Salt Audiobook By Mark Kurlansky cover art

Salt

A World History

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Salt

By: Mark Kurlansky
Narrated by: Scott Brick
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About this listen

The author of Cod and The Basque History of the World takes an extraordinary look at an ordinary substance — salt, the only rock humans eat — and how it has shaped civilization from the very beginning. Mark Kurlansky has produced a kaleidoscope of history, a multi-layered masterpiece that blends economic, scientific, political, religious, and culinary records into a rich and memorable tale.

©2003 Mark Kurlansky (P)2006 Phoenix Books, Inc.
Civilization Gastronomy Geology Nature & Ecology Imperialism Ancient History Military Crusade
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What listeners say about Salt

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    1,492
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Story
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  • 1 Stars
    46

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Informative and Entertaining

If you enjoy books (and TV programs) like the "Connections" series by James Burke or are a Discovery Channel junkie, you'll enjoy this book. It is truly a cultural history of salt - possibly the most important chemical after water in human history. Highly recommended.

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22 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Well Salted

"Salt" is the kind of history I wanted from "Catching Fire"; an anecdotal recounting of the uses and abuses of salt across history and around the world: its use a money, political fodder, tax-base and the cause and excuse for riot and revolution. I had no idea how varied the types of salt mining and the many different kinds of salt there were and are.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

History buff read

I enjoyed the incredible journey of salt through the ages. Think if I I had retained more from my history classes it would have been a better read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Less might be more

Although I enjoy non fiction books on history, this one was a bit flat. I think if only half the number of recipes were used and some of the details that really did not improve the story were eliminated it would be a better story. It became tedious to listen to after awhile. The readers voice was also not expressive or interesting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

excellent and very entertaining

excellent and very entertaining. I love history and cooking. I never knew salt was so complex.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great Book

I loved everything about this book. The information was incredible. I found myself repeatedly rewinding to take notes here and there, and that doesn't even include the recipes. This reading would've suffered with any other narrator. His voice and inflection is perfectly suited for this read.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Interesting

Incredibly interesting but easy to get lost in the time line. The author goes into much detail including historic recopies and quirky facts about the use of salt through time and how it's shaped history. The reader is outstanding with superb inflection and tone.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Very interesting and intriguing history!

The book was a fun walk through history via something we take for granted! Very enjoyable!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Entertaining and informative

Any additional comments?

This is an engaging, entertaining, and informative history of salt. I've found I like this genre -- a kind of societal history of some everyday thing -- much along the lines of something you might see from Bill Bryson. If you think you might be into that, this is for you.

As for the vocal performance ... you only need to know it's Scott Brick. Scott Brick is 5 stars and 5 stars is Scott Brick, and that's the way it is until Audible lets me hand out more than 5 stars.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating Account

This book is a great listen for anyone who loves food, history and politics. Thoroughly enjoyable.

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