Salt A World History [Paperback]

An unlikely world history from the bestselling author ofCodandThe 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: 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. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires, and inspired revolutions.  Populated by colorful characters and filled with an unending series of fascinating details,Salt is a supremely entertaining, multi-layered masterpiece.

Part One
A Discourse on Salt, Cadavers, and Pungent Sauces

Chapter One:A Mandate of Salt
Chapter Two:Fish, Fowl, and Pharoahs
Chapter Three:Saltmen Hard as Codfish
Chapter Four:Salt's Salad Days
Chapter Five:Salting It Away in the Adriatic
Chapter Six:Two Ports and the Prosciutto in Between

Part Two
The Glow of Herring and the Scent of Conquest

Chapter Seven:Friday's Salt
Chapter Eight:A Nordic Dream
Chapter Nine:A Well-Salted Hexagon
Chapter Ten:The Hapsburg Pickle
Chapter Eleven:The Leaving of Liverpool
Chapter Twelve:American Salt Wars
Chapter Thirteen:Salt and Independence
Chapter Fourteen:Liberté, Egalité, Tax Breaks
Chapter Fifteen:Preserving Independence
Chapter Sixteen:The War Between the Salts
Chapter Seventeen:Red Salt

Part Three
Sodium's Perfect Marriage

Chapter Eighteen:The Odium of Sodium
Chapter Nineteen:The Mythology of Geology
Chapter Twenty:The Soil Never Sets OlÓ%