Interdisciplinary Studies: The Story of Salt by Mark Kurlansky

Who knew there was so much history about salt that could fill the pages of a children's picture book?

Well I certainly did not know.  I had no idea the extent of the history of salt.  The Story of Salt goes through time from when people were still nomads to modern day salt uses.

As I am learning about interdisciplinary units (connecting several subjects in school into one unit) in one of my other classes, I realized that this book truly is an interdisciplinary book.

This book does not just contain history facts and information, but also combines it with scientific information.

For example, at the start of the book, the author first explains the chemical compound of salt.  He then explores why we humans need salt in order to survive; he writes, "Sodium chloride is needed for breathing and for digestion, and without salt, the body could not transport nourishment, oxygen, or nerve impulses" (Kurlansky 7).

The author also incorporates English (exploring the root of certain words like salary and soldier each coming form the Latin for salt during the Roman empire), government (explaining how trade agreements worked between nations with salt and those with the food sources), and geology (how oil forms because natural elements are trapped underneath a salt dome).

Of course, the main part is the history of salt.  

However, what makes this book so wonderful is that the text is written in an engaging way for even a child to become interested in something so seemingly unimportant.  

Occasionally, there would be an additional box of words that was slightly tangental from the main body of text, but it gave fun facts about salt that one would never think would be related.

For example, Buffalo, New York was so named because it was the end of a buffalo path where salt was plenteous.

The cartoon images also further enhance the text of the book.  Whether the cartoon people express emotion or the illustrator includes a map, the reader  constantly has something to look at that adds to the salt history.

Unfortunately, this book does not have any documentation.  It makes me very sad to say this because in all other aspects it is phenomenal.  However, that would not change my opinion that this is a recommended book.  Perhaps you too will walk away with a greater appreciation for salt.