An extraordinary look at an ordinary substance—and one we'd be dead without: salt. Salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and the story of this common household seasoning proves a fascinating one. In a kaleidoscope of history, Mark Kurlansky—bestselling author of 1968 and Cod—blends economic, scientific political, religious, and culinary elements to produce this tasty account of salt, the only rock we humans eat. Populated by colorful characters and filled with fascinating details, Salt is a supremely spicy, multi-layered masterpiece.