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bedwinnjamin's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
I never knew so much history would be behind a rock. And that’s not even technically correct! Salt is a combination of minerals. We just refer to Sodium Chloride as salt, even though many others exist! And that’s just one of the things you’ll learn inside this book. There are many sides to an otherwise unremarkable thing we consume too much of these days. Like how salt factories were blown up in the civil war as strategic attacks! We really relied on salt throughout history. And now it gets glossed over these days. I’m glad I took this history lesson. Even though it is history, it is a bit on the drier side, (pun absolutely intended).
rileypeper's review against another edition
4.0
I admit, it started off pretty slow. Some cool facts were thrown out during the first section of the book, but I couldn't see where Kurlansky was headed, and that bothered me. Eventually, by the beginning of section 2, the book picked up some steam and began coming together. Overall, Salt was a fascinating read and I learned more than I thought I would. Who knew Salt had such a deep and rich history?
ashmeanything's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this as much as someone might enjoy a very detailed textbook. The research was extensive and done well (as far as I know; if I knew everything here, I probably wouldn't have read the book, would I?), and it covered a lot of things. I enjoyed the mix of narrative styles, switching from general documentarian to in-depth accounts on a person to practical application of recipes from old cookbooks. It certainly made the book more lively. Even so, this is SO much information to take in at once, and I generally prefer history in smaller chunks. Immediately upon reading the first few pages, I switched to the audiobook version (without the cool cover, boo) because I knew I would not choose this if it had to compete with my other options for physical books. The narrator was talented, especially with various accents, but their relatively flat demeanor could be grating after some time. All in all, I learned some neat facts that I'll hold onto and enjoy, but this was definitely a case of having nothing else that I wanted to listen to instead. Bonus points for the little bits of anti-capitalist commentary thrown in; those were fun.
Content warning for slavery, racism, death, animal harm/death, and some descriptions of fermentation and mold that were just a little bit gross for my sensitive stomach.
Content warning for slavery, racism, death, animal harm/death, and some descriptions of fermentation and mold that were just a little bit gross for my sensitive stomach.
ringwraith66's review against another edition
5.0
Awesome historical summary of salt! I recommend this book to history nerds.
zenquilter's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent history and stories of how salt has influenced human history.
cdicara17's review against another edition
3.0
Too many men.
I didn’t find it particularly boring, actually, just INCREDIBLY un-thorough and really Eurocentric. But it was cool to hear about all the different things salt is used for. Overall, definitely written by white guy.
I didn’t find it particularly boring, actually, just INCREDIBLY un-thorough and really Eurocentric. But it was cool to hear about all the different things salt is used for. Overall, definitely written by white guy.