Hello all:

Just wanted to let you know about one of the books I'm reading. The book is Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky (Kurlansky, Mark. Salt: A World History. Alfred A. Knopf Canada. 2002). The book is a little bit of a dull read at times but still holds some interesting themes. I am not finished it yet, only about 100 pages into the book so I can't give you a complete overview.

The book essentially traces back through history the uses, trade, and overall influence of salt on the development and progresss of the different civilizations and areas of the world where humans inhabit. The author points out how salt in its different chemical forms has been and still is essential in development of humans both biologically, politically, culturally, and socially. The book very much opens your mind to the fact that salt has played just as much if not more of a role in human life over the ages as water. Just as we see in history areas of human habitation springing up around water sources such as rivers, it seems it was equally important that humans inhabit an area that was near to some form of salt resource, or a body of water where salt could be imported. As well, an area of human habitation could be settled soely on a trade route and rely soely on trade such as Tim Buk Tu ( yes, ITS A REAL PLACE!) As well, our bodies cannot function without water and sodium, and we cannot produce water or sodiuem ourselves, we need to get them from external sources. Therefore, as mentioned above, making salt at an almost equal level of importance to humans as water.

Anyway, I'll write more on it when I finish the book. Don't hold your breath, I have the attention span of a flea so it takes me forever to read a book.

p.s. frig...i love history

-a history student