A review by ashmeanything
Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

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.