected world history. Mark kurlansky, the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world, here turns his. The chinese and the egyptians were the first to use salt on a large scale.
A world history by mark kurlansky section 6 summary chapter salt and independence, chapter 14 liberte, egalite, tax breaks, chapter 15 preserving independence summary and analysis. Currency, trade routes, finance, empires 2002 the film archives. This may be an odd complaint to level at a book called salt. Just as significantly, salt has shaped the history of foods like cheese, sauerkraut, olives, and more, and kurlansky, an awardwinning food writer, conveys how they have in turn molded civilization and eating habits the world over. The book is divided into three parts and begins thousands of years in the past. Surprisingly, this story does not feature in mark kurlanskys new book. But it is also a history of the world as seen through those white. I believe the book to be very thorough because the author really had a lot of time on his hands to write a whole book on the history of salt and how it changed the world. It was a salt a world history book re port great pleasure to work with you. Author mark kurlansky has compiled a remarkable book in which he explores every aspect of the mineral that for. Only kurlansky, winner of the james beard award for excellence in food writing for cod.
Kurlansky has distinguished himself by publishing scholarly studies that are treasure troves of trivia. Not a subject i had considered before, nor one i thought would be very engrossing, and yet, it was. From the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin. Every person in the grande gabelle over the age of eight was required to purchase seven kilograms 15. Although i was history major, my attention was never drawn to the importance of salt on the everyday lives of the world s inhabitants, until i read this book. However, as mark kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world. A world history and millions of other books are available for instant access. In every age, people are certain that only the things they have deemed valuable have true value. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer no kindle device required. The first several chapters in the first section of the book deal with the procurement and use of salt in the ancient world.
Kurlansky also shows the effect salt can have on society at times even claiming it caused certain nations to become world powers. Today we take salt for granted, a common, inexpensive substance that seasons food or clears ice from roads, a word used casually in expressions salt of the earth, take it with a grain of salt without appreciating their deeper meaning. A world history explores how the everyday mineral we know as table salt has shaped human civilization through the centuries, causing wars and the rise and fall of empires. The fine balance of nature, the trade of salt as a currency of many nations and empires, the theme of a popular shakespearean play. Salt is best selling author mark kurlanskys story of the only rock we eat. A world history, but mark kurlanskys 450page global tour has too much salt in it. Liverpool rose from just a small english port to become the prime exporting port for the salt dug in the great cheshire salt mines and thus became the entrepot for much of the worlds salt in the 19th century. However, as mark kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his worldencompassing new book, saltthe only rock we eathas shaped civilization from the very beginning. A world history, author mark kurlansky delves into the history of salt, as well as its impact on empires, wars, and. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured. Nor does the ensuing controversy about the gravity of the salthazard. This is just one of many dozens of fascinating little factoids peppered, if you will, throughout salt.
Salt is the history of the world told from the point of view of the only rock that we eat, which is salt. The book is populated with characters as diverse as frozen. Mar 28, 2019 it was hard to pick just three lessons, as theres a lot more to learn, for example about japan, the great wall and gandhis role in the story of salt. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading salt.
Indd 38 1 some puns are slyly knowing and offer a country man might learn to use pronouns consistently in the medium of gaming boards. A world history unabridged audiobook, by mark kurlansky. The ebook of saving sophie is available may already be writing a report, and the neurobiologist santiago ramn y cajal compared themselves with cameras to support the notion that an action or dialogue. The scope of this book is epic in that it starts at the beginning of recorded world history and ends at roughly present day times. 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. The chinese and the egyptians were the first to use salt on a large. It has all the information and more to support his thesis. The fascinating early history of salt today i found out. They were the first commercial whale hunters, ahead of all others by several centuries 109. A world history is veined with colorful characters, from li bing, the chinese bureaucrat who built the worlds first dam in 250 bc, to pattillo higgins and anthony lucas who, ignoring the advice of geologists, drilled an east texas salt dome in 1901 and discovered an oil reserve so large it gave birth to the age of petroleum. Kurlansky continues to prove himself remarkably adept at taking a most unlikely candidate and telling its tale with epic grandeur.
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. Salt, salt, salt industry and trade, large type books publisher waterville, me. This is a fascinating, illuminating read, very well written and generously illustrated. Sep 21, 2012 basically, this is all marketing, mark kurlansky, author of the book salt. Mixing history, economics, anthropology, biology and cooking, its an eye opening view of something that the modern world takes completely for granted. A world history by mark kurlansky 08027734, format. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 2002, and was written by mark kurlansky. Jul 14, 2019 populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details, salt by mark kurlansky is a supremely entertaining, multilayered masterpiece. Populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details, salt by mark kurlansky is a supremely entertaining, multilayered masterpiece. Salt has played a prominent role in determining the power and location of the worlds great cities. Salt is veined with colorful characters, from li bing, the chinese bureaucrat who built the worlds first dam in. Homer called salt a divine substance, while plato described it as especially dear to the gods.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Tonnes of interesting information, snippets from old recipe books and i mean old and a few pictures dotted in. Jan 28, 2003 an unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. A world history by mark kurlansky 51,393 ratings, 3. A world history pdf, epub, docx and torrent then this site is not for you. If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them. Salt quotes by mark kurlansky goodreads share book. Fridays salt the basques were different from the celts and the romans. This book sets out to tell the history of the world s salt usage. The most important element of the summit concerned the salt agreements. But for most of mankinds history, salt cultivation and transport was a massive enterprise across every civilization. An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world in his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. A biography of the fish that changed the world, has now revealed empires, philosophies and traditions revolving around the common table salt. A world history, told npr in 2010 when wendys made a big deal of adding sea salt to its fries.
The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from. I had no problems with grammar, punctuation and style of writing. A world history by mark kurlansky and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A world history reveals all the hidden drama of its seemingly pedestrian subject. As with his prior foodcentered historical exploration, cod. Currency, trade routes, finance, empires 2002 duration. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. A biography of the fish that changed the world, kurlanskys latest reveals how a single curious commodity played a role in human advancement and destruction. The research paper on history was delivered on time. So much of our human body is made up of salt that wed be dead without it. Ar accountant resume with salt a world history book report.