When I was in high school, all I knew about salt was from chemistry class. It's sodium chloride, two nasty elements that come together to form a tasty compound perfect for sprinkling on french fries. Oh, and that it rusts cars. Maybe I learned more, but if I did, I forgot.
It wasn't until I visited Europe that I really appreciated what people do to produce salt. At Salzburg, Germany, they give tours of a salt mine (at least they did back in the '70s), like a tame amusement ride. It actually quite fascinating.
Author Mark Kurlansky tells you everything you want to know (and more) about this subject in Salt: A World History(333.8563 KUR). Nowadays, salt is common and cheap (unless your buying some of that gourmet, speciality kind). In ancient times, it was a valuable commodity traded between different countries.
To those who haven't read this book, the subject may seem dull. Believe it or not, the author is capable of keeping the book interesting.
c Waterloo Public Library 2007
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