I’m reading Mark Kurlansky’s book, Salt: A World History http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/salt/home.htm. I know that must sound incredibly dull. It is. Very much so. That’s not to say that the book doesn’t have its moments though. Did you know that humans cannot live without salt, but that the body does not make any of it? That sort of fascinating fact jumps out at you every ten or twelve pages. There’s more, of course, but I’ve only reached page 179, so nothing else comes to mind.
Why would I spend what seems like hundreds of hours reading such a scholarly work? Because there is no mention anywhere within its binding of Barack Obama, Senator Pelosi, George Bush, possible cabinet appointments, white house dogs, financial buy outs, the stock market, bail outs for the auto industry, consumer confidence, congress, recessions or unemployment
These days, I can hardly think of anything better to recommend a good book. Never mind that Samuel Johnson’s line comes to mind every twenty or thirty pages. “He is not only dull himself,” Johnson said though I do not remember who he was talking about, “he is the cause of dullness in others.” Sorry, Mark. I’m only telling you what many others are thinking.
Salt was the oil of early civilizations. The strongest, richest countries had the most access to it. That’s the type of thing that Kurlansky can run with for a hundred pages or more. His research is stellar. It must have taken years to write. It’s taking almost that long to read. After nodding out a time or two, I sometimes regress and turn on CNN, but after one or two stories about any of the above, I rush back to this literary sedative, finding great comfort and relief in the endless parade of words. I know I can’t keep on this path for much longer. My business is finance, after all. People rely on me and Blue Water Partners http://bluewater.ky for my expertise in investment banking. But I’m not ready quite yet to dive back into this whirlpool of financial and political information that we are all in the midst of. Soon, though. Soon. Or maybe when I’m finished Salt, I might first sneak a peek at Mark’s other book, Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World.
By Myron Gushlak
