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Salt
- A World History
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
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Publisher's summary
From its single origin, to the other discoveries made because of it, fascinating tales of salt and the people who have been involved with it through the ages are interwoven here. Fifteen recipes are included that will meet with every taste. 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.
Critic reviews
"A piquant blend of the historic, political, commercial, scientific and culinary, the book is sure to entertain as well as educate." (Publishers Weekly)
"Kurlansky continues to prove himself remarkably adept at taking a most unlikely candidate and telling its tale with epic grandeur." (Los Angeles Times Book Review)
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The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population which makes for a continually changing culinary landscape. But a young historical gastronomist named Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. In Eight Flavors, Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table.
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Great read... Terrible accents
- By S. Macklin on 12-14-18
By: Sarah Lohman
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Lesser Beasts
- A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig
- By: Mark Essig
- Narrated by: Joe Barrett
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
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As historian Mark Essig reveals in Lesser Beasts, swine have such a bad reputation for precisely the same reasons they are so valuable as a source of food: they are intelligent, self-sufficient, and omnivorous. What's more, he argues, we ignore our historic partnership with these astonishing animals at our peril.
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Virtuous Carnivors?
- By David on 04-14-16
By: Mark Essig
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Collapse
- How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
- By: Jared Diamond
- Narrated by: Michael Prichard
- Length: 27 hrs and 1 min
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In Jared Diamond’s follow-up to the Pulitzer-Prize winning Guns, Germs and Steel, the author explores how climate change, the population explosion, and political discord create the conditions for the collapse of civilization. Environmental damage, climate change, globalization, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of societies around the world, but some found solutions and persisted.
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Jared Diamond Downs You in Explanation
- By Rob on 07-20-18
By: Jared Diamond
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Slime
- How Algae Created Us, Plague Us, and Just Might Save Us
- By: Ruth Kassinger
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
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In Slime we'll meet the algae innovators working toward a sustainable future: from seaweed farmers in South Korea, to scientists using it to clean the dead zones in our waterways, to the entrepreneurs fighting to bring algae fuel and plastics to market. Ruth Kassinger takes listeners on an around-the-world, behind-the-scenes, and into-the-kitchen tour. Whether you thought algae was just the gunk in your fish tank or you eat seaweed with your oatmeal, Slime will delight and amaze with its stories of the good, the bad, and the up-and-coming.
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Fairly entertaining and informative...but
- By Timothy on 08-27-19
By: Ruth Kassinger
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The Gulf
- The Making of an American Sea
- By: Jack E. Davis
- Narrated by: Tom Perkins
- Length: 20 hrs and 45 mins
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When painter Winslow Homer first sailed into the Gulf of Mexico, he was struck by its "special kind of providence." Indeed, the Gulf presented itself as America's sea - bound by geography, culture, and tradition to the national experience - and yet, there has never been a comprehensive history of the Gulf until now. And so, in this rich and original work that explores the Gulf through our human connection with the sea, environmental historian Jack E. Davis finally places this exceptional region into the American mythos in a sweeping history that extends from the Pleistocene age to the 21st century.
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Decolonize gulf history
- By Jesse Carr on 05-02-18
By: Jack E. Davis
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The Domestic Revolution
- How the Introduction of Coal into Victorian Homes Changed Everything
- By: Ruth Goodman
- Narrated by: Jennifer M. Dixon
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
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No single invention epitomizes the Victorian era more than the black cast-iron range. Aware that the 21st-century has reduced it to a quaint relic, Ruth Goodman was determined to prove that the hot coal stove provided so much more than morning tea: It might even have kick-started the Industrial Revolution. Wielding the wit and passion seen in How to Be a Victorian, Goodman traces the tectonic shift from wood to coal in the mid-16th century - from sooty trials and errors during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I to the totally smog-clouded reign of Queen Victoria.
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Zombie Apocalypse
- By PeachPecan on 12-25-20
By: Ruth Goodman
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And a Bottle of Rum
- A History of the New World in Ten Cocktails
- By: Wayne Curtis
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
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And a Bottle of Rum tells the raucously entertaining story of America as seen through the bottom of a drinking glass. With a chapter for each of 10 cocktails, Wayne Curtis reveals that the homely spirit once distilled from the industrial waste of the exploding sugar trade has managed to infiltrate every stratum of New World society. Curtis takes us from the taverns of the American colonies, to the plundering pirate ships off the coast of Central America, to the watering holes of pre-Castro Cuba, and to the kitsch-laden tiki bars of 1950s America.
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A nice intersection of history and rum
- By Garshom L. Arkoff on 05-10-23
By: Wayne Curtis
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Super Sushi Ramen Express
- One Family's Journey Through the Belly of Japan
- By: Michael Booth
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
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Japan is arguably the preeminent food nation on earth, a Mecca for the world's greatest chefs, with more Michelin stars than any other country. The Japanese go to extraordinary lengths and expense to eat food that is marked both by its exquisite preparation and exotic content. Their creativity, dedication, and courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm and octopus ice cream is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi and ramen-saturated West.
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Interesting material that's well-narrated
- By John S. on 11-09-16
By: Michael Booth
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cod
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history of the oyster in America
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Skip the last few chapters
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Fills a gap in most folks' historical knowledge
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As Julia Child once said, “It is hard to imagine a civilization without onions.” Historically, she’s been right—and not just in the kitchen. Uniquely flourishing in just about every climate and culture around the world, onions have provided the essential basis not only for sautés, stews, and stir fries, but for medicines, metaphors, and folklore. Abundantly commonplace yet extraordinarily indispensable, the onion is Kurlansky's newest global food fixation as he sets out to explore how and why the crop reigns over Wales to Italy and everywhere in between.
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The author reading his own work sounds bored with own writing
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By: Mark Kurlansky
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Salmon
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In what he says is the most important piece of environmental writing in his long and award-winning career, Mark Kurlansky, best-selling author of Salt and Cod, The Big Oyster, 1968, and Milk, among many others, employs his signature multi-century storytelling and compelling attention to detail to chronicle the harrowing yet awe-inspiring life cycle of salmon.
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More about people than salmon
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Mark Kurlansky's new book takes us back to the food of a younger America. Before the national highway system brought the country closer together, before chain restaurants brought uniformity, and before the Frigidaire meant that frozen food could be stored for longer, the nation's food was seasonal, regional, and traditional. It helped to form the distinct character, attitudes, and customs of those who ate it.
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Perhaps better in print.
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That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
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Interesting anecdotes and engaging tales make science fun, meaningful, and accessible. Separating sense from nonsense and fact from myth, these essays cover everything from the ups of helium to the downs of drain cleaners and provide answers to numerous mysteries, such as why bug juice is used to color ice cream and how spies used secret inks. Mercury in teeth, arsenic in water, lead in the environment, and aspartame in food are discussed.
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Very cavalier attitude
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Fishing at sea, an ancient trade and a way of life that has defined coastal towns throughout history, may be coming to an end. The culture and traditions of coastal Britain and of seagoing nations everywhere are now threatened with extinction. Celebrated author Mark Kurlansky explores the fate of our oceans and the decline of our most ancient coastal enterprise.
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Love me some Kurlansky!
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Of all the dietary and nutritional claims pitched to us, what can we believe? How does cinnamon affect your health? How splendid is Splenda? Should you buy farmed, wild, or canned food? What's fishy about fish-oil supplements? Will a diet of Twinkies and M&M's lead to weight loss? Water from a tap or from a plastic bottle - which should you choose, and which is better for the environment? Should you carry your groceries home in plastic or brown paper? We all have questions, and Dr. Joe Schwarcz has the answers, some of which will astonish you.
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Excellent! Science-baced nutritional information.
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By: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
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1968
- The Year That Rocked the World
- By: Mark Kurlansky
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Over the course of one pivotal year, events that shaped American and world history took place: The North Vietnamese launched the Tet offensive. Prague Spring began. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated. Students protested across the United States and around the world. Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was besieged by riots. Apollo 11 launched. And Richard Nixon was elected president of the United States.
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Not for Me
- By Chris Reich on 05-25-22
By: Mark Kurlansky
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Dr. Joe & What You Didn't Know
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- By: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
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From Beethoven's connection to plumbing to why rotten eggs smell like sulfur, the technical explanations included in this scientific primer tackle 99 chemistry-related questions and provide answers designed to inform and entertain. What jewelry metal is prohibited in some European countries? What does Miss Piggy have to do with the World Cup? How can a cockroach be removed from a human ear? The quirky information offered incorporates scientific savvy, practical advice, and amusing anecdotes.
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Interesting facts, but the narrator's lacking
- By Marsha L. Woerner on 12-05-14
By: Dr. Joe Schwarcz
What listeners say about Salt
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall
- Thomas
- 03-26-03
Fascinating...
This is one of those books that just opens your eyes to something you never knew. Fascinating stories about the importance of SALT. It does not stop there. Each voyage into the importance of Salt at a particular time and place is followed by a narrative of many other important events that surrounded his original story. From Gandi to Washington. Brigham Young to the Chinese. Europe and the Vikings. Historically speaking, Salt has been as important as oil is today. Mark Kurlansky does a wonderful job of telling the story and keeping the reader entertained. There are only a few minor moments when the material gets a little dry "no pun intended", but he does not get very repetitive as I thought might be the case.
He did a great job of research and I can tell from references, a lot of work in putting this book together.
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58 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Keith
- 05-22-03
The world through the eye of a saltshaker
This book takes an interesting look at world history through the perspective of salt. I would never have believed there was so much documented history of salt.
The narration was very good
The book itself though not rivetting was a very interesting material. It has certainly changed my view of salt vs history permanently.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Pat Furrie
- 09-09-05
With a silly title like
... it is an amazingly good book. Much, much more than a mere NaCl, this is a sweeping history of man, from 4000BC to the present. But unlike so many other world histories, wars aren't the points by which the dots are connected; it's salt. While today it may seem mundane and ordinary, salt's fascinating importance throughout history is presented, with many colorful asides written and read beautifully.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall
- Rick
- 02-10-05
Salt is fascinating
The book Salt is a time-tested way to present the history of the world, i.e. pick a ubiquitous item, and use it as the common thread to trace every aspect of human history. The same historical literary formula would work as well by writing about gold, fabric, or even bricks. Great book, great history, even if a bit repetitive about the importance of salt to fish preservation. Highly recommended as a literary device for understanding our connections to all cultures. Be prepared to enjoy almost pure history.
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Overall
- Paul
- 11-04-03
Surprisingly good.
*Listening* to a book on audio is not at all the same as reading it in print. This is one I would never read in print; it would put me to sleep in ten minutes. But I listened to it on a long drive and found it a surprisingly good listen. Lots of lore (for example, the origin of the words 'salad' and 'salary'), and lots of history that's far more interesting than it has any right to be! And many more recipies prominently featuring salt than you'll ever cook up in a lifetime.
As someone with a blood pressure problem, I found that -- oddly -- there only minimal discussion of the medical aspects of salt. Never mind, I'm glad I got this one.
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Overall
- andrew
- 10-01-10
View through a prism
For some reason, salt has been written out of history. You hear about gold, silver, sugar, silk, all kinds of commodities, but not salt. Why this is, I do not know. You will never look at food the same way again I expect. I love food history and general history and this kind of very specific angle book which looks through a prism and expands. So this was right up my alley, but I think anyone who can take pleasure in a high intellectual read, that is a bit dry at times, will enjoy this. The book is well organized and touches on a lot of places, eras, wars, theories, and leaders. The brief "caption biography" of Ghandi was one highlight. So are tidbits and anecdotes about Roquefort cheese (if you've never had it you will miss out on the humor of that story: it is glorius by the way, so go buy some if you can find it) and the first champion of Roquefort Cheese, as well as Christianity: Charlemagne, about the staggering difference in salt consumption up to the 20th century and since the 20th century, and about Vikings, Celts, Soddom and Gommora and Lot's Wife! (that cryptic bible story debunked) and lots of others.
The only reason I do not give it 5 stars is I have heard Scott Brick read about 10 books now, and he is always good, but I am very very sick of his voice and his slow, measured, perfect pauses and emphases always put at the same point in the sentence- you could hand me any book in any genre and I could do a killer Scott Brick impression. He's pretty much the scourge of my life at this point. An excellent narrator though if you've never heard him before. This is the type of book Thomas Pynchon must read.
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Overall
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Performance
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- Curtis
- 09-05-13
about halfway through & taking the time to rate...
Would you listen to Salt again? Why?
I usually would not listen to an audiobook a second time, but I might go back to take notes on certain recipes. (Note the "recipes" I have heard so far are more like how-to's than actual recipes. The author describes several techniques employed by different cultures throughout history for preserving foods with salt. Super interesting!
What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?
Very clear enunciation, easy to listen to and follow.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I love the hundreds of interesting stories and anecdotes from history, all tied together with salt.
Any additional comments?
Who would have known a book about salt would be so interesting and thought provoking? After listening, you will have at least 20 cool stories or weird facts that you will be able to pull out at a dinner party and sound extra worldly and knowledgeable.
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- D Steyer
- 11-30-16
The amazing (hi)story of salt!!!
It is quite amazing to listen to the history of what was once (or for a long time) a precious commodity dating back to ancient times, and then realize that the product is today such a common and inexpensive one. This is one of those books where you constantly say: "wow, I did not know that". The amount of curious facts involved in the narrative by the superb Scott Brick makes the book captivating. Do not let the subject (salt) make you believe that listening to it is not worth it or that it is boring. Just realizing that as far as flavor and quality goes, there is "salt" and "salt", why are they different, why some were so valuable might make you get a better appreciation for a product that sometimes is seen as the villain in the kitchen.
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- Elizabeth
- 10-03-13
A dash of goodness
airly interesting tome on how salt is at the root of all major historical events. While that might be an exaggeration on my part, this book certain contends that salt has played a more major role in our world's history than most of us are aware.
There are a few times where the book lacks a little, ummmmm, spice, and could use a dash of something to make it a bit more intriguing. However, those moments were rare and, in general, the book as an easy read well worth the time.
The narrator of the audio version does an excellent job
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- myPenName
- 09-11-19
A fascinating look at everything via salt
This book provided endless entertainment as the author covered not only the topic of salt, but countless associated facts and history. I received insight into the humans and their times as history was shaped to become what we are today.
I know I will return to this in the future to again listen to it all enfolded. It was wonderfully written and performed.
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