![]() Beyond this, he also discusses the many methods of collecting and refining this resource, its various types, and its countless uses. ![]() Here, Kurlansky traces the threads of salt’s impact on cultures back to their origins, from the earliest discoveries and uses of salt in China and Africa, to the exploitation of its trade in the Mediterranean. I recall learning in high school that wars had once been fought over access to salt, but the veracity (and extent) of such a claim evaded me, until I read this book. Works such as these ignite my imagination, for they teach me the roots of history supporting such common objects as a simple toothpick or common table salt. Also in this genre are the biographies of events, like Simon Winchester’s A Crack in the Edge of the World. Its effect upon my marriage notwithstanding, I’m happy to have finally gotten the chance to enjoy this book, another addition to my favorite genre I call “the biographies of things.” Also in this list are such books as The Book on the Bookshelf and The Evolution of Useful Things by Henry Petroski or The Island of Lost Maps. He’s even turned it into a children’s book, for crying out loud! She’s still not convinced. ![]() ![]() I tell her I’m not alone, that the book Salt by Mark Kurlansky is a popular history book by an acclaimed author. My wife thinks I’m weird, because I’ve been washing the dishes and taking showers while listening to a book about salt and its impact on world history. ![]()
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