Salt ii sought to limit the manufacturing of new weapons. A world history, youll no doubt respond to please pass the salt with a new measure of respect for the substance, since every one of us would perish without it. Just as significantly, salt has shaped the history of. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In the intervening years, salt has played a pivotal role in the political economy of the world in a thousand different ways from starting wars to freeing people from colonial rule. The glow of herring and the scent of conquest part 2, chapter 7 summary. Mark kurlansky, the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world, here turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. A world history by mark kurlansky, paperback barnes.
Salts ability to preserve and to sustain life has made it a metaphorical symbol in all religions. The first agreements, known as salt i and salt ii, were signed by the u. Moreover, the salting of fish, fowl and hams fed soldiers and sailors for extended periods. When a publishing company agrees to produce an authors first book, it will often try to stake a. Did not record their own history so only knowledge of them is writings from greek and roman historians. When a publishing company agrees to produce an authors first book, it will often try to stake a claim to his or her second. The book includes everything from the manufacture, trade, geopolitics, socioeconomic, revolutions, wars, science, cultural and culinary impact of salt in asia, europe, north america. From the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin. Salt is best selling author mark kurlanskys story of the only rock.
Liverpool rose from just a small english port to become the prime exporting port for the salt dug in the great cheshire salt mines and thus became the entrepot for much of the worlds salt in the 19th century. However, as mark kurlansky so brilliantly relates in his world. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt. A world history reveals all the hidden drama of its seemingly pedestrian subject. Salt, also called sodium chloride, mineral substance of great importance to human and animal health, as well as to industry. Author mark kurlansky has compiled a remarkable book in which he. Salt is veined with colorful characters, from li bing, the chinese bureaucrat who built the worlds first dam in.
Discussions on salt had been occurring for about twoandahalf years, but with little progress. Without it, civilizations would never have thrived and technology would be stuck in the stone age. It is clear that he is getting the word out on salts history when. Salt built the great wall of china and helped turned new york into americas biggest city. The main characters of this history, non fiction story are. Rhetorical strategies kurlanskys most prominent rhetorical strategy is logos. History of salt warfare the effects of salt deficiency are highlighted in times of war, when human bodies and national economies are strained to their limits. Alsace translates as land of salt, and salzburg is literally salt town. Salt, salt, salt industry and trade, large type books publisher waterville, me. A world history by mark kurlansky 08027734, format. Throughout his engaging, wellresearched history, kurlansky sprinkles witty asides and amusing anecdotes. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. This novel explains the importance of salt, a mineral our bodies need, but cannot create.
An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world in his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention. Salt has played a prominent role in determining the power and location of the worlds great cities. Salt i froze the number of ballistic missile launchers at existing levels. The scope of this book is epic in that it starts at the beginning of recorded world history and ends at roughly present day times. Mark kurlansky this book takes a look at an ordinary substancesalt, the only rock humans eatand how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Although it is now known that the consumption of too much salt is dangerous for ones health, the story of europe would not be the same without salt production facilities and the vanity of those who owned them. A world history by mark kurlansky 591 words bartleby. I found this to be one of the most informative histories of man, culture, myth, and technology that i have read. He provides many facts to make him seem trustworthy, and how could someone not be trustworthy when they are reading a salt history.
Salt is the history of the world told from the point of view of the only rock that we eat, which is salt. An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world in his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. A world history quotes mark kurlansky this study guide consists of approximately 27 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of salt. A world history, author mark kurlansky delves into the history of salt, as well as its impact on empires, wars, and economies, in a text that is lively, comprehensive, and surprising. Unfortunately for disaffected authors, mark kurlansky has now blocked this particular escape route with salt. A world history will enlighten and educate as you follow the journey of salt. A world history written by mark kurlansky in 2002 is his fifth work of nonfiction. Author mark kurlansky has compiled a remarkable book in which he explores every aspect of the mineral. Mark kurlanskys first global food history since the bestselling cod and salt. Delaware county district library ohio american libraries. Jan 31, 2002 in his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. Extremely readable and listenable, conversational and compelling.
Kurlanskys research, the story of salt includes fields as dissimilar as engineering. Ironically, however, in the last quarter of the 20 th century, salt itself was under fire, seen as a culprit that contributed to high blood pressure and the risk of. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has. An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world in his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns. The fascinating early history of salt today i found out. Just as significantly, salt has shaped the history of foods like cheese, sauerkraut, olives, and more, and kurlansky, an awardwinning food writer, conveys how they have in turn molded civilization and eating habits the world over. Jul 05, 2010 salt has often been considered so valuable that it served as currency, and it is still exchanged as such in places today. Only mark kurlansky, winner of the james beard award for excellence in food writing for cod a biography of the fish that changed the world, could woo readers toward such an offbeat topic of salt a world history. Jan, 2014 in the intervening years, salt has played a pivotal role in the political economy of the world in a thousand different ways from starting wars to freeing people from colonial rule.
The book is divided into three parts and begins thousands of years in the past. During the middle ages, the greatest amount of profit to be reaped. Thousands of napoleons troops died during the french retreat from moscow due to inadequate wound healing and lowered resistance to diseasethe results of salt deficiency. Strategic arms limitation talks salt, negotiations between the u. Mark kurlansky is wellknown to readers through his popular books cod. The most important element of the summit concerned the salt agreements. Jan 28, 2003 an unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. Fridays salt the basques were different from the celts and the romans. The history of world trade, cuisine, and many other aspects of daily life would be different without salt. A biography of the fish that changed the world, and, more recently. Demand for salt established the earliest trade routes, across unknown oceans and the remotest of deserts.
Publication date 2002 topics salt, salt, salt industry and trade, large type books publisher waterville, me. A world history from the worlds largest community of readers. The salt industry proudly boasts that its product has some 14,000 uses in hundreds of industries. Mar 15, 1982 the history of the world according to salt is simple. Oct 10, 2016 the history of world trade, cuisine, and many other aspects of daily life would be different without salt.
The history of the world according to salt is simple. The big story in the history of salt is of the increase in our intake. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. So much of our human body is made up of salt that wed be dead without it. Today we take salt for granted, a common, inexpensive substance that seasons food or clears ice from roads, a word used casually in expressions salt of the earth, take it with a grain of salt without appreciating their deeper meaning. The book jacket identifies the book with the tagline. Mark kurlansky this book takes a look at an ordinary substancesalt, the only rock humans eatand how it. The mineral form halite, or rock salt, is sometimes called common salt to distinguish it from a class of chemical compounds. According to the greek creation myth, we are so much spilt milk. An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the worldin his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. Salt unabridged delivers much more than a history of salt through the centuries. As civilization spread, salt became one of the worlds principal trading commodities.
The fine balance of nature, the trade of salt as a currency of many nations and empires, the theme of a popular shakespearean play. A world history unabridged audiobook, by mark kurlansky. Mar 12, 2020 mark kurlansky, the bestselling author of cod and the basque history of the world, here turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. From its extraction from seawater in ancient china to the nile delta in egypt, where its meat preservation properties reached the next level in mummifying corpses, to ancient rome where salt equated to power. A world history, a stunning picture book presents a wealth of information on salt, from the many ways its gathered from the earth and sea, to its many uses throughout history, from ancient times to gandhis famous salt march. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a. This is an interesting world history from the perspective of salt. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading salt. A world history, by mark kurlansky is a meticulously researched account of how trade in salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind.
Rounds of bilateral talks between the us and the soviet union on the issue of armament control. Many cities names contained some version of hal meaning salt because of their celtic saltworks. Nov 01, 20 salt built the great wall of china and helped turned new york into americas biggest city. In this multilayered masterpiece, kurlansky explains how salt provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions. The bestselling author of cod and the basque history turns his attention to salt, a common household item with a long and intriguing history. If new ones were required, the nation had to destroy the older ones first. They were the first commercial whale hunters, ahead of all others by several centuries 109. When the human menu shifted from saltrich game to cereals, more salt was needed to supplement the diet. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 2002, and was written by mark kurlansky. In his fifth work of nonfiction, mark kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history. When the human menu shifted from salt rich game to cereals, more salt was needed to supplement the diet. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 484 pages and is available in paperback format.