If you've seen people talking about a book about Salt and wondered what was happening - we're here to help. Welcome to the world of microhistories and your next very niche book suggestions.
What is a microhistory?
Look this is a very loose definition of a genre I'm not 100% sure properly exists (but should). The way I would classify microhistory is a book about a very niche, specific thing and it's history. It's history on a very small, specific scale (although often the small, specific thing actually has a huge and wide ranging impact and that still very much counts). It's a genre that connects the super specific and often mundane, to our wider world and society, and when done well it is both delightful, fascinating, and makes you a really specific asset at pub quiz occasionally. You're welcome. We'll get you started and then give you some suggestions below so you can begin to be the expert on the most incredibly niche subjects like shipping containers, or citrus.
What does Salt have to do with anything?
Earlier this year all of a sudden booktok (the bookish corner of Tik Tok) and bookstagram (the bookish corner of Instagram) suddenly were flooded with people talking about a super random, super specific, 24 year old book about Salt. Written by Mark Kurlansky, Salt: A World History is a perfect example of a microhistory - it's a non-fiction book about this tiny thing, Salt, and it's huge impact on all of civilisation. Combining science, economics, and history, we see how Salt has done so much to shape our world. Mark Kurlansky has not just written about Salt, you can also read about Cod and Paper too.
One internet reel by creator Wyatt Derman that got over 780,000 likes about this amazing book (Salt) he read that changed how he perceived the planet got everyone interested in non-fiction, and me thinking about other super specific niche historical books. Thanks Wyatt!
Where to start?
Other than obviously picking yourself up a copy of Salt by Mark Kurlansky, both Tim and I really recommend Simon Winchester as a great place to start with his extremely readable and fascinating books about niche topics like wind in Breath of the Gods which is a recent read of mine that came out at the end of last year. With chapters about the unseen forces that can be both gentle and cataclysmic, Winchester's writing is both entertaining and well-crafted. He's also written other niche books about the history of land ownership, and precision engineering.
You also absolutely cannot go wrong with Bill Bryson, quite possibly the first author who ever made me laugh out loud. With his very easy to read style, he's an effortless entry point into learning niche things about topics like the intricacies of the English language and how it's evolved in Mothertongue, and the history of domestic life in At Home.
“Man wants to see nature and evolution as separate from human activities. There is a natural world, and there is man. But man also belongs to the natural world. If he is a ferocious predator, that too is part of evolution. If cod and haddock and other species cannot survive because man kills them, something more adaptable will take their place. Nature, the ultimate pragmatist, doggedly searches for something that works. But as the cockroach demonstrates, what works best in nature does not always appeal to us.” ― Mark Kurlansky, Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World
Want to get REALLY niche?
This is where we delve into the super specific and learn all the things that might one day come up in conversation or pub quiz and when they do you will be a STAR.
Firstly, delve into the citrus industry with Oranges by John McPhee - a deep dive into both the botany and the history of oranges that will forever change your glass of juice. Then move over to my favourite fruit of all time, the humble and often divisive feijoa, with Kate Evans' beautiful hardback book aptly named...Feijoa. Whether you love them or hate them it only feels right to know more about this exotic fruit that grows in so many of our backyards (except mine which feels unfair). This is a microhistory done absolutely perfectly - using the specific feijoa to craft a beautiful book about humans and connection.
After the foray into the world of fruit, take a pivot and learn about sand with The World in a Grain by Vince Beiser, or take a right turn into learning more about the implications of our financial decision making with Debt by David Graeber, a journey through the history and evolution of debt across 5,000 years of human civilization.
On my own microhistory TBR is Flick by Kate Lister, a new release about the history of sex and female pleasure that sounds delightful and ranges from Ancient Mesopotamia to the modern contraceptive pill. I also am intrigued by Little Blue Dot by Katherine Dunn, a book about the Global Positioning System (GPS), its role in our pocket as well as globally in our trade and banking, and A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Couthard which delves into sheep and their impacts on human civilization.. I also really should read Salt.
Microhistories are a great way to learn a lot about the world around us and make fascinating connections through things you may not have thought too hard about before. I love the idea of authors being able to go down the most niche deep dives and providing us with this treasure trove of specific knowledge as a result. Hopefully you give one a go!
Let us know if you've read any microhistories before and what you would recommend!
Lizzy makes sure the Book Hero bookstore is an integral part of our local Hobsonville community, welcoming readers of all ages with a genuine kindness and love of books. The Fantastic Mr Fox ignited her passion for books as a child, and now she’s read thousands of books and loves matching the right book to the right reader - both in our bookstore and online. When she’s not recommending her next favourite read, she’s enjoying life’s small joys and adding to a home library so large her husband Edd is constructing a massive bookshelf to try and keep up.