Cod and Salt: Two decent books to read

Mark Kurlansky has written two food related books in the last five years or so:
Salt: A World History
Cod: A Biography of a Fish that Changed the World

Both are nicely written, and the subject matters are just what the titles indicate. Of the two, I preferred Cod because the subject provides a more cohesive story. The European nations were all seeking the same fishing grounds and the competition was intense and important. Who knew that England and Iceland fought a minor war over Cod in the 20th century?

Salt takes on a more important subject, but the book is more a collection of facts and trivia about everyone's favorite seasoning. Kurlansky has a world wide scope that includes everything from government regulation of salt in ancient China to the role of salt in the U.S. Civil war. While a lot of the book does read as trivia, what great trivia. Who knew that all English cities with "wich" on the end meant they had a salt works?

If you want to read one of the two, it comes down to better (and shorter) story about a less critical subject versus a longer, less organized (and longer) book about one of the most critical food items of all time. For a non-fiction reader, both were pretty breezy reads.

Jonah

I've read both of these books (both recommended).

His newest is on my reading list: "The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell" examines the history of NY as told through the history of the oyster.

Best,
Michael

I've read two of the three; perhaps I'll get to Salt over the holiday -- it sounds like a good bedside read (I enjoy short bursts of info before losing consciousness).

Frankly, I'm not a fan of Kurlansky's style; he seems a little diffuse, a touch unfocused, and the boy does go on. Still, I read these books more for the wealth of data than the artistry of the author.

Ever since I read Cod, I've ordered it whenever I think there's a good chance that what's listed as cod on the menu is actually the fish of the same name; most recently, unfortunately, at Laschet's Inn -- tasteless blocks of dry white flesh.