Preview
  • Salt

  • A World History
  • By: Mark Kurlansky
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (3,132 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Salt

By: Mark Kurlansky
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $23.36

Buy for $23.36

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

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.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

What listeners say about Salt

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,489
  • 4 Stars
    919
  • 3 Stars
    505
  • 2 Stars
    150
  • 1 Stars
    69
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,377
  • 4 Stars
    625
  • 3 Stars
    260
  • 2 Stars
    52
  • 1 Stars
    22
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1,166
  • 4 Stars
    662
  • 3 Stars
    371
  • 2 Stars
    93
  • 1 Stars
    46

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • 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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person 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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

Very bad sound dynamics

This recording has terrible dynamics. It’s alternately too loud and too quiet to hear. In order to understand the quiet words,
you have to set the volume to a level that blasts your ears for the loud times, especially if you’re wearing headphones. Please hire a sound engineer next time

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

a lot of information

I really liked a lot of the ancient history etc about salt this book took me a really long time to finish because I kind of lost interest. overall it's a good book with a lot of information it just is a lot to listen to about salt for 13 hours

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

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

History of salt- interesting approach to world history

I thought it was worth the read a little dry in some stages but I still enjoyed it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!