Cod

A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

By: Mark Kurlansky

Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson

Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

The innocuous cod has been the subject of international wars, national diets, economies, livelihoods, and health in general. Mark Kurlansky approaches the cod with his love of food and food culture, and leaps into history, folklore, and even recipes dating to the fourteenth century and forward. This famous fish spurred interest in the development of North America, and caused a whole nation of people to jump into fishing and ocean exploration. Including word origins, this audiobook also contains recipes and uses for all kinds of cod.

Enjoy Mark Kurlansky's books? Listen to an interview with the author on To the Best of Our Knowlege.

©1997 Mark Kurlansky (P)2002 New Millennium Audio, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"Every once in a while a writer of particular skills takes a fresh, seemingly improbable idea and turns out a book of pure delight...No one who reads this charming tale will ever think the same of either the fish or the history." (David McCullough, author of John Adams)
"History filtered through the gills of the fish trade." (The New York Times Book Review)

Kurlansky Knows Cod

What made the experience of listening to Cod the most enjoyable?

Even though I've previously read three of Kurlansky's other books, this one stands out as similar in style, but deeper in its coverage of the specific topic, Cod.

What other book might you compare Cod to and why?

If you are familiar with Mark Kurlansky's other books (Salt, A Basque History of the World, etc), you will feel at home with Cod.

What about Richard M. Davidson’s performance did you like?

It took a while to get used to Richard Davidson, but after the first couple of hours I couldn't remember what seemed odd.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - I enjoy breaking this book into smaller sections. To listen all in one sitting would have my head spinning from all of the different anecdotes mentioned during the story.

Any additional comments?

This is one of the books that inspired the category of one word micro-history. It covers just about everything you'd want to know, from the influence of Cod on exploration of North America to the impact of fisheries on International Law. It's all here!

Cod is surprisingly interesting subject

I didn't had a clue about how important this fish was - and is - to the evolution of human society. Very interesting.

superb! as expected from this world class author!

Mr. Kurlanski has made eclectic niches a please to explore. His extensive research is impeccable! His writing style is a pleasure and never leaves you cross eyed!

So interesting I listened twice

This really is quite a fascinating book, I didn't realize just how important cod was to the evolution of world history. The reader does a really good job of making this sound suspenseful

Insightful & impactful

Alongside the variety of cod recipes, this historical account of how cod has shaped Europe & North America is a perspective I had never encountered before. Worth the listen.

it lives up to the hype it is the definitive text

definitive text on cod fish and the
associated history it lives up to all the hype you have read and heard about

Only Mark Kurlansky can make Cod Fish Interesting.

I really love Mark Kurlansky's work. I am a huge fan of his writing style and his meticulous research in putting his books together. The Book is part history, part social studies, and a cautionary tale of what we are doing to our planet's resources with the amount of overfishing that goes on all over the world.

A great fish story

This review will be short and sweet. Fascinating but a bit long. I rate it a "4" due to it's length. Now...for a definite "5" rating, read "Salt" by the same author.

Fascinating topic--tough audiobook

The topic of cod and fisheries is fascinating and well described and researched by Mark Kurlansky. It's a wonderful blend of science, history, culture, literature, culinary arts, etc... But it is a difficult "read" as an audiobook, despite a valiant attempt by the narrator. There are many quotes, recipes, and other passages that are better read on paper than heard.

Great historical stories, scant details to justify the title

I really enjoyed the chapters about international fishing rights and ensuing border skirmishes. I loved all the detail about Iceland and it’s close connection with Cod.

Too many recipes given. Although some were interesting, most of the recipes toward the end felt like filler material. In fact, the book ended on a recipe without any “wrap up” about how cod “changed the world.”

Anticlimactic.