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📖 Salt
A World History by Mark Kurlansky
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“Until about 100 years ago, salt was one of the most sought-after commodities in human history.”
Salt isn’t just that thing on the dinner table.
In Salt: A World History, Mark Kurlansky whisks readers across continents and centuries to show how this simple mineral transformed civilizations—propping up empires, funding wars, spawning new foods, and even inspiring revolutions. What looks ordinary on a pretzel was once worth its weight in gold and literally changed the world.
SMARTEST TAKEAWAYS
1️⃣ The Hidden Power in Your Pantry: For most of human history, salt was essential to life—and fiercely fought over. It preserved food (before refrigerators), shaped trade routes, and paid armies. Roman soldiers sometimes received their wages in salt, giving us the word “salary.”
2️⃣ Salt Started Revolutions: Salt taxes triggered wars and toppled rulers. Gandhi’s 1930 Salt March didn’t just make headlines—it struck a blow against British colonial rule and rerouted the course of Indian history.
3️⃣ Flavor That Built the World: Entire cities, cuisines, and cultures were carved out by salt. Think of pickles, soy sauce, and Parma ham; these delicacies grew from the need to keep food edible year-round which salt enabled.
Mark Kurlansky has written 40 books: non-fiction, fiction, children's and young adult
INSIGHTFUL EXAMPLE
From Brick to Brine
Imagine ancient Jericho—10,000 years ago! What brought people together wasn’t just shelter, but a precious supply of salt. When traders arrived, the city boomed.
Thousands of years later, on another continent, a British tax on Indian salt would ignite a peaceful protest that changed the fate of a nation. Over and over, salt proved its muscle: funding empires, launching trade networks, and spicing up rebellion.
BOOK FACTS
Salt: A World History
First published: Jan. 31, 2002
Print length: 496 pages
Listening length: 13:48
Ratings: 4.3 Amazon, 3.8 Goodreads
People Magazine selected Salt as one of the fifteen best books of the 21st century
WORTH WATCHING
The Tasty Rock that Changed the World
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