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lindentea's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
1.5
I don't ever want to see a single salt crystal ever again!!!!!!
Ok real talk: if you think the history of salt would be boring.... you'd be wrong in that there IS something interesting deep down, but right in that this was the blandest way to tell it. And also you're telling me the medieval islamic world wasn't doing shit with salt? what about the ottoman empire? india before the british raj?? africa?? but no........ this "world history" only cares about white people, and also mentions chinese people but in kind of a weird grudging way where it seems to wish it wasn't. the book just FEELS 2002 and nowhere is it more obvious than in the two chapters about gandhi and the role of salt in the indian anticolonial movement to... a chapter about israel & the dead sea that uncritically presents herzl's "turning the desert green" as like. a thing that is True and Good........ hmm all around. hmmmmmm. the guy who did the audiobook did his best to make it interesting tho, and there were some very fun facts throughout... but that does NOT mean there needed to be a long-ass boring book around them!! pop history you will answer for your crimes eventually!!
Ok real talk: if you think the history of salt would be boring.... you'd be wrong in that there IS something interesting deep down, but right in that this was the blandest way to tell it. And also you're telling me the medieval islamic world wasn't doing shit with salt? what about the ottoman empire? india before the british raj?? africa?? but no........ this "world history" only cares about white people, and also mentions chinese people but in kind of a weird grudging way where it seems to wish it wasn't. the book just FEELS 2002 and nowhere is it more obvious than in the two chapters about gandhi and the role of salt in the indian anticolonial movement to... a chapter about israel & the dead sea that uncritically presents herzl's "turning the desert green" as like. a thing that is True and Good........ hmm all around. hmmmmmm. the guy who did the audiobook did his best to make it interesting tho, and there were some very fun facts throughout... but that does NOT mean there needed to be a long-ass boring book around them!! pop history you will answer for your crimes eventually!!
nypeapod's review against another edition
5.0
Who knew salt was so fascinating and here is why you might want to read this book. I listened to the audio version and I highly recommend the audio version.
1. History: This book covers centuries of history from many areas of the world.
2. Trivia: This book is full of wonderful little bits of trivia that almost seem "throwaway" lines in the book, but will strike you as amazing.
3. Cultural Understanding: It certainly increases your cultural knowledge of many different "ethnic" groups.
1. History: This book covers centuries of history from many areas of the world.
2. Trivia: This book is full of wonderful little bits of trivia that almost seem "throwaway" lines in the book, but will strike you as amazing.
3. Cultural Understanding: It certainly increases your cultural knowledge of many different "ethnic" groups.
bethanyam's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
Salt is an almost fascinating book, but the history of trade and cheese-making, salting fish, etc. only interested me so much.
bbyrealm's review against another edition
I don't think I'm allowed to review this with how little I was able to get through, but maybe that's a review in itself.
I was recommended to read this book by someone who visits me often at my job because I was told it was the only book interesting enough for him, despite being dyslexic, to read - which is great for him - but trying to will myself to read this is painful. Almost like rubbing salt in a wound. Ha.
Interesting history but kinda spirals into fun facts with no real connection or anything to SAY which is a shame with how interesting salt actually is. I feel like I'm going crazy.
I was recommended to read this book by someone who visits me often at my job because I was told it was the only book interesting enough for him, despite being dyslexic, to read - which is great for him - but trying to will myself to read this is painful. Almost like rubbing salt in a wound. Ha.
Interesting history but kinda spirals into fun facts with no real connection or anything to SAY which is a shame with how interesting salt actually is. I feel like I'm going crazy.
taffymyametalumi's review against another edition
3.0
If you like an extended, in-depth book about how salt has shaped the world, boy is this book for you! I'm not really into that, so I honestly had to force myself to finish it, but it really goes into how important salt is and how far humans have gone to have it. An excellent work of non-fiction, even though it wasn't my cup of tea.