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Salt
- A World History
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Home & Garden, Food & Wine
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Publisher's Summary
From its single origin, to the other discoveries made because of it, fascinating tales of salt and the people who have been involved with it through the ages are interwoven here. Fifteen recipes are included that will meet with every taste. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.
What the critics say
"A piquant blend of the historic, political, commercial, scientific and culinary, the book is sure to entertain as well as educate." (Publishers Weekly)
"Kurlansky continues to prove himself remarkably adept at taking a most unlikely candidate and telling its tale with epic grandeur." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)
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What listeners say about Salt
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Ron Smallwood
- 2021-02-11
A very salty history
You will never look at table salt the same ever again. I read this book years ago and the narrator does it justice. This is a look at humanity's history and the role salt and its uses in dried, pickled, fermented, and of course salted foods played in shaping that history. No dull history here but salty look at how our diet changed over time with wonderful side trips in recipes and menus. Definitely a fun listen.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Canadian
- 2020-07-14
Incredible.
A incredible version of history of the world told thru salt. I learned so much and look at that little shaker in my kitchen in a whole new light.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-06-26
pretty good, had fun
Nice snapshots of different cultures in different times and how they used salt. Most interesting was the various European skirmishes over salt
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Karen
- 2003-03-12
More than SALT
Salt (Unabridged) delivers much more than a history of salt through the centuries...it is a history of mankind and our development seen from a unique perspective. I found this to be one of the most informative histories of Man, Culture, Myth, and Technology that I have read. Extremely readable (and listenable), conversational and compelling.
81 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Thomas
- 2003-03-26
Fascinating...
This is one of those books that just opens your eyes to something you never knew. Fascinating stories about the importance of SALT. It does not stop there. Each voyage into the importance of Salt at a particular time and place is followed by a narrative of many other important events that surrounded his original story. From Gandi to Washington. Brigham Young to the Chinese. Europe and the Vikings. Historically speaking, Salt has been as important as oil is today. Mark Kurlansky does a wonderful job of telling the story and keeping the reader entertained. There are only a few minor moments when the material gets a little dry "no pun intended", but he does not get very repetitive as I thought might be the case.
He did a great job of research and I can tell from references, a lot of work in putting this book together.
57 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Edmund
- 2003-03-15
Worth it's weight in Salt.
A wonderfully engrossing book! At first I thought it was a joke. (Which is why I got it...I mean come on a 13-hour book on salt!) But I could not stop listening to it. Be warned that this is not a "background book? You need to kind of pay attention at all times, as allot can happen in a few sentences. I really enjoyed the background on cultures and foods.
33 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- T. Larson
- 2006-01-15
Who Knew?!
This is my favourite audible book that I have and I have about 30. The reader was excellent, clear and easy to understand. I was shocked and delighted by the content. I learned so incredibly much about history and the drive of history based around a single necessary resource. Did you know that a major reason that the South struggled in the Civil War was a lack of salt resources? or that the Great Wall of China was built entirely using the taxes from iron and salt? I felt that the author gave just the right amount of time to each topic and that his shifts from topic to topic were strategically placed to keep the reader interested and aware of when and where the stories were from. I loved it!
29 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Markus
- 2004-04-27
Informative and Entertaining
If you enjoy books (and TV programs) like the "Connections" series by James Burke or are a Discovery Channel junkie, you'll enjoy this book. It is truly a cultural history of salt - possibly the most important chemical after water in human history. Highly recommended.
20 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- A
- 2004-01-20
A palatable approach to history
What more can I say about Mark Kurlansky's economic history of the world that the previous reviewers have not already said? Stop reading these reviews already and add the book to your shopping cart. You won't be sorry that you did.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- syvdan
- 2003-07-25
A fine seasoning
If you want to know why the French government salted the bodies of suicide victims; why the English built a fourteen foot thick, ten foot high, thicket in India around salt works; or why salt has changed the course of history, politics, war, marriage and sex, then you must listen to "Salt." Truly one of the most fascinating books I have ever encountered. You'll never look at the little girl with the umbrella again in the same way. Also, absolutely first class reading by the narrator.
13 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jean
- 2013-04-15
Commodity History
The book is part cookbook, trivia, history on one topic Salt. The finding, producing, use, transporting, taxing and wars over salt. Shows the history of man's migration and civilization in a new and fascinating light. I found it very interesting about how Ghandi used the British imposed Salt Laws, and his disobedience of them to gain freedom for his country. The book goes from ancient times to modern and covers the world. Wish there had been more on Central and South America. I am a history buff so this was right down my alley, Scott Brick as usual, did a great job narrating the book.
12 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- Kurt
- 2007-06-28
Maybe a good read but not a great listen
The history of Salt is fascinating no doubt and often presented in an interesting way within this book. However, audiobooks have one great disadvantage to books that are read, you can't skip sections that aren't always meant to be read. There are far too many recipes in this book that are difficult to scan through as you probably would if reading. I don't really want to hear all the details of how to make traditional German pickled cabbage and when I fast forward through these often lengthy recipes I always seem to miss things that I actually do want to hear.
Otherwise, a really interesting approach to history.
48 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Daniel
- 2005-05-26
Rambles a bit, but interesting
Although my wife didn't listen to this book, she learned to hate it... while I was listening to it and for weeks after, I bombarded her with all the fascinating trivia about salt that I picked up. This was mostly at meals, of course. The book is packed with interesting facts, but I wish the author had organized them better. Sometimes he takes a chronological approach, but then switches gears to a geographical approach, and then on to a culinary approach and then back to chronological. The narration could have been a little crisper. It's a light listen overall, but worth your time.
17 people found this helpful