Stacking the Shelves #20

I have not done much reading for the Nonfiction Reader Challenge and decided to buy Mark Kurlansky's Salt: a World History. Published in 2003, Salt is a history of how the product has shaped civilization from the beginning. It is surprising that it has been valuable enough to serve as currency, influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars, secured empires and inspired revolutions. Yet it still remains a common household item, one that humans cannot live without consuming. 

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My non-fiction preferences tend to be toward food and art. In one sense, food is art. Earlier in the year I explored champagne and now I am taking a look at this mineral which Homer called a divine substance.  Plato thought is was dear to the gods. Not knowing how prevalent it is on the planet, earlier generations believed that it had enormous value. Today we take it for granted that we can find it in a box at the grocer whenever we need it.

Reviews of the book state that Salt has a number of fascinating characters within its pages. I am looking forward to reading about them as I learn how this mineral has shaped our civilization.